COTTON INDUSTRY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1949, 5 January 1914, Page 9

COTTON INDUSTRY.

PROSPECTS IN AUSTRALIA

AN OFFER BY LANCASHIRE

MILLERS,

During the rocont visit of the Dominions Royal Commission to Australia con-" siderablo evidence was collected as .Id tlio prospects of growing cotton within" the.Commouwealth. Tho supply.of cot-; ton in tho world is not developing'.in tlio ratio of the demand. Owing to, the increase of cotton mamifacluro in. tho United States, for tho highly protected homo market, tlio time is not far dia-. taut when tlio whole of the product of the Southern States will be required for American mills. India is using up a' larger proportion of her home-grown raw material, the Egyptkm cotton fields aro not capable of much expansion, while West Indian and African cotton crops are subject to diseases that make tlio supply unreliable. Lancashire cotton millers aro therefore eagerly turning their attention to Australia as _ a'field for cotton culture, and when the last mail left England tlio possibility of establishing tho cotton industry in Australia was the subject of eager discussion in the Manchester press. In May last tho Commonwealth Government communicated with the Secre- '. tary of Stato for tho Colonics, offering to contribute towards the espouses of an expert appointed by the Britisli Cot-, ton Growing Association, to report on tlio possibilities of higli grade,' long stapled cotton growing in _ Australia. Tho subject has also been discussed by tlio Dominions Royal Commission, and a conference between the commission and tlio Cotton Growing Association took place at tlio' Colonial Office on October 22. Mr. J: Arthur llntton, chairman of tho association, has since addressed a letter to tlio commission expressing a willingness to help in the inquiry as to whether cotton can be oroducod in Australia on a commercial basis, but suggesting as an essential of success that the, local Governments should tal-:o

part in tho venture. Dealing with an offer from the Queensland Government, considered to be a practical stop in tho right direction, Mr. Hutton says:

"The- committee do not think that a moro offer to guarantee a minimum pr-sco is sufficient, for beforo one could bo justified in encouraging any farmer to spend money in growing cotton it is essential that cortain experimental should-bo carried out with various typos of cotlon and in different districts, in order to prove which type <)i cotton is most suitable for each district, and which are the best methods of cultivation, and also whether or not tho cotton can bo produced ow a commercial basis—or, in other words, whether tho farmer can make- money out of it." It has been shown that cotton of good quality can be produced in Australia, and it is'this Question of whether it can be grown on a commercial basis which has to bo ascertained. Only by actual experiment'can this bo done, and tho experiments should bo spread over a period of not less than tfirco year;;. It is therefore urged that in tho first instance aa agriculturist with good practical knowledge of cotton growing should !>a engaged for that period. Secondly, n series of practical experiments should be immediately inaugurated with different types of seed and different methods of cultivation.

"Tho evidence required could be economically obtained' by arranging with selected farmers, .to cultivate small experimental .plots under tho supervision of' tho' cotton expert, as is. often donein ' tho United States and in Kgypt, when it is generally arranged that the farmer should bo guaranteed a' minimum crop. - In any case the Government should ha-vo absolute control over the • ■ seed for further distribution. In tiro second season those varieties of cotton proved, to be failures should be eliminated, and'experiments with the moro satisfactory types continued oft a more extensive, scale. The committee- e;;- . press themselves strongly on tiio point that tho seed used' for' sowing is the' most vital factor in connection with cotton growing. Tho ginning and baling . of the cotton, it is recommended, should bo undor Government, control, for "it is just as dangerous to mix different growths together in the ginning and baling as it is to sow raised seeds.' In the recommendations made. • it is pointed, out that when dealing with high-class cottoii it is only, by tl-,030 methods it caii bo expected to obtain high prices, and Mr. Hut-ton pre sumes that it would be of,little uso'to attempt to grow low-grade cotton in, Australia. ■ - . "As to tho typo of .cotton winch . should bo grown (Mr. HuUon says) only experience will enable one to decide definitely which typo will-be mostv".mtable. I may, however, stats at or,«! that there arc. two types which should not bo encouraged, viz.. Hon Island and perennial'cotton. The market for Sea Island cotton is a very small 'one, am! is already very fully supplied from, the United States and the West Indies. 'A:; to perennial typos, they may do well enough on a small scale,- but speaking from experience spread all over- the world, in the long run their cultivation is not a profitable one, unci. Hie type of cotton, though suitable for mixing with wool, is not, suitable for cotton spin-' niDg. ' There is also the great-dis-advantage that they give every faci.iUy for tho unread of cotton pests and dis-' eases. The modern practice is to tivate- cotton as an amino! and to have all tho plants destroyed at tho-end. of each season, so as to prevent them' noting aa a bridge to.convey the pest 3 from one season.-to another.' For the same reason 'ratnouiiig',' or pruninc' bock the plants for a scond sea son'.s growth, should be absolutely forbidden, for there is the additional disadvantage thnt tho fibre deteriorates year by ye-ir:; "Th" other remaining 'types fire'lndian, Egyptian, and American. ' Indian cottoii is short, of very low valne,'"and ■ enn, therefore, be ruled out at .one;-'.

