Morning journal and courier., 1883-04-12
Thursday, April 12, 1883.
FOR NEW ENGLAND COT
 TON MANUFACTURERS.

TROUBLE FOR NEW ENGLAND COT 1 TON MANUFACTURERS.
 l Some time ago. it will be remembered, eastern cotton manufacturers asked the l trunk line roads to make change in certain | freight rates. During the last few years cot ton factories in the South have increased in
 number rapidly and their products are as good as those of the New England mills. The cotton being near the mills in the South 1 the manufacturers save in cost of transpor-
 tation. They are nearer the western and
 northwestern trade csnters and so can reach consumers in those regions at a less cost for
 freight than the New Epgland manufacturers
 In this condition of affairs it became im- portant for the manufacturers of the East to protect themselves from southern competi- | tion, and representatives of the trunk line
 roads were therefore asked to reduce freight
 to the West.
 This request brought the attention of those
 to whom it was made to 8 very puzzling
 problem One of them thus put the case
 We should get smaller income for carrying
 the goods if we reduced the classification,
 and would in no way benefit the northern
 manufacturers or merchants. The southern merchant has them at material disadvan-
 tage, and it seems beyond our power to rem
 edy this state of affairs much as we would
 like to do it for our own selfish reasons,
 if for no other. The development
 of the resources of the South
 by the infusion of new blood
 and the adoption of new methods is
 naturally followed by manufacturing the ma terials produced by her within her own lines
 It is impossible to prevent this natural re- suit, and we must suffer from it in common with the manufacturers and merchants. If there is any method of relief from such suf- fering would thank the political economist who would find 1t, and not only thank him
 but pay him roundIy for his solution of this extremely practical and puzzling problem.
 This seemed at the time like sensible view of the case for railroad agent to take, though not view pleasing to eastern manu- lecturers. It could hardly be expected that the railroad companies would be benevolent enough to come to the help of those who feel the competition of the southern cotton factories. The matter was referred to Con- u1lSSlOQ6E fInk, &QU III bu6 r0pOEG WHICH u6 has just made he fully sustains the roads and rules squarely against the manufacturers. The southern mill owners are naturally much pleased with the report. The Eagle and Phoenix Mills at Columbus, Georgia, have is sued circular to their patrons in which they say Northern dry goods men are driven to the wall ;" and southern newspa- per ayers that ''the New England manufac turers have now no future" This is, how ever, altogether too joyful. As the Provi- dence Journal aays:iI0ur southern brethren should not allow their fervid genius for oratory to cloud their understandings. A great manufacturing iatorest is neither built up nor destroyed in day; nor are the railroads going to bankrupt New England. Instead of counting upon the friendship or the philanthropy of the railroad corporations the ssoathern manufacturers would do well l to attend strictly to the details of their busi- ness, to avoid counting their chickens before | they are matched, and to remember Southern | capital alone will not suffice to build up the 1 South materially for good many years to come. There is fine field there for prog ress; but it will be gained only by industry, l by common sense, and by due sense of the | position and power of others.