San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1883-03-01

and other streams of the Southern
States, not utilized, and available for
factories. -.
1t has been said by economists
that fifteen millions of new spindiIes
will be needed in America within the
next twenty years, for the transform
ing of textile products into commodi-
ties. Where the raw material can be
worked up with the greatest advan,
tages and placed in the best market
at the least cost, is the place for the
spindles to be set in operation. Ma
ture has generously decleed that the
South should raise all the cotton. In
addition to this, by furnishing all the
agents and forces for operating the
machinery for its fabrication, she
seems to have decreed that the South
as the producing center, should also be
the manufacturing center.
The investments in cotton manu-
featuring enterprises in the South are
increasing surprisingly, and authenti-
Gated statistics demonstrate that the
mills and factories are paying twenty
two per cent. dividend on the average.
Some of the Georgia and Southern
Mississippi mills have paid as high as
Twenty-Five, and even thirty-fve per
cent. These unprecedentedly large
dividends have induced not only
Northern capitalists, but many from
England and other countries to seek
investment in Southern nails.
The Tectils Record, in commenting
on the increased quantity OF cotton
consumed by Southern mills, and
also referring to the redistribution of
industries, says: 1T is evident that
in the redistribution of industries
now going on, the South is to become
largely manufacturing, and that the
intense activity of the Western In
terror is to furnish market for it's
products, at least equally with the
North. The weight of the vast popu-
lation of the country has finally set
tied the question of industrial indie
pendence, and has relieved the South
from the long strain of hoping for
direct commerce with Europe, in the
way of sending out all raw materials,
and importing all finished products.
1T is not to be expected that the
door will be closed to importation of
almost everything in the line of tex
tile fabrics, and it is not desirable
that it should be, but the time for re-
lance ON staple foreign supplies is
certainly past. The greater body of
these fabrics is to be made here, land a
for community of interest
between the different sections is COM
ing very soon. The South is to make
many millions, of dollars worth of
plain cottons, with a large share of
the yarns used for plain goods, and
for hosiery and carpets at
he North. The present total of 3OO,-
700 bales of cotton at ten cents
Der pound is $13, 100000, which is
doubled in the form of yarns, or $2,-
100000, and threefold in woven fab
les, or about $4O,0O0,000 when
ully manufactured. This is a fair
and it justifies the assump-
ion that the South is already a center
If cotton manufacture.
The mills for converting cotton
eed into commercial articles are
multiplying rapidly, and this
aluable part of the cotton plant,
nee considered almost useless except ,
or planting purposes, is now valued
t about one third of the cotton crop.
he annual product of seeds, apart
rom what is used for planting, is |
bout two and half million tons, t
alued at from fifteen totwenty dollars '
ton; and when manufactured into L.
arious commercial products, is es- c
mated at from SIS, 100000 to $780, c
100000, certainly a very large source /
f wealth. Looking at the South's a
lany advantages, from any point of l
lew, it seems inevitable that all her /
wv materials must be manufactured
the sources of production.