February, 1910.] 



Fibres. 



month of 1907. Since the beginning Of 

 the year the purchases of cotton in 

 Lagos amount to 11,489 bales, against 

 5,214 for the first eight months of last 

 year and 7,824 bales for 19C7. The pro- 

 gress made was considered very satis- 

 factory, and there is every probability 

 that the estimate of 12,000 bales for the 

 year will be exceeded. Proposals have 

 been submitted by the Government for 

 the inspection of all cotton. The Associ- 

 ation have approved of these sugges- 

 tions, provided that the measures to be 

 taken are not too drastic, as it is con- 

 sidered that this Government inspection 

 will tend to improve the quality of the 

 cotton, more especially as the natives 

 are already accustomed to similar res- 

 trictions in connection with other pro- 

 ducts, where good results have accrued 

 from such inspection. 



The President congratulated the Asso- 

 ciation on the great success which had 

 already been attained in West Africa. 

 He stated that there was no better evi- 

 dence of the necessity for the existence 

 of the Association than the present 

 condition of the cotton market, and 

 expressed the opinion that the Ameri- 

 cans would continue to use more and 

 more of their own cotton each year, and 

 unless Lancashire looked out for fresh 

 sources of production she would very 

 shortly find herself without auy ade- 

 quate supply of the raw material. Sir 

 Alfred Jones also drew attention to the 

 improved methods of baling introduced 

 by the Association, and pointed out 

 that the cotton brought from West 

 Africa in Messrs. Elder, Dempster & 

 Co.'s steamers measures 80 cubic feet to 

 the ton, whereas that from New Orleans 

 measures 113 cubic feet per ton. Many 

 Americans have visited the docks at 

 Liverpool, and have been much impress- 

 ed by the neat and compact manner in 

 which the Association's cotton is baled 

 as compared with American cotton. 



West Indies. 



The season which is now closing has 

 been a fairly successful one in most of 

 the Islands. Most of the cotton pro- 

 duced has been of excellent quality, and 

 has always found a ready market, It 

 has been proposed that another depu- 

 tation of Lancashire spinners should 

 visit the West Indies early next year. 



It was reported that the Hon, Francis 

 Watts, c.m.g,, who has succeeded Sir 

 Daniel Morris as Imperial Commissioner 

 of Agriculture for the West Indies, had 

 promised to visit Manchester on the 14th 

 instant, and it has been arranged to 

 hold an official meeting in the afternoon 

 and to give a dinner to Dr. Watt9 in the 

 evening, 



An Appeal for Funds. 

 The total capital subscribed to date 

 amounts to £261,453, and as additional 

 capital is urgently required to carry on 

 the work, it was considered that the 

 time was now opportune to appeal to 

 the Lancashire cotton trade for further 

 funds. 



PAPER-MAKING IN INDIA. 



(From the Madras Mail, October 25, 

 1909.) 



In the course of a review of Mr. H. 

 W. Emerson's Monograph on the papier- 

 mache and paper-making industries of 

 the Punjab which we published some 

 weeks ago, we pointed out that as wood- 

 pulp in foreign countries become more 

 and more difficult to obtain, and conse- 

 quently dearer in price, many think a 

 good time will come for Indian paper- 

 makers. This opinion appears to be 

 held also in influential quarters in 

 India, for it is stated that official aid is 

 to be given with a view to placing the 

 paper-making industry on a firm basis, 

 and that the Imperial Forest Resaarch 

 Institute is about to take steps to demon- 

 strate the practicability of wood-pulp 

 for India. A contemporary writing in 

 this connection, recently, stated that 

 " it has been known for many years that 

 the necessary materials in the shape of 

 fibres, grass and bamboo are procur- 

 able in abundance practically all over 

 this country, and the cost of labour is 

 far below that prevailing in any coun- 

 try now competing for the paper trade 

 of India." It is, however, a great mis- 

 take to think that all that is required to 

 establish a paper-making industry in a 

 given spot is an abundance of fibrous 

 material and cheap labour. The paper 

 fibre and pulp expert tells us that the 

 finest natural supply of raw material 

 in the world may be valueless unless it 

 is associated with the manufacturing 

 factors necessary to financial success, 

 which really require even more careful 

 surveying and testing than the raw 

 material itself. 



What the capitalist wants to know 

 is where he can manufacture success- 

 fully, the conditions under which he 

 will have to work, conditions of the 

 quantity of raw material available, 

 native chemicals, labour, freight, power, 

 fuel, water, natural facilities and 

 advantages of sites, etc. He says, 

 reasonabiy enough, that he is willing 

 to risk his capital provided he can 

 obtain this information beforehand, but 

 that, it is the business of the various 

 Governments concerned, the big land' 



