198 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



June I'i 



1916. 



COTTON CONFERENCE, 



FOURTH DAY'S PROCEEDINGS. 



The Commekce of Cotton. 



Tile Conference was resumed on Thursday, Marcli 16, 

 at 10 a.m. In opening this session, the Pre.sident said the 

 subject for consideration was the Commerce of ( Jotton. This 

 would involve discussion concerning the methods best calcu- 

 lated to secure reasonable prices for ootton, having regard to 

 the circumstances of production and consumption ; also 

 difficulties that have been experienced in the past in connex- 

 ion with the sale of cotton. 



Hon. R. L. Warneford (Antigua) then read a resolution 

 which he had been asked by cotton growers in that island 

 to put before the Conference : 'That the Antigua delegates 

 to the forthcoming Cotton Confereijce should bring up for 

 discussion, if circumstances permit, the long delays which 

 frequently elapse between the date on which advices of sales 

 of cottim are received in Antigua, and the arrival of the 

 proceeds. The delegates are directed to enquire whether 

 similar difficulties are encountered in other isiand.s, and to 

 endeavour to take some steps which may be calculated to 

 improve conditions in respect of proceeds and account 

 sales'. Mr. Warneford quoted one instance where 29 bales of 

 cotton had been sold in September 1915, while up to 

 March 11,1916, no account sales had been received. He 

 admitted, however, that this was an extreme case, but pointed 

 out that there always exists a general delay. 



Mr. S. W. Howes (Montserrat) said the same trouble was 

 experienced in IMontserrat, but perhaps not to the same extent 

 as in Antigua. Mr. K. P. Puncheon (Montserrat) thought that 

 inconvenience was felt more in the case of people who 

 were awaiting account sales to make settlements. In 

 his case when he had been advised of sales, he could 

 make settlements without awaiting accounts from the 

 British Cotton (irowing Association. In Montserrat growers 

 could draw on the merchants and no charge was made 

 on the account sales. The position, no doubt, was different 

 in Antigua where the grower dealt through the bank. 



Hon. R. L. Warneford asked what. would happen if account 

 .sales were drawn on, and in the meantime the money was 

 remitted to Jlontserrat. Mr. Pencheon replied that the 

 draft would be accepted without any hesitation. In reply to 

 a general i|ucstion put by the President, Mr. J. R. Yearwood 

 (St. Kitts) said he also had experienced delay in the sale of 

 cotton. 



The President then asked if it would be sufficient if he 

 •wrote to the British Cotton Growing Association pointing 

 out the views expressed, and asking that attention might be 

 given so as to minimize the delay as far as possible. 



It was agreed that this would serve the purpose. 



Primage. 



Hon. R. L. Warneford (Antigua) said he had another 

 resolution entrusted to him, which read ;is follows: 'That the 

 delegates from Antigua sliould draw attention of the members 

 of the Conference to the difficulties which are experienced in 

 recovering primage paid on shipments of cotton consigned to 



the British Cotton Growing Association by growers in 

 Antigua, and to enquire whether similar difficulties are 

 experienced in other islands, and to endeavour to arrive at 

 some means of ensuring a more satisfactory condition of 

 affairs in this respect in the future'. Mr. Warneford 

 complained that the delay in Antigua was excessive: for 

 instance, they had just received primage for shipments 

 made in 1913-11, while primage for shipments made 

 in 1912 still remained unsettled. He explained that prim- 

 age is a charge of 10 per cent., in some cases 20 per cent., 

 additional freight on the actual freight charged; this extra 

 charge was recoverable every month by the shipper. In the 

 case of the British Cotton Growing Association, they pay 

 the freight and they recover the primage, and what he 

 complained of was delay on the part of the British Cotton 

 Growing Association in recovering it. 



Mr. K. P. Pencheon (Montserrat) pointed out that 

 primage is only charged when cotton is shipped continuously 

 by the combined line of steamers. Mr. A. O. Thurston 

 (St. Kitts I said he experienced no difficulty in the matter: 

 he shipped his cotton to his agents and they made the 

 recovery. Similarly. Hon J. S. Rollings (Nevis) shipped 

 cotton to his firm in Lyndon. 



It was finally agreed that it would be sufficient if 

 the President wrote to the British Cotton Growing Asso- 

 tion calling their attention to the matter, and asking them 

 that it might be dealt with more promptly in the future. 



Hon. 1!. L. Warneford (Antigua) then read another 

 resolution with reference to the increasing difficulties in 

 regard to the labour supply. The President ruled that it 

 was rather beyond the scope of the present discussion, and 

 requested that its consideration should be deferred. 



sugge.sted co-oreration between growers and 

 Fine Spinners. 



Hon. R. L. Warneford (Antigua) then put before the 

 Conference another resolution which had been entrusted to 

 him, having regard to the desirability of forming a Cotton 

 Growers' Association in Antigua. 



In connexion with this resolution, the President said 

 that, before it was discussed, he would like to put before 

 the Conference a wider suggestion related to some extent 

 to Mr. Warneford's J proposal. His suggestion was as 

 to the advi.sability of an alliance being formed between 

 the cotton growers and the Fine Spinners and Doublets' 

 A.ssociation. Premising that the Fine Spinners and 

 Doublers' Association were practically the sole buyers 

 of Sea Island cotton, the President suggested the pos- 

 sibility of something in the nature of co operation being 

 established between the growers and the buyers — a state 

 in which the growers become the producing side of the 

 business and the spinners the consuming and using side. 

 With that object in view, the President thought that 

 the Fine Spinners might be approached and asked if 

 they would enter into some arrangement with the growers 

 which would be mutually beneficial: they should inform the 

 growers what are* to be planted would meet their recjuire- 

 ments, and the price to be paid for tlu; cotton would be fixed, 

 or .at least bargained over — and this was the essential point 

 — before a single seed is planted. If the spinners refused to 

 give prices which the growers considered reasonable, the 

 growers would refuse to plant anj' cotton at all and 

 could substitute alternative crops like sugar-cane. The 

 position of the liritish West Indian islands would be strength- 

 ened in the matter of bargaining, by the fact that the 

 production of Sea Island cotton is rapidly declining in the 

 American Sea Islands. Eventually the West Indies might 

 constitute the only source of ]''ine Sea Island cotton, and 



