The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1878-02-22
|L. XIV. NO. 2.
Cotton Manufacture.

General John b. Gordon, United
s7tes Senator representing the state OF
seergia, has very kindly, in response to
atf Invitation, written letter for pub
Peation, giving his views upon Cotton
manufacturing at the South" We here
znsnk the senator for his courtesy and
accommodation, and assure him the
altention his letter will arrest viii be
Vfrg great. To our readers it is almost
unnecessary to state that the southern
senator is regarded as the ehighest authsr-
t'y on the cotton industries Of the south,
fnd ne is also favorably known to our
elFes as strong civil service reformer,
lpi whoa we have long had great re-
Hpect. He is one of the southerners who
lanEely fought for what they thought
'gls right, but who now accept the results
Eotthe war and earnestly support Presi-
dot Hayes in his noble efforts towards
s9ieifcation. Bat to the letter.
aGsaeditorial some weeks ago we
f13ed atteAiion to the "Future ofCotton
Manufacturing il New England" argu-
r1g that the time w,s at hand when the
son.h, in coarse goods, would not only
supply her own wants, ut those of the
Vest also. Senator GordG7 claims that
option ct Columbus, Ga, : 81 O8 per
bale less there than at Fall rFer, and in
a consumption of five thouss1d bales
@there would be an advantage OF '35 900;
due to situation alone. Thus, Fall
river mill having a total investment OF
$3.50, 900, running on heavy goods, night
make a profit of S2l 900, or 8 per cen.
while similar Georgia mill would can
,$56, 600, or 16 per cent. Senator Cor
don produces figures to show tn.
the product of a Georgia mill could
be even shipped to the north and sold
at profit. He asserts:
"That the more intelligent manufac-
turers of the north already concede the
iact that the coarser yarns, No. Il and
under, cannot be manufactured there,
when sufficient machinery is in opera
tion in the south TO supply the demand" 3"
The senator is perfectly correct, and
he could also have stated that the more
intelligent manufacturers at the north
Cor New England are seeking to de-
velop technical education by which
skilled mechanics and trained taste and
skill shall be at hand in order that cot
ton manufacturing may reach to the high
est possible perfection. These gentle
men see that New England must in the
future make the finest goods and
the south the cosrsest. They are
seeking to educate young men as
skilled artisans, and the theolo-
gical school in this city is one Ct
the means by which they expect to attaln
their object.
Senator Gordon tells of the growth of
cotton manufacturing at the south. We
have ourselves diligently searched for the
figures referring to each state, and after
considerable correspondence with the
ohicjafs of southern states, (all of whom
have been most accommodating have
be. unable to obtain such, as those states
have made no statistical collections of late
years. The senator's statement concern
ing labor at the south is important. He
argues that the skilled mechanics are
not needed, since machinery does the |
work. There is an abundance of help, |
and the climate not demanding large ex-
penditures for coal and clothing, and ami
nal dieting-these all tend to make wages |
one-third less than at the north. The |
of trade unions and strikes are /
unknown (happy south y, and native
born Americans constitute the large |
majority of the hands He claims that |
during the much talked about summer /
% the cost of labor is least and production !
He sustains this statement /
by figures which he challenges contra !
dictiOn by contrary facts.
With cotton at hand, labor abundant |
and cheap, water power extensive, and /
coal low, the southern cotton manufac-
turing interests must indeed advance. |
Their advantages must tell, and New .
England cannot afford tobe blind to them. |
Il is Tor our manufacturers to attain in /
skill what the south attains by natural |
Boston Journal of Com |