The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-02-21
MASSACHUSETTS, ALARMED.
A Commission Is Investigating the Manu-
featuring Situation.

featuring Situation.
Atlanta Constitution
Boston, Mass, Feb. THE committee
on mercantile affairs at the statehouse
this morning opened its investigation as
to the removal to other states of the tex
tile corporations.
Hon. William G. Lowering said "a great
deal of loose talk has been INDUCED in by
newspapers, and especially in the South,
which would seem to indicate that there
was about to be stampede. There are
grave dangers threatening our industries.
The nearness of the cotton fields, supply
of coal, equable climate, daylight all the
year around and cheaper labor and &C
hours against So, abundant water power,
are all in favor of the South against Mas
sachusetts. 1t has been said that there
is very little skilled labor in the South. 1t
requires more skill for adjusting and less
| for minding machinery than 20 years ago.
The real point is that there is so much
restrictive legislation in Massachusetts.
We can not compete with our neighbors
| We have reached the danger line and it
should be stopped. We should wait until
our neighbors and other countries catch
up before enacting any more in the direc-
ton of shorter hours or 20 other harras-
sing things like employers liberty, which
is burden. He did not ask it's repeal, but
Massachusetts industries should not be
Disseminated against by her own legisla-
| ton"
Mr.. Lowering said that he believed
Southerners could not tend looms success
fully. He did not doubt that there would
be labor legislation Immediately in the
South, but there are still many advant-
ages in manufacturing there. Commit
tees from the South are continually in
this city. There is one in Boston now
HAS A MILL AT THE SOUTH.
Howard Nichols, treasurer of the
Dwight mills at Chicopee, said his con-
Germ had built mill in the South They
much restrictive legislation here, they
were obliged to spend altogether toe
much time at the statehouse here fighting
Legislation. His mill would prefer to re.
main here, but was discouraged. His
Southern mill is in Northern Alabama.
| Mr.. Moriarty of Worcester, had q till
with Mr.. Echols, the latter denying Mr.
Moriatry's allegations that last year he
claimed that the chief advantages in going
South was to be near the raw material
The three items-cheaper cotton, coal and
llabor-were the principal attractions. The
| Dwight mill was to make coarse goods
He had been in North Carolina mill
however, where they were using yarns
much finer than the average in the North
The company asked permission to &c
South last year, instead of organizing
under Alabama laws, in order to save the
trademarks. 1t expected its goods would
be better made there, because the
machinery will be now and improved.
Only the picker hands in the South are
negroes. The white hands are all from
the mountain districts. They are far
more intelligent than those in Northern
mills. In his Chicopee mills the help are
mostly Bohemians and French, far in
ferior class to those in the South.
| AS a climate Mr.. Nichols claimed that
it was more equable in the Southern mill
districts than in the North. The Chicopee
mills could not start until 3 o'clock yester-
day, because of the ice in the canals.
Arthur L. Lyman, treasurer of the Low
ell Carpet company, said he did not object
to labor legislation. In his mill the adj
vance in wages had in a few years been
40 per cent, while the price of goods had
gone down 80 per cent. The 10 hour
time was short enough if Il man really de-
sired to work. A six hour day would close
all the mills in the state. 1t was q 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 well devised to drive
people out of the state. The offers from
the Southern states include exemption
from taxation for 10 years.
ENCOURAGEMENT TO MANUFAC-
TURERS.
Edward Stanwood, special agent to col
Ilect statistics on cotton manufacturers fol
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 buildings is
less than in the North. The price of Goa
lis lower, and so is the wages. while the
hours of labor are longer. The price OF
cotton is less there, while the price OF
machinery is less at the north. One
hundred years ago Massachusetts Offered
lbounties for improved machinery and un
til few years ago every encouragement
has been given to manufacturers.
Joseph Healy of Falls River said thai
for six years he had insisted that the
South had the advantage over the NORTH
lin manufacturing. This had now beer
lproved.
The hearing was then adjourned until
next Wednesday morning.
-O-
| SHOWING THE VIRTUE OF COT.
|