The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1878-04-28
SOUTHERN COTTON MILLS.

The Charleston Neps and Courier of Sat-
urday reports an informal interview be-
tween the merchants, bankers and business
men of that city, and Mr.. c. c. Coftin, of
Massachusetts.
Mr.. Coffin said that at the request OF
Congressman Aiken and Senator Morgan,
members of the Patent Committee, he had
come down South to study the caPa3ilines
and present condition of the manufactures,
to confer with gentlemen throughout the
South and to ss90bs thS seeom al
He had stated to the committee OF Con-
eress that he thought the time had come
when the United States was in po-
sition to lay her hands upon very large
share of the trade of the world, and that
it rested with the Southern States to inl.
tiate that trade. The reasons that he had
for taking this view were these: Great
Britain, last year, took 67 per cent. of the
cotton she manufactured from this country,
aud the balance from India and Egypt.
Having personally inspected the cotton
districts of India, he was satlsheu that
England would be compelled to always look
| to this country for a very large peTcen tage
| of her raw material.
The improvements in the machlneTy IN
this country had placed US far ahead OF
any other country in the manufacture OF
the raw material. Last year the Engish
| consumed 33 pounds of cotton per spindle,
while we consumed 57i pounds per spindle.
| 1t had become generally conceded that the
| South was fast taking into her own hands
the manufacture of coarse cottons He
| was satisfied, moreover, that the South
could manufacture theee goods cheaper
than they could be manufactured any where
in the world. The wants of the South
American States aud China were bat
poorly supplied, and with but the smallest
effort he thought. the United States could
increase her trade with China alone to over
900, ,0OO, 900 yards per annum. By meane
of the Southern Pacific Railroad the cotton
could, within twenty days after it had
been taken from the field, be transported
to the Pacific coast, and twenty day. latel
it could be laid down in China. Goods
, from England could not be laid down II
: China under ninety to one hundred days
! aud not without the cost Of expensive bail
. . ing. The Southern manufacturer, h'
thought, would be able to turn over hi
/; money twice while England was turning
hers over once.
Another fact which induced him to be
: lieve that now ia the propiticus time TO
. beginning such trade was that Eoglant
> has been in the habit of weighing cotto
= by sizing them with a solution of pip
clay, starch and epson salts, and labellin
them American goods. John Chinams
had discovered this little game, and wa
=. wide enough awake to know where hi
j. best interests lay.
n Mr.. Coffin said that the object of hi
II visit was to present these facts and try t
, stir the people up to a sense of their oppor
ia tunities. The South had the labor, th
,r water power and the raw material, and sh
"a could manufacture coarse cotton goods 6
a least cent cheaper per pound than the
l. could be man anufactured in New England
rs This country, from her natural advantage
10 and the inventive skill of her people, bel
a. high place among the man ufacturing couI
Mt tries of the world. She was a power in tt
q. world, and the revision of the patent Law
ce by Congress was going, he thought, to pc
Id petuate that power. She had arrived
r such a position that to-day, by simp
,ir stretching forth Rer mana, she couid Cai
,is up a great share of the trade of the worl