The Dawson journal., 1884-10-02
TOO MUCH CLOTH.
The Mill Men Say That is the Situa-
ton.
Atlanta Constitution.

In a short time another meeting Of
cotton mill men will be held. to
take action in reference to the
present depressed state of the
market. A movement has Just
been started which looks to that
end, and it is meeting with con-
siderable favor. It is clear that
the cotton mills must do some
thing to carry them safely over the
shoals, through which they are
now passing, and they havo great
need for cotton factory statesman
to rise up in their midst. It will
be remembered that in March last
a meeting of mill presidents
was held in Augusta, and an effort
was made to agree on some plan
looking to the stoppage Of the
mills on account of the overpro-
duction that then existed. MANY
mills have been running on short
time, and none Of them have made
money during the summer, but
the overproduction continued and
the situation now, so the mill men
say, is unchanged.
A CONSTITUTION man had very
INTERESTING TALK
yesterday with a prominent mill
president, who has made a deep
study Of the matter and gives some
very valuable information on the
subject. Said he:
''1oa see things have not turn
ed out as we thought they would
and we are fearful of the future.
When we held the convention
last spring, we all hoped for better
sales. But goods that sold then at
six and seven cents are now worth
only five to six cents a yard. We
do not know how the price will go
in the future. Goods may con-
tinue to go down. Millers are
afraid to buy cotton lest the mar
ket drops before they can work off
the stock. It is a sort Of specula-
ton that legitimate business will
not stand"
"But suppose cotton drops
soon?"
81 don't see how that can do the
mills any good as long as over
production stares us in the face.
The secret of the whole thing is
we have got to slack up and let
the demand overtake us. That
is the object of the meeting that
we are now discussing. We have
got to arrange some plan by which
we can let up on cloth making for
awhile. The factories must az
range and agree not to run on
more than half or two-thirds time
until in the winter some where,
say about February. You see the
supply Of goods is abnormal and
the solution of the trouble
is to
RUN ALONG ON SHORT TIME
until the market is not SO over
stocked. If we run on full time,
and go on piling up goods, what's
to come of the market? We
thought the bottom was out when
goods were a cent higher than
they are now, and still they come
down."
'Is there any money in present
prices?"
"No. The factories are running
solely to keep their operatives to-
gether and for their benefit.
There is S350,0OO invested in my
mill, and it is practically idle. 1t
earns no dividends. The opera
tives can work and make half pay,
and get a long someway-better
than no way-and when times
change we can all make money:
but this is the off year, the abnor-
nal wear, but we have all got to
bear it. In the north and east
there are millions of spindles idle
awaiting the change that will come
about as soon as the supply and
demand even up. In the South
the mills have run on short time
rather than close"
"Will the operatives agree to
run on short time until February"
at matters little with the mills.
It is only humanity and a desire
to keep the operatives together
that prompts us to run on even
short time. A half loaf IS better
:, 11 I,,+ ;f tho o,,oro-