Se ae Oe 
COTTON GROWING WITHIN THE EMPIRE. 
(Wirn Lantern Views). 
By J. HOWARD REED, “ Victorian,” M.G.S. 
19th October, 1903. 
—_——— 
Before exhibiting a number of views, the Lecturer confessed 
that he knew nothing about cotton itself, and he proposed to 
deal with the subject rather from a geographical than a com- 
mercial aspect. 
The Lancashire cotton industry employed no less than 450,000 
operatives, and, except for agriculture, it is perhaps the most 
important industry in the country. 
The exports of cotton goods from Great Britain amounted to 
£70,000,000 in 1902. It is estimated that there are 104,000,000 
spindles in the world engaged in cotton spinning, out of this 
number 40,000,000 are in Great Britain. And out of the 1,350,000 
looms in the world, 650,000 are found in England--that is 
practically in Lancashire. 
To supply this machinery, we import £35,000,000 worth of 
raw material, and we receive some £90,000,000 for the finished 
article, leaving the difference of £55,000,000 to meet expenses 
and profits. And for all the raw material used we are entirely 
dependent upon other countries, 80 per cent. of it coming from 
America. 
During the American Civil War, no less than 247,000 
operatives were out of employment in Lancashire, of whom 
234,000 were living on charity. 
At the present time the cotton industry appeared to be facing 
another disaster of terrible proportions, and the outlook seemed to 
forecast that unless something be done to secure a better supply 
of cotton, a similar disaster, possibly of a more permanent 
character, will have to be encountered. Already considerable 
distress had been caused by the shortage in cotton supply, due to 
several factors—first, the increased use of the raw material in 
