310 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



• Vtober 5, 1918. 



BRITISH COTTON GROWING ASSO- 

 CIATION. 



In jircseating iht,- Thirteenth Annual Kejiort ol the work 

 of the Association, the Council records with much regret the 

 deaths of Mr. .John Edward Newton, one of the Vice Presi- 

 dents of the Associatior, and Mr. Edwin Stanstiehl. Both 

 of thesf gentlemen were actively connected with the Associa- 

 tion from its inauguration in 190i', and took a prominent 

 part in the development of cotton growing 



Mr. H. Boothman, the ( General Secretary of the Amal- 

 gamated Association ol Operative Cotton Spinners, has been 

 elected a member of the Council, to till the vacancy caused by 

 the ileath of Mr. William Marsland. 



Owing to reasons of health, Mr. J. Arthur Huiton has 

 ^e^igned his position as Chairman of the As-sociation, and the 

 Council has accepted the resignation with profound regret, 

 and desires to place upon recoid it§ most grateful thanks fur 

 the wholehearted and unreniitiing devotion which Mr. Hutton 

 has given to the I'st interests of the As.sociation since its 

 inception. The Council recalls with gratitude the ability 

 with which he has guided the .-\.ssociation's policy and work 

 through many ditticulties, until it has attained its present 

 recognized position as an Empire institution, with everj' 

 promise that its work and example will ultimately result in a 

 large increase of British Empire-grown cotton. Mr. Hutton 

 has been elected a Vice President of the Association. 



The Council has decided not to appoint any permanent 

 Chairman, but that he work shall be carried on I y ihe pres- 

 ent E.\ecutive Committee, with the co-operation and general 

 superintendence of the Manager, Mr. Himbury. The Execu- 

 tive Committee have arranged to meet frei|uentlj' at regular 

 intervals, and practically to act as a board of directors. 



As a result of representations made by the Council, 

 a Committee has been appointed to consider the best method 

 of continuing and developing the work inaugurated by the 

 Association. A great deal of valuable evidence has already been 

 placed at the disposal of the Committee, and a complete 

 and exhaustive statement of the Association's case for the 

 future development '4 the cotton-crowing movement within 

 the Eaixtue was drawn up Mr. Hutton, and con.sidered by 

 the Committee. 



Evidence was given by representatives of the Sudan 

 Government, which showed that within a period of, say, 

 twenty-five years about 440,000 bales of 500 B). each could 

 be produced annually in the Sudan by the aid of dam anri 

 irrigation works, but without any extra storage works. 



Evidence was also given by Sir Murdoch MacDonald, 

 the head of the Egyptian Irrigation Department, with regard 

 to the I o.ssibilities in Egypt, where it is estimated that by 

 drainag' and irrigation schemes another 800,000 bales of 

 500 Jt. i,ich might be added to the Egyptian crop. 



The Committee are still continuing their investigations. 



Owing to the war no further efforts have been made to 

 ctimplete the raising of the capital, namely, £500,000, but 

 additional subscriptions amounting to £114 have been 

 received during the year. 



The total capital subscribed is £477,034, of which 

 £468,5ti5 has been allotted in the fonn of shares. The 

 balance of capital still to be raised amounts to £22,9(it5, 

 towards which £13,000 has been promised conditionally on 

 the whole of the c.ipital being subscribed, leaving a net 

 balance of £9,966 stih to be found. 



Considerable lifficulties and delays have again been 

 experienced in shijping the 1916-17 cotton crop, but liie 

 Council are glad to report that, notwithstanding the very 

 acute shortage of tonnage which has existed during the year, 

 the whole of the 1916 17 cotton from Went .Africa und the 



Sudan has now been received in Liverpool. A considerable 

 portion of the Uganda and Nj-asaland crops still remains 

 to be shipped, as well as the bulk of the Sea Island 

 cotton grown in the West Indies. The shipment of the 

 Cganda cotton crop has been a source of anxiety to the 

 Council, but they feel confident that the Government will do 

 everything possible to ensure the shipment of cotton from 

 T'ganda. 



The total amount of cotton which has passed through 

 the hands of the .Association during recent years is shown in 

 the following statement: — 



V'e.^r, Bales. Value, 



£ 

 •507, i 22 

 661,227 

 456,147 

 627,703 

 7.88,061 

 1.41-5,644 



The Council consider the results of the past year's work- 

 ing are eminently satisfactory, more especially in face of the 

 transport .snd other difficulti'-s which have prevailed. 



The estimated amount of cotton grown in new fields in 

 the British Empire in the la.st six years, stated in bales of 

 100 Jb each, is as follows: — 



1912 

 191.3 

 1914 

 1915 

 1916 

 1917 



71,490 bales. 

 72SOO „ 

 82,3.50 „ 

 :5,200 „ 

 78,800 „ 

 72,600 „ 



ileporiing on work in the colonies, it is mentioned, in 

 reterence to the West Indies, that owing to difficulties in 

 obtaining a sufficient supply of long stapled cotton for military 

 reijuirements, His Majesty's Government found it necessary, 

 in Imperial interests, to acquire all Sea Island cotton pro- 

 duced in the AVest Indies. The Secretary of State for the 

 < 'olonies has therefore prohibiied the exportation of this 

 cotton, with a view to its purchase by the Colonial Govern- 

 ment on behalf of the Admiralty. While Mr. Long regrets 

 to interfere with the business ai'rangements of the agricul- 

 tural community, lie feels that he has no alternative to doing 

 so, and he relies with confidence on the patriotic co-'ipera- 

 tion of the planters. All Sea Island cotton offered is bought, 

 ginned, baled and delivered at the port of shipment, and 

 the planters are accordingly relieved of all difficulties in the 

 provision of tonnage. 



The exports for the year ending September -30. 1917, 

 only amounted to 892,867 lb., as compared with 1,008,288 lb. 

 in 1916, and 1,823,9.")6 tt). in 1915. There were also exported 

 from St. Vincent 19,656 tt) of .Marie Galante seed-cotton, 

 of an estimated value of £204. The estimated production 

 of St. Vincent was 160,11)8 lb., but a considerable <juantity 

 remained unshipped. 



Erom the Virgin Islands were also .shipped 1.170 ft), 

 native, and 460 tt). of, stains, the estimated values of which 

 were £8.-^ and £34, respectively. 



< )wing to lack of transport shipping facilities from the 

 West Indies, a large quantity of the 1916-17 crop still 

 remained on hand up to September 30, 1917. 



In conclusion, the Council are of opinion that while the 

 war, depletion of staff, discontinuation of the Government 

 Grant, and other difficulties have prevented the undertaking 

 ot new developments iki.tbe year 1917, the Association may 

 congratulate themselves upon a very successful effort to 'carry 



