The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-02-21
STRIKE FOR MANUFACTURES.

The Savannah News says, the pres
ent agitation IN New England manu-
featuring circles is only trifling con-
proclaiming stubbornly the
coming of revolution in the manu-
facture of cotton goods. Whether the
is pleased at the pros
pect or whether the South will well
come him is alike imlnaterial, so far as
the solution of this revolution is con-
cerned. The seed has been planted
and the world must reap the harvest.
As long as the South was rich she
cared nothing for the cost of living
and was satisfied to let the North
manufacture her cotton. When her
property was swept away, economy,
hitherto reproach, became both a
virtue and necessity. Before the
war Southern planter rarely asked
the price of what he bought. After
the war he not only asked the price,
but he sought the cheapest market.
And herein manufacturing in the
South received It's first impulse and
manufacturing in the North received
its first touch of blight. The North
did not see it then; now both sec
lions see this factor in the economic
problem under consideration energiZ-
ed, into life. The building ofrailroad-,
the cheapness of living, and the
range of temperature, all have had
hand in sowing the seeds of this revo-
luton. A beautiful picture is drawn
of the future Of the South, when the
streams which wind their way to the
Gulf will have invited industrial
capital to make use of the vast
amount of power that now
lies idle along their courses.
South Carolina and Georgia are
already offering examples such as the
future will produce in all the South
ern States, and Texas standing second
to none in anything, including water
power, must in turn march to the
front, even in manufactures. In an
other article we show how vast are
the resources of our State, and
none may compute the vast
ness of her widely distributed
water power. Here at Austin might
be produced a second Fall River
while the return to capital from the
use of raw material of all sorts, OBJ,
tainable at our very doors, would make
what can not be maintained in New
England paying investments. Not
only at Austin, but up the ColorodO q
dozen splendid locations for manu-
featuring towns might be found
all in the midst of cotton anC
wool fields. The streams Of the ell
tire State abound in water power
and hardly a county can be named
that could not supply all the raw ma
terial for manufacture needed by any
factory or factories established within
its limits. The Savannah New!
makes a good suggestion as toGeorgia'
idle water power. 1t wants the Stat,
commissioner to New Orleans tc
have prepared descriptions OF al
the water powers in Georgia to b,
presented as information to investor
who may be at the exposition Tht
same thing might be done with vas
profit to Texas, only it would be un
wise for the commission to contrib
ute in any way towards the eXpens
of such information. All localities, O
persons interested in water power
should be invited to have prepare,
accurate descriptions of sucl
power, with the adaptabilit,
of the location for establishin,
and maintaining manufacturing en-
terpriSes. AS the News suggests 70
Georgia, If such information be pre-
pared and presented at New Orlean
by the state commission it would lea
to much interested inquiry, and mil
lions of dollars might be attracted il
consequence thereof to Texas. W
need manufactures ; let everything b
done to secure them. AT New Or
leans would be good place and tim
to strike for them.