The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-05-07
COOPERATION |S C0TT T0N TRADE |S BEING SOUGHT IN PIONEERING OVER
 LUMBER INDUSTRY CENSUS PROPOSAL
Market Is At Odd Ends Over New Crop ProbabiIi-
 ties

NEW YORK, May. 5.-John Law renee, of Lawrence x Co.,, has given the cotton trade something to think about with regard to his sug geStion that the government collect and publish data regarding the stocks and consumption of cotton goods, in mill, jobbing, manufacturing and re- tail channels. The idea is apparently the basis of something that may be developed and perfected. Many have stated, rather offhand, that the prop osition was. good one. Others have concluded that until the human ele- ment can be altered the plan cannot be practical.
 An important factor gives some in- teresting ideas on the subject. He says;
 T have given much thought to the suggestion of John Lawrence. He is unquestionablY right when he states that data regarding the consumption of cotton goods would be moGe sig nifcant to the trade than that which it is now receiving on raw cotton. But, the more consideration l give to the subject, the more drawbacks l find. A system of reporting stocks on hand and consumption of cotton goods, assuming that there would be good cooperation, would result in a need for having ticker in every buyers office. Business would be held up, pending the announcement of the government report, and the buyer would want this information at the earliest possible moment Ii there were indications of low stocks on hand he probably would operate. But if mills showed considerable ac- cumulationS, the market would Suf- fer severly. Mills and buyers don't work together properly. Each puts his own selfish interests above the | f,,,. on good, both mill and jobber makes money When the jobber holds off buying, in an effort to get prices down, merely because a mill has ae cumulations, the jobber suffers just as much as the mill-possibly more. MisconstructiOn Probable.
 Another thing to be remembered is the possibility of misconstruct1on of figures regarding stocks on hand. It may happen. as is true quite often, that mill may make up consider able goods. in which the style ele- ment enters to more than small degree-and the mill finds later that it's forecast of the style trend was wrong These goods have no bear ing on the general market, but they show up as an accumulation. Ihe style element may often work to give the impression that the market is weak. when the fact may be that the desirable goods are in short supply.
 O O O
 There has been inclination toward better sentiment in the cloth markets | but what to expect for the next few | months is puzzling many. Opinion regarding the coming crop Is well 1 divided. There is the element which 1 figures that the increased acreage | will be reflected in the price of cot
 ton. And there is the contrary opin- | 1TN, oh crn planting, boil weevi, etc. the price
 of cotton cannot be materially af- fected. Che element looks to sec
 cotton near to 20 cents by fall; the
 other does not believe it can be be- low 9 cents. The statistical strength
 of the raw material continues to nm
 press many, and talk of profitable squeeze M July pops up now and
 then. A bet was made this week
 that cotton would sell at 33 cents during July.
 Fall River mill prices have not changed much in the past few weeks. 1 In general Fall River prices are con-
 siderably over those in the south. and bids that are considered at | tractive in the south, based on to- l days market, have rot been recelV-
 ing much attention in the east. Fall | River is quite mystery to the l Worth street cloth market in New l York. With business in the east at a minimum-and 1t has been such for
 several weeks-it is figured that
 curtailment of production must re- suit.
 o O O
 Gray Cloth Easier.
 With cotton sliding off. prices on gray (unfinished) cloths have been easier during the past week. There was a tendency last Friday and Sat
 urday for few of the print cloth prices to strengthen and they moved up an eighth of a cent, but this was lost on Monday and Tuesday, follow ing cotton recessions.
 One of the interesting develop ments of this week is the fact that Fall River is again reported in the market, looking for business. Fer the past six weeks, Fall River mill prices have been far above those of