The United States Experimental Station have given their advice and help in conducting this experiment, and samples of lint submitted to Washington by them brought the following report:

SAMPLES A. WOOL CARAVONICA WOOL COTTON, 1908 CROP.

Color: Light brown, much like Egyptian.

Length: 1% to 15% inches.

Strength Very strong, much stronger than ordinary cotton.
Drag: Very good.

Covering of seed: Heavy.

Uniformity of lint: Good.

This is a very beautiful sample of cotton, and I believe that if you could secure a field which would uniformly produce this grade, that it would be very much more valuable than any other sample submitted, in fact, more valuable than most of the Sea Island cotton that is produced anywhere at present.

There are at present about twenty-five persons interested financially in the growing of this cotton, and in addition to the area already planted, it is expected that a thousand more acres will be added during 1911 and 1912.

There should be some fifteen to twenty-five tons of this variety of lint to market during the year 1911. This amount would seem small for the area planted, but the trees yield very little during the first year, and much is planted with unfavorable conditions.

We expect good prices for the lint, as every report shows it to be very strong, and it should find a place wherever a strong fabric is required, such as sail making and automobile tires.

Although much has been done during the past two years to establish the growing of cotton, still we have to regard it as being in the experimental stage, for while practically every experiment would go to show and prove the possibility of a great success, and that we can raise large crops of the very finest cotton, yet we have the insect pests to contend with.

The boll worm, the larva of a Tineid moth (Gelechia Gossy

piella), is a menace to the business. Freed from any natural enemies it may have, with our uniform climate the islands furnish remarkably favorable conditions for its spread, and today it is found on every mature cotton tree or plant here.

It is anticipated that in the near future, a Cotton Growers' Association will be formed and concerted action taken to secure the control of insect pests and other difficulties.

The SECRETARY. The Board of Government desire to give notice for the information of any members who may be interested that the Boston Chamber of Commerce is to have an excursion to England, starting June 12 and returning August 22, visiting commercial points of interest in Old England, under conditions of very great advantage, and it will be of great interest to the cotton manufacturers in particular as well as to business men in general, and they have very kindly offered to allow members of this Association to participate in the excursion. The price for the tour is $582, and the round steamship trip $220, total, $802.

The PRESIDENT.

If there is no more business to come before this Association, we will adjourn until ten o'clock tomorrow.

Adjourned at 4.10 P. M.

THIRD SESSION.

THURSDAY, APRIL 13, 1911, 10 A. M.

The PRESIDENT. The meeting will please come to order. The first matter before us this morning is the very important subject of the Arbitration on Cancellation of Orders, and I take great pleasure in presenting Mr. R. M. MILLER, Jr., of Charlotte, N. C.

ARBITRATION ON CANCELLATION OF ORDERS.

R. M. MILLER, Jr., Charlotte, N. C.

The cancellation of contracts is like an insidious disease, uncertain as to when and where it will break out. A complete or even temporary cure, therefore, is difficult, yet some suggestions may be made whereby, in case of eruption, it may be quarantined and prevented from becoming contagious or possibly epidemic.

We are all familiar with the old saying that "a burnt child dreads the fire," and reflecting upon this experience, I have some decided convictions on the cancellation of contracts, and should my conclusions seem severe, no personal affront is intended.

What is a contract and how many of us can define it within the strict meaning and interpretation of the law?

BLACKSTONE says "it is an agreement of two or more persons upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do or to abstain from doing some act an agreement in which a party undertakes to do or not to do a particular thing-a formal bargain, a compact." This we may term a legal or technical definition but a practical interpretation is given by another authority, who says. that "the contract dates back to a statute of English origin known as the statute of Frauds and Perjuries, which provides that no agreement or contract for the sale of merchandise can be enforced when the amount involved is in excess of fifty dollars unless there has been a partial delivery and acceptance or some memorandum in writing made and signed by the party purchasing." There is, however, one exception to this rule

given by the same authority, which is, that when an order is given for goods to be made especially to order, then no delivery or acceptance or signed memorandum is necessary.

How many of our outstanding contracts comply with the law as thus interpreted?

Our industry seems to be beset with technicalities on every hand, and one of the greatest sources of the cancellation of orders arises from a misunderstanding of the legal relationship between the buyer, seller, commission merchant or agent and the mill.

The agent as such has no authority in law to consent to the cancellation of an order or contract. This custom, however, has been allowed to go unchallenged until at times the agent assumes the absolute authority and perogative of both agent and mill, dictating its policy and allowing cancellation of contracts without the knowledge or consent of the mill.

Many agents assume authority without any corresponding liability, which is an error in law.

An authority on this point says that it seems to be the belief among many commission houses or agents that when they advertise themselves as "selling agents or sole agents" that by so doing they are relieved from any and further responsibility to the buyer such is not true - but to the contrary, are liable to the purchaser, as principal, unless they fully disclose, in each instance, the name of the mill.

A contract in general, in order to be binding, as well as effective, must be fair to both buyer and seller. Such a contract, we think has been worked out in the "uniform sales note" promulgated by the joint efforts of the committee from this Association and The American Cotton Manufacturers' Association, fully approved and concurred in by a committee of commission merchants, converters and others which, if universally adopted, would eliminate many of the evils now existing in the trade.

As manufacturers, we lose thousands of dollars by these iniquitous methods, and the custom has grown to such an extent that many now call it a "trick of the trade."