The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-02-08
Dixie THE PLACE FOR MILLS.
COAL, COTTON AND LABOR LOWER
THAN IN THE NORTH.


The Labor OF the south sIo-e In
teiIiEent Than That Now EN-
piOyed in the Wills OF sIassachu-
setts-The Claim Also Made That
There - Too Much Restrictive
Legislation and Too Much Taxa
tiOn in Massachusetts.
Boston. Feb. THE committee on mer-
camille affairs at the state house this
morning opened its investigation as 20
the removal TO other states Of the textile
corporations.
Hon. William c. Lowering said great
deal Of lose talk had been INDUCED IN
by newspapers. especially IN the south.
Which would seem TO Indicate that there
was about TO be a stampede. There are
grave dangers threatening our indus
tries. The nearness of the cotton fields.
supply Of coal. equitable climate, daylight
all the year round and cheaper labor and
IS hours against IS. and abundant water
power are ali in favor of the south
against Massachusetts. 1t has been said
that there is very little skilled labor in
the south. 1t requires more. skill for ad-
justins and less for minding machinery
than twenty years ago. The real point
IS that there is so much restrictive legis-
iation in Massachusetts that we cannot
compete with our neighbors. We have
reached the danger line, and it should be
stopped. We should wait until our neigh
bors and other countries catch up before
-n2ctiIs any mere in the direction OF
shorter hours. or twenty other harrassing
things like employers Inability. which is
burden. lie aid not ask its repeal, but
Massachusetts Industries should not be
Disseminated against BY her own leClsla-
dun.
Mr.. Lowering said he believed that south
1rners could not tend looms successfully.
re did hot doubt but that there would
ne TABOR legislation at once IN the soutn,
but there are suu many advantages IA
manufacturing there. Committees from
me south are continually IN TINS city.
mere IS one M Boston nov.
Howard nichols, treasure. of the Dwight
mills at Chcopee. salu his concern haa
pult mai an the south. They We're
wanted there white there was too much
rrstr.cti. a. legislation hcie. 1hcy We're
obliged to spend altogether too much time
at the state house ngntns Less lauoE. His
min would prefer to remain mere. but was
discouraged. Ills mil was ia then North
eIu Alabama.
Ar. Aorarty of Worcester had tilt
with Mr.. Nichols, the latter denying Mr.
A-OlaIty's alegaCons that last year ne
CLAIMED tnat the chef advantage lL gCing
south was to be near the raw material
The three items-cneaper coal, cotton, and
iapOr-Wele tne principal attractions. The
dwight mlll was TO make coarse goods.
lie nad b-en in NOrth Carolina mill
however, where they were using yarns
much nner than the average ia the north.
The company asked permission to go south
= ast year instead vi organizing unGer Ala
bdma laws, in oTUer to save the trade
marks. il expected its goods would be
better made there because the machinery
VIII be new and lnlI roveu. Oniy the picker
hands IN the south are negroes The white
hands are all from the mountain districts
They are far more intelligent than those
ia northern mills In his ChicOpee mills
the help are mostly BOhemIans ana
french, q far Inferior class TO those IN the
south. As 10 climate Mr. Nichols claimed
that lt was more equitable in the southern
mill districts than i'll the north. The
Ch.copee mills could not start tn o clock
yesterday because of the ice IN the canals.
Arthur I. Lyman, treasurer of the
Lowell Carpet Company. said he did not
object to labor legislation. In his mill
the advance in wages had, in a few years,
been 20 per cent, while the price of goods
had gone Gown 50 per cent The ten hour
time was short enough If a man really de
sired to work. 4 siX-hour day would close
all the mills In the state. 1t was fact
that thousands of spindles are going into
the south that ought to be put INTO Mas
sachusetts.
Mr.. Lyman thought the tax system Of
the state particularly we'll devised to
drive people out of the state. The offers
from the southern states included exemp-
ton from taxation for ten years
Edward W. Stanwood, special agent to
collect statistics on cotton manufacturers
for the eleventh census. said that all the
statements made by the manufacturers
are proved by the gross figures in the
states. The cost of land and build .ngs is
less than in the north. The price or coal
is lower and so are the wages, while the
hours of labor are longer. The price Of
cotton is less there. while the price Of ma
chipery is less at the north. One hundred
years ago Massachusetts offered bounties
for improved machinery, and until a very
few years ago every encouragement has
been given to manufacturers.
Joseph Healy of Fail River said that for
six years he had insisted that the south
had the advantage over the north in manu-
featuring. This had now been proved
The hearing was then adjourned until
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