THE WORLD'S DEMAND FOR COTTON, AND INDIA'S 

 SHARE IN MEETING IT. 



By ARNO SCHMIDT. 



Secretary of the International Federation of Master 

 Cotton Spinners' and Manufacturers' Associations. 



THE cotton industry of the world has, during the last 

 ten years, been suffering from a scarcity of raw material. 

 This scarcity has frequently been so pronounced that 

 mills in all parts of the world have been obliged to curtail 

 production at one time or other. At a meeting of the 

 International Committee held early in June, 1914, in Paris, 

 it was generally admitted by the representatives of fifteen 

 countries that the cotton spinning industry all the world 

 over had never been in such a depressed condition as at 

 present, and it was stated by the members of the Com- 

 mittee that many English and Continental spinning mills 

 are curtailing their working hours. This slackness of 

 trade is partly due to the Balkan War and the Chinese 

 Revolution, but very largely also to the high price of 

 American cotton, which rules the prices of all other 

 cottons. 



The primary cause of short-time working undoubtedly 

 arises from the fear that the world's yearly supply of 

 cotton will not be sufficient to meet the yearly demand. 

 During last season we were told that the American cotton 

 crop would be about 13,500,000 bales, whilst it is recog- 

 nized that 14,500,000 bales of American cotton are 

 required annually. This probable scarcity caused an 

 increase in the price of the raw material and of the 

 finished article, and a falling-off in the demand for manu- 

 factured goods. It must be remembered that by far th<! 

 vast majority of the people in the world, the poorest 



