14 JUNE 1946, Page 13

" THE FUTURE OF COTTON "

SIR,—My eye was immediately attracted to the opening sentences in your interesting leading article, -" The Future of Cotton," in The Spectator of May 31st. The sentences are:—" A common criticism of the decisions so far taken by the Government on British industry, and on the iron and steel industry in particular, has been that they were not preceded by adequate public discussion. No such complaint is likely to be heard in the case of the cotton industry." The future of the cotton industry is, and must be, wrapped up in the, question of the supply of the raw material, and, so far as the latter is concerned, there is every ground for complaint that the matter has not received adequate dis- cussion. True, it has been the subject of debate, for which totally insufficient time was allotted, in the House of Commons ; but, in spite of an urgent request from the Master Cotton Spinners' Federation, the case for the re-establishment of the Liverpool and Manchester Cotton Markets was not allowed to be placed before the Cotton Working Party for their consideration.—Yours faithfully, W. R. BROWNELL, Liverpool, 3. President of the Liverpool Cotton Association.