76 



COTTON TEXTILES IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES. 



following table, furnished by merchants here, will show the weight of 

 .some of the cottons sent here from England : 



HOW PURCHASED. 



The bulk of the cotton goods imported are bought of jobbers and 

 commission houses, or through agents located in the United States and 

 Great Britain. In the United States cash or short credit is expected. 

 In England very much long time credit is given, some large firms 

 keeping an open account with customers and charging small rates of 

 interest on balances after six mouths. 



PLACE OF MANUFACTURE. 



The cottons sold here are manufactured mostly in Great Britain and 

 the United States, fully two-thirds being imported from America. A 

 few French and German goods are imported through London houses. 



DUTIES. 



A uniform duty of 20 per cent, ad valorem is imposed upon all cot- 

 ton goods imported, without reference to the country whence they may 

 come. 



REMARKS. 



I 



The trade in cotton goods for a number of years has been slowly 

 drifting from Great Britain to the United States, until now fully two- 

 thirds of all these articles are imported from the latter. The causes of 

 this change are many. Our market is nearer; exchange is cheaper on 

 New York than London ; we have steady and reliable steam communica- 

 tion between New York and Nassau, with none direct from England ; 

 most of the colonial exports goto the United States; the style and 

 quality of our goods suit the people, and usually our prices are as 

 low as prices are in England. 



There are two objections urged by some dealers here against buying 

 their cottons in the United States. First, the fluctuations in prices are 



