New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-10-28

Here we have In four States which en-
ploy mixed industry an average of about
ten per cent of the gross population en-
ployed in aiding agriculture, while
there is not, in the agricultural States
quoted, half Of one per cent SO employed.
If We make comparison between the
female industry included in the first and
second classes of States, we will find that
an average of more than forty thousand
females are employed in the one case and
less than one thousand in the other. 1t
may be added that about twenty-five per
cent of the manufacturing classes in Eng
land consist of women.
When, therefore, we apply this reason
ing in aid of the proposition of mixing
our industries, it will be seen that Louis
lana, and especially New Orleans. should
add to the productions of agriculture and
and the receipts of commerce the wag5 !,
and dividends of manufactures.
We pass for the present the general
variety of manufactures that we may con-
fine ourselves to cotton spinning.
Why, with the pressure of supporting
three-ffths of our population upon the
labor of two-6fths, should we not study
carefully our capacity to convert our raw
cotton into manufactures? Is there any,
thing in the manual skill which we can
not initiate? The lower orders of the
English population may be employed as
operatives. Are our people their interiors
in intelligence? Can it be the want of
raw material? The cotton abounds and
and may be purchased as needed without
the charge of interest or insurance, and
without the risk of price fuctuatio ns which
besets the manufacture elsewhere. Can the
cost of real estate constitute an insupera-
BILE impeachment? 1t may be had in Louis
lana as cheap as anywhere among civilized
people. The cost of motive power depends
upon the cost of fuel, until some cheaper
motor than steam shall be employed. New
Orleans has access to the mines of Penn
sylvania and of Canada. She is surround
ed by forests which can furnish wood as
cheap as anywhere else in the Union.
Perhaps labor may be too high to en-
ploy. The chief of the United States
bureau of statistics has recently compiled
the rate of mechanical wages in all the
States of the Union. From this it can be
affirmed that the average rate of wages
would be satisfactory to the operatives of
New Orleans.
With the elements of real estate, raw
material and labor, what forbids the ex-
perimentp
If there be any doubt about the capa-
city of the white people to labor for the
average wages of seven dollars and a half
per week of six days, why not try the ex-
pertinent with colored people? We have
seen that in Ireland there are cotton mills
worked by Protestants, and other cotton
mills run by Catholics The separation
of the two religious scots is contended for
in the United States and is practised in
the schools of Canada. Why can not we
have some cotton mills run by colored
operatives, and other cotton mills run by
white operatives? New Orleans must en-
ploy one or the other or both. It is a re-
proach to our civilization to import
material which receives an accession of
value from for Ign industry superior to
the original price which the producers Of
the material receives.
We insist that an experiment of the
capacity of the people of New Orleans to
manufacture the cotton which they pro-
duce shall be tested, and hold ourselves
ready to contribute our share of the cost
necessary to institute the experiment.