New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-12-23
EASY IESSON,S.

The World is Il dull pupil, but we undertake
to Undue il with clearer and more practical ideas
of Political Economy than it has hitherto
cherished if il will keep on asking questions
and reading our answers. Hero is its COM
ment on our answer to its queries respecting
factories in Minnesota:
ave asked The TRIBUNE to explain why cotton fac
tories Fave not been established in Minnesota; and it
makes answer that -0oep factories hare been started In
various Western staes. II f. able to mention only one
cotton factory devoted TO the production OF grn-bSgs
and does not tell whether that is profitable spccn-
lation."
Ansper.-THB TRIBUNE does not know
whether the factory aforesaid has made money
or not-nOr does it feel bound to ascertain.
II is by the Free Traders that the eternal
"blazonn of so much per cent. made here or
there by manufacturing IL kept up. We as
sumo that men who wisely and frugllly prose-
cute any business arc making by it so long as
we see more persons engaging in that business ::
if the profits thereof are large, we know that
more and more WW embark in it till they
shall have been reduced TO an equation with
other pursuits, when the current OF investment
will take some other direction.
But we protest against charactcrizing such
investment as speculation" The farmer
who plows and SONS judicionsly braves every
contingency OF storm and frost, drouth and
flood, but he does not speculate" in Wheat
or Potatoes as does the operator or clique who
undertake to rule the market and raise or
depress prices to their own profit Building
and stocking q factory may involve risk, but
not speculation. Let lis "hold fast the form
" Of sound wOrds.n
- But The World hungers for still more in
formation. 1t asks THE TRIBUNE to
"expan why there were In 1900 rooien factories IN
the Western States and only % cotton factories"
AnsWr.-Because Wool is largely grown in
The West, and less considerably in the South,
while Cotton is abundantly grown in the
South and scarcely at all in the West. The
explanation is as easy az rolling off log
Other things being equal, this prcponderant
location Of Cotton factories in the South and
Wooden in the West will continue, because it
ought to. Throughout the last five years, and
we presume in all years, Cotton factories
located in or near the Cotton growing region, if
wisely planned ard properly managed. have
made better average dividends than any other.
Had we money to invest in Cotton factories,
we should prefer q location in northern
Georgia. not far from Atlanta, where Cotton,
Grain and Meat may be concentrated about az
cheaply as any where in our country; though
Texas affords some excellent locations. A
thousand mills for spinning yarn and weaving
cloth might be proftably and most benefcently
started throughout the South and Southwest,
giving employment to the women and children
who have quite generally deserted the Cotton
field without finding adequate and remunerative
work elsewhere. No doubt, some Cotton factories
will grow up in the Northwest, even so far
as Minnesota; but, ms a rule. the great bulk
OF the Cotton, Us of the Wool, produced in this
country, should be turned into Yarns, and
much of it into Fabrics near the point of pro-
duction. The Northern and Middle States may
be looked to for the finer and piore tasteful
fabrics; but We look hopefully for the day
when the West sad the Soath will substan-
italy clothe themselves.