Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-07-29
The Georgia Commissioner on Cot
ton Manufacturing I'm the South.

A recently published interview with
Mr. Edward Atkinson, the distinguished
political economist of Massachusetts,
represents that gentleman as holding the
view that the manufacture of cotton
goods by the South, in 1.-THE cotton coun-
try proper, is subject to such limitations
as will prevent the mills of that section
from competing with New England in.
the fine class of fabrics In the first
place, he thinks the climate of the cotton
belt is unfavoIable to an industry which
requires continuous indoor labor every
working day of the year" Only the
Piedmont region, in his opinion, can
hope to compete. There the atmosphere
being drier and cooler, is better suited
to manufacturing processes. In the next
place, he is inclined to believe that pro-
per operatives cannot be readily obtain
ed Negroes, he says, are not accustOm-
ed to any but the ruder kinds of labor,
and the white population is disinclined
to factory work. Hence, for want of a
suitable laboring class, there cannot be
''any large measure Of success in spin.
ming and weaving, which require
order and method, discipline, aud the
closest possible attention to the minutest
details to save the manufacturer from
bankruptcy" Mr.. Atkinson also ques-
tions the wisdom of building large factO-
ries in the South. The Georgia Com
&c 7 4 ov,I Mr.
Francis Fontaine, combating these con
illusions, calls attention to the fact that
all the largest cotton factories of Geor-
gia are south of the Piedmont country.
Among others the Eagle and Phoenix
Company at Columbus, 100 miles south
Of the Piedmont country, which employs
800 operatives, has 40 900 spindles and
800 looms, consumes annually -. 900
bales OF cotton and 800 pounds of wool
daily, producing one hundred varieties
Of white and colored goods without detri-
ment from the climate There has been
no interruption of work from weather
or want of laborers since the mills began
operations. The operatives are ali white,
and are nearly all natives of the localities
in which the mills are situated. As cot
ton is bought so per bale cheaper than
in New England, he claims for mill Of
900 looms a saving of $120, 099 per
annum, or per cent. on the entire capt.
tai employed. Southern mills selling
heavy sheetings at &c. per yard, shirt
ings at 54c, Sounce osnaburgs ct 94c.,
have made money when no Northern
mill could do 1t. The difference in cost
of transportation gives the Southern
manufacturer an obvious advantage in
Mexican and Western markets, not to
speak Of the local market, which is a
growing one As with the increase Of
the cotton crop from $500 900 to
$500, 600 bales the price has not
been uniformly satisfactory to Eplantefs,
the opinion is expressed that when the
credit system becomes less prevalent,
less cotton will be grown. and. instead.
more provisions The growth of so
much cotton is al present in a measure
compulsory, since the farmers only
means Of obtaining credit is to agree to
deliver so many bales of the staple. Mr.
FOntaine points out the fallacy of the
theorists who attribute the increase TO the
cotton crop since the war 10 emancipa-
ton Of the slaves, when in fact it is due
to the increased use Of commercial fer
tiliZers. This large stimulus to the soil
accounts for the increase of one fifth in
the normal production Of cotton, though
it does not, in Mr. Fontaine's opinion,
necessarily imply that the soil is poor.