Efrvpti'iii flops wo!! under irri'«aHon, Iml is liard!y to be rpooniraendpd as ai'mij: crop, hut it mir;lit bo worii! wliil" tr.VJiirr a small oxperimp.iitr,. !:■■. As\rPr fcni'ds American. -\vc slimiM' ha'rilly-TO-onnwnonfl thf shorter stripled : vrirfotip? oivinc: to tlioir lotr value, iliour;!] it'ins'; are undoubtedly flipear.iost to «;roir,' and arp henvy fvmpprs. 'nwo.'-ar.v !tmvr.-."r, many high ela.ss vnripfie'O'ov upland cotton, '.iirn of vhieti ;irc"troi'l!) ns .i«i!"!i .•]'■■ "op'! I-'"ynt!rtn eoffnn. nr. fot l »w"nlc Alleirs Improved jJSiinilovvor,; f!ri(!itl, '.'fc, and, a*: far:.-": iro'Vpr'n jiidio. tin's tyne would riroUiiMv.liivntr.st snilnW" fur Idle country, tnonjiin.tli!:! can only lie defined (jn.W t\vo-\-,r..:;.tKr"o joars'" careful oxporiiiTPiitil ".'or!;.'' !:: "\\'o r.Piiorally. reckon ■flint■ U lakes from, four to 'five yejirr, -iliorongiily to estMi-'. li'dl -''f V.T'lpl.y Of OOJ't,')']. .;'. It *]'.-tjj'.l:'-'.t possible tlnif. ponio :;:iii;ib!e: ivp.ps'jirp : already o"taMifdied, r;nd"'ivp-'rho;dd ' be' (dad 'n carefully exaniinp ami rppqrt.jfiiia:iv sainpl-- 1 .? f-'put to 11s." .' : .;sKSffi s '- y Tli" "oinmittp". of tlio nßsoejatioivjmade. tlip f.-d'nv/inr; offer to tbe pon'nii^.'ori'V-^? M Tf tbo Oovpri;!Tion.t^'(lp'p;dps , ?! v '»( : , "lulorfalco niiy pxporimpiiteVwirl; on Hip litvs sn."n-p?fpd abovp." tbe fiMopiafioiv ivifl. do nl!> in tlipir noivrr'-toj .."..-.?irt.: pitbor liv adviep orotnenviso, and t'l'pv will contribute tno sum of ; iiniiuni towards flip;..rnsr.. .of neriments. for a r>pnod : .of^throd-■■yoai's',-.Tiilv 1..19R''- , /;0 ;%■%;.;; (bl Tlio association nil! Siipp'yS'frpiJ nf oliarso. small quantities, of* sqcjlj for." i;xi)primpntnl purposes; ,::-i-l/i^^'^'' :: i:,X (c) Tlu> association irill report/from'}timo to tinm on any sanipio'sjif.'i'fiotioiiij and nil! ndviso as to .tlicir 'siiitaWiiy.; Tor the market. '" (d) Tlio Hip sale of any to this country niui^^gjindprtakfetpi 1

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: " (i).fllib ? hs3TCiaHoii:iwill(itiiargc?fof,}t!io, above services tbo'lfpllo.wjifgfcoinmissib'H'lf ■i!Va(id!tipn : 4o',inieicst'JalM;j6t.lm^)ffit' i bfi pr,(:kpt;;charge.s i , (inciudin^tiip'ib'rol<ier?sicliarges;of;Oi ; cent.);' v scedlol^fper'vXen't;^;|;buiidings, , ; ninehinery, =bi!iuginiatcrials;*e't€:S2:;pct 'ocnfc. No add.iii.oiisli'clihrgejyi'ill'bo..liir.dri for acceptanco'.'lof/ bills^spayiiieritft;|qf; freights,;:i]isurauce;:;'p re / {])-.Forlla period;of;;tliree''!ycar3/' dat- ; iiig- f roin7:.l;uiy;sl/vlol;l'i.tlio).arsbciiition.: will guarantee's"'minimum' price-in: Liver-; pool or:Loiidoii inV; st;ranco,Vport-and which' ; amount_itQ abou§sSd,|fper K llv;) : for ; all cotton ''foiwrirded'iio.',,JhcnV'for"'salp,- 'and Avhicli shall havo :, 'beep :i prbdueed..froni.an. nnnnnl variety; grownsfroriWseed ■' issued by tho ■GQvernnient;%andiwhiehi shall bo shipped in,> : :e!ean'and nicr.chantable condition/|S !Any'' s'ufpliis|jyhich':;niay. be obtained oyer tlio'above^nientibncd.price of planter,"-- : It- is does not^apptyV to: any*\.cqttpn sgroivn; from . perennial troned- cotton;'"■s:Sjfi" .'/:i'^S/MU'Hi-l'i?

"In concluEioiV.'.'/Mrv'-Huttoivsays;*-.!-'!' can oiily'.liope;.,i.lvnt,this7offoriinay-.be'';'|.]ip; means .pf£ostaldisliing:..cottoni;grrr,niig. in Australia^oiifa :, pernianentSbasis^y'ta^!