Goldsboro weekly argus. [volume] (Goldsboro, N.C.) 1885-1909, 1893-03-16
SOUTHERN COTTON MILLS.
Cotton is Still King in the South-Its
Future gives Promise of Great
Things.
Let Goldsboro "Catch On

Leu 1OlOSOOIO odtCl1 Vii.
Too much cannot be said about
the Importance and imperative ne
cessity of establi shing more cotton
mills in the South. The subject is
one of perennial interest and we
should never cease to discuss it as
long as there is a possibility of ex-
citing and keeping alive public at.
tention to the point of building
such factories among us.
The South must erect cotton mills
and many other different kinds Of
manufacturing plants to use up her
immense cotton product, if she ever
hopes to become self-sustainipg and
prosperous.
The Baltimore Manufacturers
Record, which has done much to
stimulate this industry in the South.
has again taken up the subject and
in a recent issue draws an interest
ing comparison between the South
and the rest Of the country:
la 1880 the South contained only
667,754 spindles out of the total of
lO,553,435 in this country-little
more than 6 per cent-while the
spindies in the South in 1890 num-
bered 1,722,930 out of a total of
14,068,1O3 or more than 10 per ct.
In the ten years the capital in the
Southern cotton manufacturing in
dustry Increased from $2l,976,713
to SOL. ~ ,O96, the hands employed
from 1O,s27 to 41,481; the wages
paid from $3,517,115 to $S,951,514
and the value of the products from
$21,O3S,71 to $46,971,5O4. The
number of looms increased from
1923 to 39,231. The South pro-
duces 26 per cent. of all the sheet,
ings made in the United States, sc
per cent of all the ginghams and Al
per cent of the yarn.
This large and encouraging in
crease in the cotton industry of the
Southern States is very easy of ex'
PLANTATION. It simply lies in the
commonest of advantages, a few o.
which are enumerated by the Recort
as follows:
l.. The freight charges on raw
material to other points are saved.
7 D.oG4o &c laoIo~o - ~1A4~- --
eliminated.
3. Labor is cheaper than in othe.
!. parts of the United States.
4. Living is cheaper than in othe
parts of the United States.
J 5. The cost of bagging aud ties i
: almost entirely saved by s%ellin,
| those back to the farmers and thu
using them over and over unit
worn out.
6. Saving in Cotton lost in trans
p%ortation in going to other points
Since the beginning of the ne,
development of cotton manufactur
in the South, it adds, the result
justify the statement that cottol
{ goods can b, produced cheaper il
e the Southern part of the Unite'
States than in any other part o
+ the world. Many of the new facto
ries in the South have made large
. profits than New England or En-
n glish mills, Notwithstanding tina
time has not yet elapsed for South
ern managers and operatives to &C
e quire that degree of skill and knowl
q edge that 1T is fair to assume wi
come with increased experience.
y These are significant facts, whic
> stand out broadly in any discussio
: of this subject, and they should +
constantly kept before capitalist
and our home people. 1t has bee
shown, for instance, that capitalist
are investing their money exten
sively in the erection of factori'
:, in New England and along the A
lantic seaboard.
If these facts were continual
presented before them showing no
muck greater profit they can expe'
from all over the South, they woul
probably place in G%oldsboro son
y of the money they are now investin
in New Mngland, as it would assul
better returns.