The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-11-15

- wilton Manufacture More Prsflta.
Bic south Than North9

escorted 10 the various factories and points
OF interest about the city. Hon. Joshua
hiil, OF Madison, accommnled them.
Chronicle representative afterwards
interviewed Mr. Atkinson. and obtained
ms views In regard to manufacturing in
inc south, and Augusta in particular. Mr..
Atkinson said he was satisfied the South
could not compete with the North In manu-
facturing. Sporadic mills In the South
might succeed for time, but the time
would come when the local demand. upon
which they depended, ceased, and they
would no longer be profitable. True, man.
wacturing in the South had been success.
but so 1t had everywhere else, and that N
no reason why 1t should continue TO sue
coed. Where there was concentration.
IKE in Augusta, and the goods were sent TO
New York, manufacturing was on a much
better footing, but even then he did
not think our factories could compete
with the North. There the mills are closer
10 the great market, and they have better
opportunities. The factories there make
10 per cent, but they only divide among
the stockholders. and the remainder goes
TO adding TO the mill and increasing its ca
paclty. The southern mills have TO de-
pend solely upon the native population for
operatives, and when that supply is ex-
hausted they can get no more. Immi-
grants will stop at the North TO work in
factories there, and will not come TO the
South. The northern mills employ q
great many French Canadians, who make
iirst-class operatives, but the South cannot
get any OF these, because il is too warm
for them here. There is a great deal in
the habit Of the people Of any section. The
habit OF the northern people is manilfactu-
ring, that OF the southern people is farm
ing. You cannot make manufacturers out
OF farming population. The cotton-spn-
ming and weaving in England was concen-
trated in Lancashire. Ii had been tried in
other parts Of England, but never sue
ceeded. Ulster, in Ireland, was the home
OF iinen-manuiacturing- was the habit
OF the people. Efforts had been made to
graft it OIL the manufacturing system Of
England, but they had failed. Brass
making was standard manufacturing
branch in Connecticut, and apparently
there was no reason why it should
not thrive as well elsewhere, but il did
not, because il was the habit Of the people
OF Connecticut. In short time the rail-
road combinations will reduce the cost OF
carrying cotton TO the North one half, and
northern mills will then have a still greater
advantage over the South. Watcr-power
amounts TO very little. More than half the
mills at Lowell are run by steam, and many
OF the others regret that they did not run
the water that now turns their wheels
through the boilers OF engines. In the fu-
ture water in manufacturing will only
be regarded ~ useful TO make steam.
1t costs rs much TO buy the wheels
and make the whcel-pit as it would for
an engine. At the North insurance on
mills was only quarter of one per cent;
here it is half. The difference in insurance
alone will pay the salary Of the supcrin-
tcndent The mills in Augusta were splen-
did institutions. lie especially admired the
Sibley mill, which was a very handsome
structure, and il would be a success. In
fact, any mill under W. c. Siblcy would
succeed, but then that was looking too
much TO onc-man power. n very interest
ing experiment had been tried on little
mill at Lowell. y. G. Cotton was used
fresh from the gin, from the country bale
and from compressed bale, and 1t was
found that the thread from the lat
ter was much closer and better. This
was only an experiment, but it was good
reasoning for it TO be so always. The OBJ
iect in the mill was to roll the thread until
il rot rs compressed rs pos, ible. Why not,
then. use compressed cotton to start with!
The mill alluded to intended TO run one
half the mill on cotton fresh from the gin
and the other half on compressed cotton
for thirty days in order to give it tho
rough test.
Mir. Atkinson left for Washington last
evening. lie will see President Arthur
and induce him, if possible, to visit the
Atlanta Exposition.
THE SOUTHERN VIEW.
The Chronicle representative, after inter-
viewing Mr.. Atkinson, saw Mr.. Francis
Cogin, superintendent Of the Augusta fac
tory. Mr.. Cogin said he thoroughly agreed
with Mr.. Atkinson in several OF his points.
What the South needs is concentration and
organization in manufacturing; small $50
lated mills do very well so long as every
thing is prosperous, but when anE disaster
comes they will have nothing to fall back
mon. There should be complete organize
tion i'm order TO insure success. AT the
North the mills are in thorough concert.
They are concentrated and organized.
Here il girl in the Augusta factory gets
miffed and leaves, she can 60 TO any othef
mill and get employment. AT Lower, II an
lucrative leaves without certificate OF hon
orable discharge. she cannot get into any
othermillMithin hundred miles. The mills
stand hy each other. Here, il small mill
wants weaver or other operative, 1t oilers
a., balf-dollar a week more TO one in larger
factory, and the first thing that the author
tiles Of the other factory knows about IL Is
from the vacant place. 1t is not so at
Lowell and other northern manufacturing
centres. The scale OF prices is fixed, andno
mill will give any more than another. Thus
each mill can be certain Of keeping Its ope-
rativas Unless the Augusta mills have
some such organization they will be less
oLIe in tine future to compete successfully
With manufactures at the North. The
more factories there are here without such
oroouizafion the worse il will be for eacb.
Forci0n immigrants are not coming here.
me summers are too long and hot for
them. and we must depend upon native
labor. -.
ern mills: They run great deal more ma
cbinery on the same capital OF southern
mill There Is a mill in Lowell which has
The Same capital us the Augusta factory
SGo0. OOO-and vet it has $500 looms ana
100 600 spindles, while the Augusta factory
has only 1888 looms and about $4,000 SPIN
dies. The Lowell and other northern
mills. instead Of declaring all thciI
earnings in dividends, declare .
o. s ner cent. dividend, and put the
rest on The mill, so that the capacity
- increased year by year without any
increase OF capital. Here the stocknoi1 !l,
want every dollar made paid out IN a q, !,
Jcnds The superintendent OF the mill at
lowell 10 which he alluded did not even
tnow the earnings OF the mill. The III
INV ,-i..ob %, = NOR cont dividend,