Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-12-21
Manufacturing i'm the south.

in the face" counseling pluck and la
menting the want of it.
Manufacturing i'm the South.
We reproduced from the Nashville
Banner a couple of weeks ago an article
covering report of W.. E jackson, Pres.
ident of the Augusta (Georgia) Cotton
Manufacturing Company. The article
was well-timed, encouraging and con-
yincing, and has been repubished ex-
tensiyely throughout the country. The
Northern press attempts to parry the
effect of the blow, which has established
the fact that mandatory located here
will pay better for coarse and heavy goods
than it will at the North. BIT they can
not deny the facts and results stated in
the report of the President. We are glad
that they are stirred up and alarmed
about it. 1t will beget investigation,
which is all we need to bring manufac-
turing capital among us, especially when
it lis guarantee ed immunity and protection,
as our Legislature, to its credit, proposes
to do. We have long known that for
coarse goods, say No. is shirtings and
heavier fabrics, we had great advantage
for the manufacture. Our coarse cottons
cost more freight to the North than the
finer qualities, and by the time they
return to us as manufactured goods, we
buy them back again at IA cost of two to
one, which would be saved to our own
people, if manufactured here. If we
sell pound of cotton for twenty cents
which will make three yards of
shirtings, we buy it back again
as shirtings at forty cents, and
twenty cents has gone for freights, in.
surance, commissions, jobbers profits,
and manufacturing. 1t is paid 10 sup
port people not our own, and to the
detriment of our own section. Whom we
had slaves it may have been more profit
able on account of their health, and in
surance on their lives, and their greater
efficiency in the field, to employ labor in
the production of the staple alone. But
that objection is removed with the aboli-
ton of slavery. And now we can save
to ourselves the whole profit if we manu-
facture at home, and save the expenses
of freight, commissions and profits iE
passing from hand to hand. The adyan-
tage is great, beyond what is sup
posed by any who have not
made the calculation, We are
laggards in enterprise if we do not look
into the matter. We hope the discussion
will open the eyes of shrewd Northern
capitalists, and that they will avail them
selyps of it, They Eill find open arms
and great kindness and every encourage
nent and aid from our people, if they
come here. The Banner is doing good
work in ventilating the matter, and the
Northern capitalists are beginning to be
stirred up and their manufacturers to
take alarm ct the prospect CT the eompe.
titioH. More is 10 be made By manufac-
turing than by producing the staple, and
we are glad to and that the whole Eerth,
as we'll sthe South, is beginning to see
It. With the Georgia factory results, and
indeed with most other of our few facto-
ries, We challenge comparison with
any factories Of the North for the profits
made, which are in excess Of theirs
This fact must bring capital down as
soon as 1t Is understood Factories
established here will make one bundled
per cent more on coarse fabrics than
they can in any Northern State, as the
illustration by the Georgia and other
mills has already DEMONSTRATED, A
Northern paper answers that the Geor
gia factory is an exceptional case,
and is managed by shrewd Yankees
who know how to economist and turn
penny. Very well. Let them come
on and make their pile, if this is the res-
son. But the true reason is in the saving
of expenses in freights, insurance and
profits before alluded to- And other
shrewd Yankees will find it out, and
profit by it, we may hope. Our climate
suits better, fuel is cheaper, land cheaper
to raise supplies for laborers, and wages
will be no grsateF and perhaps less than
in the North. The cotton is at our
door, and beginning with the cheapest
aAd selling the dearest, we can manufsc-
ture coarse fabrics cheaper than they can
be laid at our doors from manufactures
in any other part Of the world. And they
who undertake to do it, wbsthsr our own
people or welcome newcomers. will. grow
rich BY the operation.