The Opelousas journal. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1868-1878, 1874-05-29
Raising and Spinning Cotton.
from the New Orleans Times.l

| tuc N6W OIleauS Times.
The cotton crop of the South, though
performing SO important part in the
commercial and financial economy of
this country, is yet, as matters now
stand, a source of impoverishment to
its producers. Every pound. which
goes to make up the four million and
odd bales raised last year within the
| limits of our cotton belt represents q
loss to the producers of two cents per
pound, amounting insthe aggregate to
| over thirty millions of dollars. And
what is said here of cotton is equally
true of sugar. When the price of la
bOr,' taxes and other expenses are con-
sldered, sugar cannot be raised in Loui-
siana for the rate per pound at which
the last crop has been sold, and this
more especially, if the cost of keeping
up levees be assessed against the plan
ters, either directly or indirectly. The
colored man has no idea of laboring
unless he gets for his labor something
beyond its actual productive value.
Hence wages in Louisiana and indeed
throughout the cotton belt have, since
the dawn of reconstruction, been greater
than circumstances warranted. "
Il planters cannot raise cotton at the
prices they obtain they will be COM
extent as to bring the advantages of
price again in their favor. This can
undoubtedly be done, if employment be
given in other departments of prOduc-
tive industry to those no longer needed
in the production of the f1eecy staple.
1t is clear that we must diversity our
industries and become more thoroughly
self-sustaining than we have ever yet
been. Reliance on single crop has
tended to impoverish our planters. Let
us so increase the number of our mate
rial resources that the failure Of a
single interest may not be followed by
utter ruin. .F.. 7t
AS raising cotton is the great interest
of the South, and as the crop of last
year was raised for the worlds benefit
at loss to the producers of over thirty
millions of dollars, it may be interest
ing to turn from the culture of the
fleece to the spinning thereof. Fall
River, Mass, is at present an impor-
tant and prosperous manufacturing
centre. Dividends of 140 per cent.
have been declared in one year, and the
stock of bank doing the business for
the mills exclusively, quadrupled in ten
years. These facts are indicative of
extraordinary successes, and show a
vast difference between the profits of
spinning and raising cotton.
The Boston Commercial Bulletin,
speaking OF Fall River affairs in connec-
tion with reports of impending strikes, |
informs us that I" the value of the stock
of all the old corporations has greatly |
increased, notably the Merchants
Granite and Union, which are worth |
$4,000 on par value of $1,000, the last |
named corporation making dividend |
last year of $1400 ON each share. There |
are two new cotton mills to be built |
this year, the New Border City, 45O0
splndIes, now under oUn way, and co
land for which has been secured, and |
the subscription is now. circulating
among the working people," As an |
evidence of advance in real estate, con-
sequent on manufacturing successes at |
Fall River, the statement is made that |
a lot beyond the suburbs, which sold in |
1866 for $500, was resold in 1870 for
$20, 900, and a standing bid is now made |
for it at $33, 900. The great interest of
Fall River is the manufacture of cotton |
into prints. That it has been profitable |
is abundantly proved.
Now, what we wish to impress upon |
our readers is this: If the profit of |
cotton is so great at |
Fall River, why should it not be as
great, or greater, here in the South, |
where the staple is a domestic product, |
and motive power in unlimited quanti-
ties is lying idle? They have tested |
the matter in Georgia to their great ad-
vantage. Let us, in other portions of |
the South, devote some of the muscle |
used in raising cotton to it's
into textile fabrics. In that |
direction lies our future safety.