4 



supply of a class of cotton particularly adapted to the manufacture 

 of voiles is in itself, in large measiire, responsible for the demand which 

 has arisen for that class of cloth. The demand for that material 

 is largely artificial, depending as it does on fashions, and is capable of 

 stimulation or the reverse ; and it would appear that the power 

 of directing the demand in such matters lies largely in the hands of 

 the cotton trade. This form of flexibility is all to the good, for it 

 means that the trade is in a position, to a certain extent, to test the 

 qualities of any new form of cotton, to ascertain the classes of goods for 

 which it is particularly suited, and to stimulate the demand for that 

 class of goods. We must, however, beware of pressing the posibilities 

 in this direction too far. Cotton is not merely the -basis of goods 

 which have an artificial value due to fashions. In many cases the use 

 to which the cloth is to be put will dictate, within very close limits, the 

 qualities that the cotton must possess. Notably we may instance 

 the cloth which is used for aeroplanes and for motor tyres. Here no 

 such flexibility is possible, for the demand is, in no sense, artificial. 

 This case is particularly pertinent in the case of Egyptian cotton, for 

 it is Egyptian cotton which has been found to satisfy this demand 

 more nearly than any other. 



This brings us to our second conclusion ; the production of new 

 cottons is desirable, and the trade is sufficiently flexible to absorb and 

 develop markets for them. But caution must be exercised in their 

 introduction. An initial high price obtained for a small initial bulk 

 may be due to special adaptability for the production of a particular 

 class of goods the demand for which is small. If that high price 

 stimulates largely increased production, the price will fall even to 

 make cultivation unprofitable. Especially is it necessary to distinguish 

 between cottons which possess an intrinsic and those which possess 

 an artificial value. The former require special care in maintenance. 



So far we have confined ourselves to the broad issues as indicated 

 by the characteristics of the trade in general. When we come to a 

 more detailed consideration of the process of manufacture we find 

 a new series of phenomena have to be considered. We need not here 

 go into all the characteristics which go to make up a good spinning 

 cotton. We have seen that diversity is essential to the trade ; that 

 it is desirable to produce different classes of cottons. The difference 

 between these classes will, however, include most of those characteristics, 

 such as length, strength, fineness, etc., which affect the behaviour 

 of the cotton in the mill,, and the particular features of any class will 

 be due to the exact form such characteristics take in that ^lass. 

 But beyond this, the spinner requires something more, something 

 which is not a physical character of the cotton itself in the sense 

 in which length, or strength, or fineness, or twist can be considered 

 such. He requires what is usually known as uniformity ; that is, 



