The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1894-09-17

,,non the manufacture of fine goods-prlnt
cloths and ginghams. All the conui'ioI9
call for it. There must be chahse' an an,
the men who inaugurate it Will make mn
lions. Every mill man in ths>south hho"S
that the further development of cotton
manufacturing in the south must proceeu
on different lines. We already manu-
facture all the lines of coarse goods. we
control the market for these goods. we
have run out all competition, except
amongst ourselves. But it must be clear
that if we go on developing along these mar
row lines, cotton manufacturing In inc
south must necessarily receive backset.
NOW am not predicting that it will re-
ceive any such backset. L believe firmly
that this section will soon enter upon the
manufacture of the finest goods.
but can we compete with New England
in making these fine goods?' 1 asked.
Let me tell you the advantages we
have said Mr.. Kincaid. I'm the first place
we have in the Piedmont section the finest
climate in the world-no extremes of heat
or cold. We have a class of people here
that make the finest mill operatives to be
found anywhere-sober, steady, Industrious,
with no tendency toward strikes.
we are right in the midst
of the cotton plantations, and we can buy
better factory plant today with more i'm
provements, for less money than any they
have in New England In other words we
can get better mill equipments than those
in the New England mills for less money.
That IS an advantage that is bound to tell.
Then we have the advantage of cheaper
cotton. Roughly speaking l can get cotton
at my mill down here for cent pound
less than New England can get it, That is
s. bale. / use 1000 bales, and therefore
have an advantage of 500, 600 in the years
output. How can such = handicap as that
be overcome?
when and where the manufacture of
fine goods in the south is to begin. I can't
tell you. If l were younger I'd go into the
business without hesitation. But i'm order
to manufacture prints and ginghams and
canton flannels. must have print works
and bleacheries. | do not know better
place for print works than Atlanta. They
will be established somewhere i'm the south.
and why not i'm Atlanta? Your city is the
trade center of the largest and most pros
porous part of the south. and if print works
and bleacheries Were established there lit
tie mills or large mills would be establish
ed in Georgia, South Carolina and North
Carolina for making fine goods. These
goods would either be sold to print works
outright. or they would be sent there to
be printed or to the central bleacheries to be
bleached.
az know all the objections I have raw
eled and unraveled them a thousand times
in my mind. There is no lacking of capital
and enterprise here All that is lacking Is
skilled labor, and that will be forthcoming
wherever the demand for it grows impor-
turate. / understand. too, that cotton man
ufactUring in this country has been OF SLOW
and continuous growth. But this means that
those who 80 into it now will not have
to solve the thousand and one problems
that We're necessary TO solve in the begin
ming Today we have all the advantages
that improved machinery can give and there
is nothing to do but seize the opportunity
that is offered Cutie recently = loom has
been invented that will work something
like a revolution in weaving. one eXpe-
rienced hand can manage twelve OF them'
whereas a hand can only manage SIN at
present. and he must be an expert opera
tive to do that"
How have hard times affected the cot
ton mills i'm the SOUTH l asked
..'Thev have been pinched little, but not
seriously | can only speak for the mills
here We have been making Httle money
right along, and | suppose That Is true Oh
all the southern mills that are closely man
aged. / remember that in the stress OF the
panic l wanted to borrow $1,000 from the
bank here To pay off my operatives The
bank had the money, but was rather ten
der-footed about lending 1t at that paIucu-
lar crisis Some of the hands heard me
joking about it. and the result was thSt
the women operatives in the nils brought
the t money ya}K x Wanted at 8iS sr Gent je2e
They did it Of their own acc9fl,
not only showing IIcII toiiii'O4 - !.
employers, but demonstrating the spirit OK
thrift and economy that centers around a
successful industry.
You may say what you please about the
Cfeorgaa cracker, or cldN-edttF. buL ne
and his family make the best mill operatives
the world has ever scen-the moSt hdus-
triouS the most economical ana the most
tireless They seem To take TO nun WORK
naturally. At everything else they are
DOLpv and shiftleSs, but when factory ma
chinery begins TO buzz IN thelr ears tHey
How does the Atlanta exposition seem
to strike your peopler' 1 inquired.
We'll. We are with YOU, MI
stive country girl at town
ball; but you have never done anything
up there that was worth doing thaI the
best sentiment of the state and the south
wasn't with YOU You ought to have
great show next year, provided you VIII
run il on liberal lines. But there are some
kinks in Atlanta that VIII nave 10 DC
pulled out. You can't run "a big town ac-
cording to the crossroads code. Atlanta
ought to have the biggest show that ever
was seen in the south, but it will not be n
great show unless it is managed ON the
scale of large liberality. People want to
be amused and entertained as well as IN
structed." J.,
| suppose there are mill men in the south
who win not agree with Mr.. kincaid in
his optimistic views, but there can be no
doubt that he has a clear view of the Situa-
tioD and its needs There can be no DOUBT
that the new development which he so
heartily favors Will be brought about
sooner or later. IF IDany more mills are
established in the south on the Old lines
some of the more experienced mdhuIac-
turprs will go into the. fine goods business
i'm. self-defense. \ beginning Is all that Is
JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS.