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is overdue. The sale of cotton seed on credit, similar to thai 

 instituted in Egypt, is strongly advocated for the purpose oi 

 supplying the ryots with pure seed, and the licensing of 

 ginning factories in some Provinces is advocated as a means 

 of stopping the mixing of the seed of different varieties. 

 Damping of ginned cotton should be made a penal offence. 



Although Lancashire does not use large quantities of Indian 

 cotton, two important advantages arise for the British Cotton 

 Industry from an extension and improvement of cotton 

 growing in India, viz., every additional bale of Indian cotton 

 liberates a bale of American cotton and increases the pur- 

 chasing power of the Indian cultivator, who is Lancashire's 

 best customer. 



[DISCUSSION.] 



The Earl of DERBY (President of the British Cotton Growing 

 Association) : Gentlemen I should like first of all to con- 

 gratulate Mr. Schmidt very sincerely on the paper he has 

 read before you to-day, which is one of the greatest possible 

 interest; and to no people is it of more interest than to those 

 of the county from which I come, Lancashire. I can only 

 speak, of course, as a layman, and in an honorary capacity 

 as President of the British Cotton Growing Association. 

 But I have througli that Association been brought much 

 into contact with those who are interested in cotton, whether 

 it is in growing or in manufacturing it, and I can assure 

 Mr. Schmidt that we appreciate his paper very much. 1 

 should also like, on behalf of the Association, to congratulate 

 the International Federation of Master Cotton Spinners' and 

 Manufacturers' Associations on having followed our lead, 

 which was a lead set not in my time, but in the time of my 

 distinguished predecessor, Sir Alfred Jones, who, in a letter 

 written to Lord Curzon at that time, very nearly ten years 

 ago, Viceroy of India advocated very much what Mr. Schmidt 

 advocates to-day. It would naturally be very wrong of me 

 to enter into any discussion of the various points which Mr. 

 Schmidt has raised. I agree with him in one thing that this 

 question of cotton growing is not to be looked at from a 

 narrow point of view it is of international importance. And 

 it is from that point of view rather than from the point of view 

 of what I may call Lancashire policy that I heartily endorse 

 what he has said. I cannot myself entirely subscribe to the 

 conclusion that he arrives at with regard to the county of 

 Lancashire; I am not quite so certain that the advantages 

 which he says will accrue to Lancashire will accrue. But I 

 need not go into that. I will only say that from the broader 

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