Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1894-10-02
WAGES GONG Up.
VVdSss 1oIIl5 OP.
Unusuql Prosperity In Factories.
More Neto Wooien and Cotton
Hills Than fol. -Four Years.
a 25 Per Gent. Wage
- AdVdnce.

These are the bad times, very bad
times, for political wool growers and
calamity howlers. Not only do
prices of domestic woods remain firm,
at an advance of about 10 per cent.
above the Mckinley prices of two
months ago, hut there is unusual ac-
tivity in the wooden aud cotton mills.
The Wool and Cotton Reporter de-
votes a page every week to ..Bul-
letin of New Enterprises, p which,
hoWeverS includes mills shutting
down. There used to be more mills
shutting down than starting up {; but
since the passage of s'the free trade
Wilson biIl,'' which was to annihil-
ate'' the woolen industry, the record
has been a remarkable one-better
than for any two weeks during the
four years of McKinleyism.
For the week ending September 6
the, Reporter mentions five new mills,
one of which is cotton mill, to cost
S150,00o, twenty-eight- enlsrgements
and improvements, and twenty mills
starting up, one of which has been
closed nine months and another five
years.
Rawitzer Bros, ofStafford Springs,
are mentioned as having settled with
their dissatisfied weavers, giving
them a 25 per cent. advance in wages.
This wage advance IS more than the
American Economist could find in
any protected industry during the
first two years of McKinleyism.
The record is. good one, but that
for the week ending September 13 is
better. During this week there were
fifteen items under the column
headed New Mills. ,, One, of the
mills mentioned is to have $4,000
spindles, and to be the largest cot
ton mill in the South.
Another, for making cOtton, wool
and worsted yarn, is to occupy a
building ITO by 200 feet, which
structure alone is to cost $50. 900.
s'The plans for the new plant, % says
the Reporter, shave been ready for
some time, but it is said the con-
struction of the mill depended upon
the settlement of the tariff question. Z"
1t is located at Philadelphia.
Another cotton mill, with 25, 900
spindles, is to be built at Gaffney,
S. c., with a capital of $780, 600.
Another cotton mill, with S400, 900
capital, is proposed for Bath, S. c..
Two hundred thousand dollars have
already been subscribed.
The other rev mills are for the
manufacture of woolen, cotton, knit
hosiery, and silk goods.
Under tho column '.Enlargements
and Improvements there are eigh-
teen mentions. Under the column
'Starting Up aud Shutting Down.
twenty mills are mentioned as having
started or about to, start up. One
of these has been closed since April
last, another over a year, and third
for two years. All three are wooden
mills. Only four are mentioned as
shutting down-one TO make repairs,
another for two weeks, another be-
cause of a death, and the last is rum
ming on short time on account of low
water. 4t. ..,i3,;-st
If this sortof business goes on un-
til November the result of the cleo
| Ilon may not De SO satisfactory TO
the Republicans as! they have been
anticipating. They must either man
age to keep the mills closed or to
keep the backwoods voter, from know
ing that more wheels are turning
than ever before. Can they stave
off prosperity until after election? If
the drought had only lasted two
months longer Republican prospects
would be brighter.