The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-11-10

scprAsz on sprsDLEs-A FIELD FOR PROFIT
IN WHICH NEW EsoLAgD DOES not SHARE.

fSCnrARF or HFfNDLEB-A ftbLD foh fh'hff
~ WHICH NEW ENGLAND DOES not SHARE.
fEdward Atkinson At tho Atlanta Exposition-l
have often tried 10 account for the at
traction which is presented by cotton-grow-
ing and cotton-spInning. The dairy pro-
ducts OF the country are greater in value
and far more important TO the welfare oil
the people than the cotton crop. our shoe
factories in Massachusetts, employ more
persons. at higher wages, than our cotton
factories. The general conditions OF life
are much better in towns where there arc
no great factories than in those which are
filed with them. A small capital can be
used to-day TO better advantage in making
clothing than in making cloth. What
then Is the secret? j think II Is this
Good cotton and good cotton cloth are as
rood as money anywhere; they need no
81 legaI-tender acts TO make them pass cur
rent. They arc drafts at sight Tor tea,
coffee. sugar, iron, and steel; whatever we
want we can buy with cotton or cotton
cloth. We have now little over Il, OOO,OOO
spindles in the United States, and have at
NV office a list OF new mills which either
insure now or expect to insure, all OF
them north OF the Potomac, which viii
contain nearly 100000 more spindlcs
when completed. Some are built al
ready, others will be built next sea-
son. At the date OF the census we had
10. 700, 900 spindles. The production OF
about 100000 was exported, and the ex-
port is increasing; the rest served our own
people, $500 spindles to each million.
The spindles added since June 30, 1880,
and those now building or projected for
next season must suffice for the three years
ending June 80, 1888; and although the
increase H. large, do not think it il exces-
siye, II we do not have panic or some
other temporary check TO our prosperity.
In the three years named the normal in
crease Of our population will be not far
from $500, 900, to which immigration will
add I SOC, 900 more-G, ZOO, 900 in all. The
normal increase Of spindles required would
therefore be 800, 900, without counting on
new uses for cotton factories or increase OF
exports. Such a number will cost not far
from $50, 600, 900 complete, with their re-
quisite auxiliary buildings, and they will
require about $4,000 bales Of cotton III
each year at the present average. Thatyou
will share in this increase is the wish OF
every man; but that you can share even in
a measure that will much more than COM
pensate for the increase Of population in
your own section is not much to be cX-
pected, taking the whole Of three years
into account; but your prospect will be
vastly better in the next three years, when
the normal increase must be 1000, 900 spin
dies. There is room for us oil, and no one
need be fearful about finding n market "a
you increase and improve your crop and
reduce its cost.
In some Of your best mills you work rs
economically as we at the North do; but
isolated mills scattered OF far distances
are at a disadvantage anywhere. So far
"a YOU undertake cottOn-manuiacturing
with view TO anything more than u local
demand, concentrate your mills and let
all the appliances and subsidiary employ
ment grow up around them. / have never
taken the ground that there were any eli
matte difficulties i'm many parts OF the
South. The real difficulty is that the
margin OF profit Is very small on a very
large capital. and unless you can work, in
the long run, on a very small margin,
YOU cannot succeed. Let this be borne
i'm mind: The yarn Of which the stand
ard coarse shooting or drill Is made NO.
13) weighs three quarters OF grain to the
yard. The yarn Of which summer lawn
i made (No. SOY weighs one quarter Of n
grain 10 the yard. These are substantially
the limits Of the useful cotton manuiae-
ture. Our range is therefore within the
limits OF one half n grain to the yard Of
yarns OF which cloth is woven. A varia-
ton OF d fraction makes profit or a loss.
We must Use every precaution and save at
every point, or else we fail. May l say
that the true preparation for success in
cotton-manufactrring must be in knowing
how TO save the fractions OF cent! We
must do this in New England or starve.
We have no alternative.
say to you once more, as have said be-
fore, you have field for profit in whichwe
cannot share, in the preparation Of cotton
for the spinner, which offers better oppor-
tunity for profits on small investments Of
capital than any other branch OF cotton
manufacturing that you and we can engage
Ia,