San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-11-03
...sa Factories Profitable.

tsttsa Factories Profitable.
Some time ago well.known statisti-
clan and cotton expert, Mr.. Atkinson.
Of Boston, in a series OF articles anent
tire exhibition at Atlanta, which just
now challenges general public attention.
insisted that cotton factories could not
be made us profitable investments ut
the south as at the north He challeng-
ed successful contradiction Of his iig-
ures and statements and seemed for II
time 10 carry public opinion with him,
so great was tho leverage of his name.
But he was answered and quicker and
more thoroughly than he expected.
All the leading papers Of the south
sprang full armed, to the defense of
positions which they had been the first
to occupy. They cheerfully ncknow.
lodged the Indebtedness OF our section
to Mr.. Atkinson for many kindly and
cheering words, and for friendliness
that many times took on generous
form and came in time to meet the
carping or traduction Of our political
enemies. Reinforcing the figures and
facts then abundantly supplied to meet
and refute what so admittedly great an
authority had given to quiet the fears
Of our friends of New England, the
census bureau furnishes some figures
that cannot be gainsayed. For instance,
we learn from them that New England
pays l1.65 cents per pound, the south
1851 a difference Of ia, to ten 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 four per cent. additional
dividend on their capital, a great deal
more than mapyiof them now pay. In
the matter of. wages the showing is
equally favorable to the south. The
average wages of hands in, New
England is $236,64;sin the south,
$16l.6O year, nTitem which would
make difference Of s9,56Bs25 in the
expenses of the New. Few England mills
tyearly, or six per cent. on their capt.
tai. 1t should be stated, .by-the-by,
that while some of this difference in
wages is due to difference in skill, it
is not wholly so. Cotton-mill labor in
the south commands lower wages than in
the northern states, because there is
more labor in 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 difference of between ten ant
eleven per cent. on the capital of New
England companies. Besides these
advantages, as the New Orleans Demo
crat points out, there is the advantage
Of the climate, which enables the south.
ern mills to work the whole year round
instead of closing some days during
winter, ON account Of the severity O.
! the weather; and the water power, o.
which there is an abundance in nearly
all the southern states. Thus, as the
Democrat says, it we stake the Abs
cotton mills now in the north and trans
fer them to the south, as many far-see-
ing capitalists are already proposing te
do, estimating the other operating .ex
penses of the mills at one-third the
cost of wages and cotton, the New Eng
land mills while in New England
would return $16,l7S, 1913 of profits, il
they were in the south, paying ut the
rate that the southern mills pay for cot
ton and labor, they would net $37 ,954,-
All or "a per cent All the facts in
regard to the manufacture of cotton
are in our favor AS the census returns
show, orr mills made finer goods, on an
average, that those of New England,
earning eleven cents q yard for goods
turned out by them, whereas the New
England mills get only eight and a
half cents. With this Information be-
fore them, how Can capitalists hesitate
to embark in cotton factories PM M
phis AppeT
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