The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-16

The Bulletin argues from these statistics
that the estimates heretofore given of the
home consumption of cotton, while approx
imately correct, have been Inaccurate in
detail The quantity consumed in the North
is larger than was supposed, but the con-
sumption in the South is less. In the re-
turn four hundred million nine hundred
and twenty-seven thousand seven hundred
and eighty-three thousand pounds, or eight
hundred and ninety thousand bales, are
shown to have been manufactured by the
mills, and an addition of eighty FIVE thou
sand bales for the six hundred thousand
spindles not reported, would bring up the
total consumption to one million bales.
From this is deducted one hundred thou
sand bales for errors and over-statements,
which would reduce the actual consumption
to about nine hundred thousand bales.
But the Bulletin neglec,s to take into ac-
count the quantity Of cotton consumed IN
the South by families aud individuals. In
the upper part of this State, large quanti-
ties of cotton are spun every year, and
home made clothing is far from being rare.
This is also the custom in Virginia, and
more or less all over the South, and the whole
consumption in this way must be an i'm
portant element in the calculation oft en-
tire quantity manufactured. Nor does the re-
turn represent this State correctly. Instead
of six mills with thirty-one thousand five
hundred and ty-eight spindles, we have
sixteen mills with forty thousand one hun
dred and tweniy-six spindles, exclusive Of
of the Kalmia mills, which, when compile
ted, will run fourteen thousand spindles.
This sets South Carolina second on the list
of Southern States, being exceeded in the
number of spindles run by Georgia alone.
At the best, however, only seventy-h or
eighty thousand bales out of the whole
number Of nine hundred thousand bales are
manufactured il the South. Massachusetts
alone manufactures four times as much cot
ton as the ten Southern States put together,
and next to her is diminutive Rhode Island,
with one hundred and twenty-four mills
and one million sixty-two thousand six
hundred and twenty-four spindles. The
South ought to work up one million bales,
without regard to the North. This con be
done and will be done; and already the in
creasing demand for manufactured goods,
and the growing Importance of the Southern
trade, encourages mill-owners to extend
their operations. And we should, as far as
possible, work up the cotton here, in South
Carolina; thus making prominent another
feature of the broad policy which will give
US gold for our cotton and supplies for our
farms, and enable US to obtain the manu-
factures Of Europe without paying New
York for the privilege.
And if we have at heart the success of
this policy, We must not hesitate to be gen.
erous in parting with water power and mill
sites which are worth little now to some
one, but which, when covered with factories
and workshops, will be abene6t to the whole
State. 1t is not wise to stand out for an
other dollar, or another cent, of purchase
money or rent. The indirect and collateral
: advantages of well managed mills are so
great, that it would be to the interest of