St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1889-06-08
Cotton Manufactures.

goods industry is one of the most pros
porous and promising in the South. The
cotton mills, the spindles and production
have more than doubled in the last nine
years, and the increase still continues.
The activity in this branch of industry is
well known by the fact that fifteen COM
panies have been organized to build mills
in the last three weeks, with a capital of
So, $40, 900. 1t is significant fact that
number of them were started by capital
from New England. a section which form
erly monopolized this industry, and that
two more Massachusetts, concerns which
have been transferred to the South, be-
cause they have found it to their advan-
tage to be nearer to the cotton fields.
This latter proposition is SO plain and
self-evident that it has long been uni
versally reorganized. The advantages of
the South for cotton manufactures have
been noted time and time again. The
price of the staple, the cheapness of the
labor, the better climate, the more abun-
dant fuel, water power, ETC., are sll strong
arguments why the mills should be located
here, as they must eventually be,
But there are difficulties in the estab-
lishment of all new industries, and the
southern cotton mills expect to encounter
them as well as other industries. A few
years ago there was some stagnation in
their business, which checked the estab-
lishment of new mills. 1t was of tenn
porary character, however the mills by
prudence overcame it, and the indus try
"boomed' forward more rapidly than eyre,
and new establishments were organized
every week or so.
At the meeting of the southern manu-
facturers at Augusta Wednesday, where a
permanent organization was formed, the
president of the association pointed out
very clearly one of the difficulties the
southern mills will soon have to meet, if
they are not already brought face to face
with it. Mr.. Hickman pointed out that the
trouble with the manufacture of cotton
goods was similar to that with the staple
itself. The southern farmers made mis-
take in raising cotton-not in raising too
much of it, but in raising it alone. All
cotton and no corn was bad policy, he said,
and in the manufacture of cotton cloth the
southern mill men made similar mistake
in combining themselves to one class of
products, generally the los grade of
brown goods, sheetings, drills, etc, and
not diversifying their output more. That
the South can easily drive the New Eng
Land mills from the field in this class of
goods is now universally recognized, but
if it devotes itself to them alone it must
very soon overstock the market, as it is
rapidly doing. Mr.. Hickman pointed out
very clearly, with statistics, how necessary
to the South was diversity in cotton manu-
features.
One of the lines, which offers an invit-
ing field, is the manufacture of cotton
bagging. There is an excellent opening
for this bagging just now, as we have
already noted, requiring as it does only
the lowest grade of staple, little labor and
little change in the mill machinery now
used in making brown goods. And the
supply needed for the crop will keep a
dozen or more factories actively at work
This was one of the points discussed at
the Augusta meeting, and policy was
agreed on which, it is hoped, will encour-
age the use of cotton bagging by the
planters. This was the adoption of reso-
luton Hedging the southern manufac-
turers to pay ten cents per hundred pounds
more for cotton baled in cotton or other
light bagging than when baled in iute
The mills, it will be seen, have done
thsir duty in this matter; and if the
planters and cotton exchanges will CO.
operate with them we can hope to intro
duce this new bagging into general use,
thus freeing the South from the control
and dominance of the jute bagging ring,
and establishing an industry that will
utilize 100000 bales of low grade staple,
and give room for many more mills.
In addition, however, to this bagging,
it would be well for the southern mills to
heed President Hickmans warning, and
diversity their products instead of con-
fining them, as there is a disposition to do
day. to one grade, and that low grade
of goods.
That was necessary, of course, in the
earlier days of cotton manufacturing in
the South, when we lacked capital, labor,
knowledge of the business and good
markets But now that we have passed
the experimental stage, now that the CAPT
tai needed is pouring in so rapidly, that
northern mills are moving South, that the
labor is ample and skilled, it seems to be
time for the southern factories to take an
other step forward and produce higher
lass of goods, an d not simply drills and
heetings.