Evening star., 1924-03-29
TRADE |S.4 WARNED"
OF COTTON future
New England Textile Leaders
Consider Appeal to Presi-
dent for Relief.
BY J. C. ROYLE.
Special Dispatch to The Star.

Special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, March 29.-Continu-
Gus warnings" are being broadcast
and cotton goods trade. Nearly every
one connected with the industries in
question is viewing the situation
with alarm. but the dangers outlined
differ widely. Factors in the New
England textile situation are seri-
ously considering an appeal to Presi-
dent Coolidge for governmental as
sistance and relief
Conditions which are leading up
to such an appeal, they say, have
followed widespread curtailment OF
manufacture in that section. The
print works and bleachery of the
great Pacific mills is working but
three days a week, as is the worsted
plant of the company. Normal out
put of the print works is 100000
yards week. The Everett mills
closed this week until April Z. The
Lawrence duck plant is working at
one-third capacity and the Acadia
mill Is employing only SO per cent
of its normal force.
Employees Furloughed.
One hundred and fifty employees of
the, Davis Furber Company have been
laid off indefinitely. The White Val
ley denim mills have closed for a
week and the York Manufacturing
Company mills at Saco have shut
down until April Z. when they will
resume on a three-day basis. The
Pemberton mill and that of the
Methuen company are among the few
that are on full time.
Manufacturers declare this cur
tailment is due to the fact that the
public Is not buying goods. Print
cloths are selling at about the same
level as last August, when cotton was
cents lower Producers are issuing
warnings that widespread unemploy-
ment Is in Immediate prospect in New
England. Some declare that a cut in
wages would only add further to oon-
fusion and disorganization OF work
ing forces. Others say that a decrease
In WAGES is an absolute nece ssity If
petition of the mills of the south.
Public Not Buying.
The southern mills agree that the
public is not buying cotton goods, and
they also are curtailing production,
although not to so great an extent
as the northern plants. They are
more confident, however, of their
ability to make money at present raw
and finished price levels than their
competitors All the manufacturers
unite in warning jobbers and retail
ers that their present method of hand
to-mouth buying must lead to higher
prices and that when public demand
becomes urgent they will find 1t
difficult to supply.
The retailers are paying small heed to
this warning so far, and the raw cotton
men view with little alarm the present
apathy of consumer buying. The grow
ers and traders point out that very few
naOrla heinR arrested for hninp inn
properly clothed, and declare that the
public must and will continue to buy
cotton cloth. On their part, however,
they issue a warning to manufacturers
cure raw cotton before the summer is
half over
C. b. Howard of Atlanta, general sales
manager of the American Cotton Crow
ers Exchange, declared today the turn
ing point in cotton decline had come,
and that advancing prices would result
in an unprecedented demand for cotton
goods. Arguments, theories. crop pros
poets and sentiment cannot avert an ac-
tual cotton famine before another yield, "
he said. Foreign spinners' stocks are
negligible, and the report of the inter-
national master spinners on foreign con-
sumption of. raw cotton will startle the
world. American exports already are
700, 900 bales in excess Of those of last
year, while American mill stocks the
first of this month were 100000 bales
under those of March 1, 1928.
Famine" Conditions Predicted.
Manufacturers will begin the new
crop year under famine conditions. The
whole world Is absolutely dependent on
the 1924 crop. A 100000 bale crop
would not meet demands before 1925.
and that is impossible under present
circumstances. With exports running
heavy, where will spinners get their cot
ton in August and SAptemberT
The one point on which all factors in
cotton seem to agree is that the gov
ernment cotton reports are unsatisfac-
tory.