The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-16
department in the hope of improving his
mind as we'll as his manners
American Cotton manufactures.

American Cotton Manufactures.
We print elsewhere to-day an important
statistical account of the condition and prog
ress OF the cotton industry in this country,
prepared by a we'll known expert of Bos-
ton, Mr.. b. +. Nourse, at the request of a
number of English merchants aud manu-
lecturers, and in reply to series Of ques-
tions submitted by them.
An examination of Mr.. Nourse's care
fully prepared figures shows some curious
and not unimportant facts in relation to
this great industry. In the first place, it
would seem that we had in 1860 one cotton
spindle to every six Of our population,
in 1870 one TO every five and halt, and in
1878 one to every four. We manufactured in
1860 over thirty eight yards of cotton goods
per head of population, in 1870 over thirty
seven yards per head and in 1878 over
sixty-fiye yards per head. Our greatest
export of cotton products before the war
was in 1860. During the war this branch
of our export trade became insignificant;
since 1870 il has steadily increased, but with
falling prices, raw cotton having also become
much cheaper. In 1870 our exports OF cot
ton goods were valued at three and half
millions in 1878 ut eleven and half mill
lions--still trifiing amount, and in guam
tity only six and two-fiiths per cent of our
total production, England exporting sew
enty-eight per cent of hers. Our exports in
1860 eighteen years ago--were of nearly
t1,a, 4, IS
Improvements in machinery in these
eighteen years have resulted in increasing
the product of the mills per hand from fifty
to sixty-five per cent. according as the fab
RIGS are coarse or fine and at the same time
the weekly earnings of operatives are ten
1860, and the cost of living of the same kind
less than then. At the same time the re-
turns on capital invested have fallen from
eight per cent in 1860 to five per cent in
1878, the total capital having increased
from ninety-eight millions in the first year
to two hundred and eight millions in the
last These figures show that the greater
perfection of machinery, contrary t0a COM
mon supposition, has not decreased. but
increased the pay of the operatives, while
it has steadily decreased the capitalists
share of profit. This is in strict consonance
with experience in England during the last
half century.
It is shown that we do now manufacture
the coarser cotton goods more cheaply than
they can in England; that we are able to
build all cotton machinery as cheaply here
as it can be done abroad, and that our ex.
port Of cotton goods has increased in the
last three years at the rate of sixty per cent
in quantity and thirty-six per cent in value
per annum. But we labor under the diff
Guilty that we must regain our place in mar
kets which since 1860 our competitors have
fully occupied, and this will take time, be-
cause it requires new direction of capital
and commercial enterprise. 1t is curious
and surely humiliating fact that we now
send cotton goods to Manchester, which
find their way thence into the worlds
markets. That means only that the race of
American merchants has become so far ex-
tinct that our manufacturers are forced to
employ their most energetic rivals as their
agents and go-betweens to reach foreign
markets