Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 111, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 May 1910 — LOTS OF COTTON NEEDED. [ARTICLE]

LOTS OF COTTON NEEDED.

Only Steel Excels It in Manufacturing Importance. Cotton enters into the manufacture of more articles of commerce to-day than any other commodity except steel. Eliminate cotton and the stoppage of spindles and looms would be but a trifle compared to the paralysis that would visit countless other Industries. The railroads of America consume 250,000 bales of cotton annually. Cotton duck Is the basis of the airbrake hose, of enameled ceilings, according to The Technical World. The plush chairs are of cotton; the “leather” seats are of cotton. Automobiles require about 290,000 bales annually for the manufacture of tires and about 35,000 for the manufacture of “leather” seats and cushions. More cotton Is used each year to harvest and market the grain crops of the world than would be required to clothe the Inhabitants of a large city. Electricity, powerful as It is, cannot get along without cotton. Millions of miles of copper wire annually owe the perfection of their insulation to cotton yarn or tape or cotton cloth. The armies of the world to-day are clothed in cotton cloth—khaki—or something similar. This country alone requires about 5,000,000 yards of 8ounce khaki cloth annually for its army. The navies and merchant ships of the world use more cotton duck to-day than was required in the days of sailing vessels. Millions of yards of cotton cloth are used by the tobacco industry for growing' tobacco under shade and making bags for smoking tobacco. Cotton bags have displaced barrels to a great extent In the shipment of sugar, salt and flour. Cotton Is used in the mining and marketing of coal. About 15,000,000 yards of cotton duck annually is made into coal bags. About 20,000,000 yards of cotton duck is made into overcoats with blanket lining, to take the place of heavy

wool and fur garments in the American and Canadian northwest. Thousands of bales annually are required to make cotton duck to place around the asbestos sectional covering In which the steam hot water pipes of flreproof buildings are enclosed. Cotton blankets have displaced woolen blankets in many important markets of the world. Cotton cloth has taken the place of wall paper in thousands of modern homes. Cement companies use about 8,000,000 yards of cotton bagging annually. The government requires about 4,000,000 yards of cotton duck annually for coin bags. Millions of yards of duck 46 inches wide are used annually for the purpose of filtering oils. Cotton duck Is the basis of rubber belting and all kinds of hose. Sales to these branches oi the trade amount to 50,000,000 yards annually. Millions of yards of cotton cloth are used in large cloth signs and advertisements. More cotton is used in “linen” shirts and collars than linen. Mercerized cotton goods to the extent of hundreds of millions of yards sell in competition with silk. Cotton is used to a greater or less extent in all but the most expensive of woolen fabrics. These items furnish a few of the reasons why the world needs 3,000,000 bales more cotton than it did five years ago, notwithstanding the fact that new markets have not been extensively developed and the world’s population has shown no sudden increase.