The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-10-13
COTTON MANUFACTURERS.


The census bureau has completed
its bulletin on the production of
cotton goods in the United States,
giving the capital of the mills, the
number of operatives, amount of
cotton consumed and cost, yards of
goods manufactured and value, and
the wages paid, and it enables oDe
to see whether cotton manufacture
ing in the south is profitable or not,
and how it compares with this in
dustry in New England.
The New Orleans Democrat,
in reviewing the bulletin, says
it has been claimed, on behalf of the
south, that it is the proper field fO-
cotton manufacturing, because the
raw material lies directly at its
doors, and is to be obtained at the
very lowest rates. What is the diff
ference in the prices paid for cotton
by the northern and southern mills !?
The census definitely settles this
question. New England pays 11.65
cents per pound, the south 1851.
difference of LA or 10 per cent; in
other words, were the New England
mills situated in the south. they would
annually save $6,171 655 for cotton
alone, which would enable them to
pay per cent. additional dividend
on their capital, great deal more
than any of them. In the matter of
wages the showing is equally favor
able to the south. The average
wages of hands in New England is
$236.64 i'll the south S161.60 Il year, an
item which would make difference
of S9, SCI, 1925 in the expenses OF the
New Englan i mills yearly, or 6 per
cent. on their capital. Ii should be
stated, by the by, that while some of
this difference i'll wages is due TO diff
ference in skill, il is not wholly so
Cotton mill labor in the south com
mands lower wages than i'll tn c
northern states because there is
more labor i'll the market here than
is absolutely needed, and because
the cost of living is cheaper in this
section. These two items, cotton and
labor, will make a difference of be-
tween ten and eleven per cent. on the
capital of the New England compa-
nies. They represent some of the
advantages that the south possesses
over that section in the manufac-
ture of cotton goods. Other advan-
tages-such as those of weather,
which enables the southern mills TO
work the whole year round, instead
of closing some days during winter
on account of the severity of the
weather the water power, of which
we have an abundance, etc, need
not be touched on here for, we are
only considering those points upon
which statistics can be obtained.
Let us take the 438 cotton mills
now in the north and transfer them
to the south, as many far-seeing
New England capitalists are already
proposing to do. Estimating the |
other operating expenses of the |
mills at One-third the cost of wages |
and cotton, the New England mills |
while i'll New England would return
SIG, ,178, 1913 of profits; if they were
in he,south, paying at the rate that
the southern mills pay for cotton
and labor, they would net $37, 1884,
All, or "a per cent. A curious fact |
shown by the census returns, and
one which very few people were
probably aware of. is, that the south
ern mills manufacture finer goods |
on the average than the New Eng
land ones, getting eleven cents a |
yard for the goods turned out by |
them, whereas the New England
mills get only eight and half cents. |