The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1875-07-28
Cotton Manufacturing at the South,

a number of our Journals are discus
sing at present the profit of cotton man
ufacturins at che South, aid setting
forth the superior advantages which The
manufacturer here enjoys in his prox-
unity to the raw material, and in the
cheapncss of the labor he eir Ploys. "a q;
A correspondent of the London Stan-
Gord, draws comparison between the
profits of the manufacture in the two
sections, and cites a number Of facts in
support Of the conclusion above stated.
From tlFe'reports of six Of the NortherR
mills, he finds that in period frond
1862 to 1871, tue profits of mahufactur-
ing average about IS per cent, and this
in very prosperous timrs, whilst at the
South in a perlotof great financial de-
preston since 1878, the profits lave
been "a per cent
When tile impoverished condition OF
the Southern mills is considered, with
impaired capital and worn out machine
ry at the close Of the war, and being
forced to borrow money az eXorhitant
rates of interest, and this is contrasted
with the advantages enjoyed by the
Northern manufacturers, in large sup
plus capital, with improved nac!1inery,
and command Of pleth6ric money
market, we must in justice 70 the South
ern manufacturer add largely to the
above estimated profits. According to
the view of the augusta Constitutional
tst, these superior profits will amount to
fifteen or twenty per cent. over those
enjoyed by the Northern manufacturer.
The best proof of the superior condition
of the Southern mills is found in the
fact that they have been running all the
past year, depressed though Business
has been, whilst tncii Northern brethren
have bccn forced to s!iskend; or lgavc run
on siorttme,
The causes of the difference is thus
set forth by the correspondent Of the
London journal:
"Prominent among these is the fact
that they have cotton at their doors.
The transportation from the South to,
say Lowell, the centre of Northern
manufacturers, costs, for freight, s. fer
commission on purchase, $:1.5tt; for in
surance. SO carts and for exchange and
stripping expenses and truckage, s.
cents; in all S7.G5. Now bale of $50
I a j., a
bale; and $3.50 for expenses incidental
to trai,Sportatidl' deducted is a dedue-
tion Of more than II. per cent. Of the
capital invested. But this is not all.
or the $50 pounds in bale the waste is
always calculated at Is per cent, which
is 67.5 lbs, and this from $50 leaves 1928
as the bale of fibre. Now, S7.G5 for
transportation is 1888 per cent. of the
whole value and this is the diSadvan-
tage with which the lowell manufac-
turer begins his work. 1t costs him
then S1.4l bale to get his cloth to New
York, the common market. It costs the
Southern manufacturer-at Augusta
say-ss22.4 II to ship his cloth to the same
market. But, by again referring to
President Hickman's figures above, we
find that his market is at home; that is,
G2 per cent. nf his sales are domestic.
while So are in New York. He has to
pay the S2:44' freight or. only 3S per
cent. of his cloths, while the Lowell
manufacturer pays his Sl.4l OH all of
his. Another point of economy to the
Augusta manufacturer is. the clleaper
labor be can command. He has no fear
Of strikes, rs his brother in Lowell has
to deal with every month. Food and
tirewood are both cheaper, and far less
Of the latter is required"
Another advantage consfsts in tic
fact that the estimated cost of mills and
machinery at the South will not exceed
one-half of the cost Of many of the
New England mills.
The want at; present is capital in the
South, but this mast be attracted TO in
vestments which promise SO much, and
Which are now cnlsting so largely the
attention of capitalists everywhere.