The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-05-07
Advantages Of New England as
Compared with the South.
ELEMENTS OF SUCCESS.
Honest Money and Free Trade
Needed.
THE NATIONS FUTURE.

In previous numbers the relative conditions under
which the Northern United States compete with Great
Britain In the manufacture OF cotton fabrics have been
stated II may DO said that the same argument would
apply 10 the Southern States against New England
that been used In describing the advantages of New
In contrast to Old England, ana within certain limits
this trro In portions OF the Southern States.
where there is already moderately dense population
as yot unemployed except In domestic work. few
mills may DO successfully established; It may, how
ever. prove DO the part OF tho South
a whole to expect to find in cotton spinning the key to
prosperity Cotton spinning requires for It's permanent
success large capital, very few operatives, ample
banking facilities, thoroughly organized system OF
distribution, machine shop side and paper
Mill to work up tho waste tho othcr but than
all, 1t requires nabt and training for It or other
like occupations in tho OF tho com
munty, aad cool or cold climate. IN which long
hours OF persistent but arduous indoor labor
be sustained The spindle must be operated every
working day and all day long, else the profit is lost,
ind the isolated factory which must keep largo
orce Of green hands In training or OF spare hands
under pay In order assure constant working OF
Inc machinery will soon behind the mill situated
In a dense population trained 10 the work, whore all
The repairs be done by the piece and where
extra mechanics ana spare hands required. Tho
South In a certain country passing out
from the isolation and bright Of slavery into the COM
pany Of FREQ States and the diversity Of employment
which is only consistent with liberty.
NEEDS FIRST.
The South needs first tho toolmaker, the wagon
builder, tho tinman, the stove maker, the wheel
wright tho tailor and the hundred occupations
in which little capital serves Tor the payment OF
arge sums In wages-not the cotton mill in which
arge capital is converted slowly into wages and gives
This point can DO vol illustrated by example The
mill which has been so carefully analysed by Mr..
Burke, In tho report previously referred TO- contains
s965 spindles operated upon No. IA yarn, which
yarn is into lhrtyinch drill, easy fabric
mako and ono for which there Is large export de-
mand. II would not be good economy to-day TO build
mill less than four timcs tho szc SO small fac
tory can only DO cheaply operated whom IL forms
part of a very large establishment, as this docs;
but this will best example, because the
facts in regard to 1t arc all asccrtaned. Such FAC
tory would to-day from $40 TO $40 per spindle,
according TO tho skill applied in construction and the
auxiliary buildings needcd-a coarse mill being moro
costly than tine one Tho first cost would therefore
be 900 to $l40 000 and 1t would require less
than $50 900 to $s5 900 capital The minimum
OF capital would therefore be $500 II would pro-
ducc $500 pounds OF cloth per spindle in week OF
sixty hours or fraction 800 pounds per week.,
equal to 936 900 pounds, or 1850, 100 yards In year,
worth at present prices q little over 5000 900 The
product Of q coarse'm amounts TO a little than
the capital each year, with cotton ct It's present
price OF IL cents per pound on medium or tine
number the annual value OF tho product IS
less. In this factory OF 6.965 spndlcs the
number OF persons actually operating the machines
is 16 males and "a females, 90 In ALL The cost OF the
labor Of carding, spinning, sizing ard weaving rs
stated by Mr. Burke would be $3.50. 10000 cents per
pound Of CLOTH, amounting in year to $780, 706 $780,
at average OF 1896 74100 to each hand In addition
to the persons actually operating the machinery. in
GLIDING oversecrs the payments for labor would pe for
Waterman. yard hands, mechanics, paymaster and
superintendent. and for spare hands. In thicky
settled community, trained TO factory work, tho
Der outside the operatives would be very few; in
Isolated mill moro numerous
:, COST RUN A SMALL MILL.
Tho disadvantage Of n small mill an Isolated ono
Is In respect 10 the cost OF ovcrsecrs and mechanics
Their pay is relatively the highest and they must he
thoroughly trained in their respective depart
mcDts The single mill that be operated at
the lowest relative of not less than 80, 900
spindles Such factory needs skilful oversecr OF
oarding, spinning and weaving, and one man suhiccs
In each OF these departments II Is large enough
not largo for and clerk and
the piece 1t DO well served by wood and two
iron workmcn, one Waterman and enc fireman.
The factory Of 6965 spindlcs which wo have taken
example, would require in year 400 bales OF
cotton. Tho advantage which the South would pos
New England would be in the freight OF tho
cotton. which ranges from half cent TO cent
pound, averaging SO a bale. or $1,000 year. But
this advantage Is somewhat dc'usivctho goods must
be mostly sent to New York for SALE tho production
increases the local consumption, and therefore
large part OF the assumed advantage would be lost
Any actual difference would soon be absorbed II tho
Southern isolated factory should BIO forced keep any
extra number OF mechanics spare hands More
over the rates OF transportation In and from the South
arc now excessive, beins more than double tho rates
TO and from the West, aud tho method OF cleaning
packing, baing and moving cotton is improved and
tho cost is reduced the relative disadvantage Of New
England will, in part, BIO removed, whlo 1t will for a
long timo retain It's superiority in training and always
the northern possesses in all work that demands
close application throughout tho year.
The prevailing opinion In tho South that prosperity
will OF necessity from tho establishment OF nu-
cotton mills may not be well grounded, and IL
may well be asked whether section In which capital
Is and tho rate OF interest therefore high,
afford investments of $50 900 in business in which
only 100 people would BIO employed and not over
$50. 900 year paid in wages. Such occupations
belong In old and dcnsey populated sections where
capital is abundant and interest low. Tho No. IL to
No 20 cotton mill turns Its capital into wages only
IN four i've years, but the wagon maker, the
worker In metal, tho tool maker tho furniture maker
and others who must OF necessity live and work
tho farmers who nre their customers, are tho repre-
scnatvcs Of branches of industry in which capital
itself into wages once, twice thrice year.
therefore these occupations that build up villages
towns and cities and make active because they
require heads as we'll hands, and they represent d.
vcrsity and not concentration Of employment
IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS.
Ofthc IL, b00. 900 persons whose occupations wcro
,sccrtaned and listed In the 1875 over
onc per cent were listed then employed in all tho
factories hen existing IN tho United States and
they mostly unmarried women. u follows that
where cotton spinning Is TO DO undertaken II be