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America; second, the small increase in the acreage cultivated, 
the increase being inadequate to keep pace with the demands ; 
and third, the process known as “ cornering,’ engaged in by 
commercial gamblers on the other side of the Atlantic. Yet 
another cause, likely to have more or less effect, was the ravages 
of the cotton weevil. 
Dealing with the present consumption of cotton as compared 
with 1892, the Lecturer quoted statistics showing that America 
now used 3,908,000 bales, as against 2,431,000, an increase of 
nearly 61 per cent. ; while during the same period Great Britain 
had only increased 2} per cent., and the Continent of Europe 
about 31 per cent. Out of the total American cotton crop of 
10,701,000 bales, America consumed 3,908,000, England 
8,041,000, and the Continent 3,563,000 bales. 
If the increase in the number of spindles on the Continent 
was significant, the increase in the Southern American States 
was enormous, being more than 40 per cent. in the period above 
stated. Evidently it was the aim and intention of America to 
consume more of her own raw material, and build up a gigantic 
cotton industry. They had both the population and the market, 
and it was only reasonable that if spinning and weaving paid 
them, they would increase both. At no distant date America 
would use all her own raw material ; a policy perfectly intelligible 
to the American, but it meant starvation to Lancashire, and a 
blow at British commerce. The only way to avert this, is for 
Lancashire to make herself independent of America. 
At present the world’s production of raw cotton is 14,000,000 
bales, and during the last 30 years the increase had been at the 
rate of three per cent. per annum. Therefore in 10 years the 
world will require 19,000,000, and in 15 years 28,000,000 bales. 
Where is this additional supply to come from? This is the problem 
which the British Cotton Growing Association is trying to solve, 
and upon its successful solution the prosperity of Lancashire 
depends. New sources of supply must be looked for, and these 
are being found within the Empire. It is an Imperial policy of 
the highest interest to everyone directly or indirectly connected 
with the Cotton Industry, and of vital importance to the whole 
country. 
The Lecturer gave encouraging reports of the progress of 
cotton growing efforts in the West Indies, Barbadoes, British 
Guiana, West Africa, Rhodesia, Central Africa, and Egypt, and 
showed samples of unginned cotton from Lagos. He looked 
forward with great hope to the larger development of cotton 
growing in various parts of the Empire, and the opening up of rail- 
ways would be no small factor in this matter, The soil is already 
