COTTON SHORTAGE

Waikato Times, Volume 92, Issue 14256, 6 January 1920, Page 3

COTTON SHORTAGE

KEEN DEMAND EVERYWHERE. “The Lancashire cotton industry still always remain supreme, in splt« of competition from East and West,” was the statement made lately by Mr James M. Connaughton, the representative of Messrs R. T. Holdsworth and Company, one of the largest cotton manufacturing firms in i Manchester. The secret of Lancashire's success, he explained, was its humid atmosphere, without which the finer cottons could not be spun. Japanese manufacturers already realised that their dry climate was useless for the best class of cotton, and, accordingly, they were specialising on the inferior makes. Lancashire had this one natural asset which would keep it in the van of the cotton industry as long as it lasted. America and Canada, he pointed out, were handicapped much in the sameway as Japan, and as.these countries were the only serious competitors in the market, the prospects of the British manufacturers were unquestionably bright. Mr Connaughton emphasised Japan’s admitted disabilities by pointing oat that «he still remained one of Lancashire’s largest customers. The Japanese eotton crepes, from which the Japanese made their dainty kimonos, lacked the stability of the Old Country goods, **d even her flannelette, grey oloth And Halloo were inferior in quality. New Zealand, like Australia had had a fair sample of Eastern cottons, but buyers in both countries were refusing to plass further orders in that ffirojition. nob only en aceou&t of the quality of the material, but also owing to the difficulties which had risen frequently over the execution of orders. The result was a great shortage of cotton goods here, a position which eould not be rectified for some months, as Mr Connaughton was booking orders as far ahead as June of next year. He re- , marked that New Zealand buyers had held back orders for some time owinor to the high prices, which had continued to soar since the armistice, but there appeared to be little prospect of a reduction for two or three years. This was due partly to the increased cost of raw eotton, and also to the fact that India and the adjacent markets had refrained since 1916 from making purchases, and had only recently come in again.

The demand for cotton was enormous throughout the world, and Mr Connaughton, who had recently been in Canada, had his order book hfeavily laden, some Arms asking for cotton lo the value of several thousand pounds, which illustrated the insufficiency as well as the quality manufactured in Canada and the United States.