The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-11-24
COTTON MILL COMPETITION.
NEW ENGLAND Round To GIVE WAY
no THE SOITH.


Already Invested in Cotton Wills
in the south and Wore Bound TO
Como.
Augusta. Ga. Nov o3.-The Chronicle
tomorrow VIII publish the following in
terestine interview with y. b. Deberard
cf the New York DRY Goods Economist.
r.If an the cotton products OF America
said Air. Debararl. reached the con-
sl1mer by the most direct routes. the aver
axe cost of transportation would be
about one-half cent a pound. The con
sumner now pays about ia cents pound
freight charges ON every pound of cotton
goods he uses. Three-hfths of the total
cost Of transportation is abnormal. be-
cause it is paid for moving the raw ma
terial away from the centers Of consump-
ti0n instead OF toward them.
"The New England states produce
neither cotton nor fuel. They transport
their cotton 200 miles and their fuel
600 miles. and they transport both away
from their final destination instead of
toward it.
"And the consumer pays the freight:
He pays for carrying the raw mateIlal
and the fuel far away; and he pays Tor
'Nevertheless. this abnormal transpor-
tatiOn tax may not be an economic waste
There are many elements of cost in man
ufactured products, and some OF them
may be relatively so low as TO compeh-
safe for those that are excessive,
New England pays dear for its raw
material and fuel To compensate 1or
excessive cost of these factors IL must
have some exceptional advantages. il IL
pays more for its transportation II may
pay less for labor. may be superior IN
skill, in management. IN equipment, IN
methods If il pay more than the SCUM
for some things, il may pay less than the
south for other things. Machine Tor ma
chine, il may turn out more pfouuct
than the south. Operative for operative,
1t may produce more tuan the south
Yard for yard and pound for pound, New
Emgland'S cotton goods must cost less
than the south S, If it continues to main
"If New England cotton goods cost
less than southern cotton goods, 1t must
be because New England gets more OUT
of its machinery and work people than
the south gets. II 10 does not 90 this.
its product costs more its days are mum
bered, and the end is not distant.
''What are the facts?"
"They are stated impartially in the
Looms of the South upon which ] am
now engaged, and every reader can weigh
them for himself The present conditions
of cotton manufacturing in the south Will
be fully and honestly set forth. None OF
the data given are at second hand. Ihey
are the results of careful and prOiongeu
personal Investigation and Inspection. For
this purpose nearly every leading cotton
the minor mills have been visited. The
data secured are absolutely reliable. IN
nearly every instance, they We're obtained
from the account books OF the mills visit
ed and all figures relating to outputs and
cost were carefully verified from indie
pendent sources.
THAT the south is entering upon a new
era of wonderful prosperity can hardly
be doubted by the unbiased observer.
I'm the Looms of the South is offered
true picture Of the beginning of that
prosperity.
"a few years ago New England had no
rival in the manufacture of cotton goods
Practically, the whole American industry
was there. With startling rapldtty, the
south has developed into a formidable
competitor. The long accepted dictum,
cotton goods can't be made in the SOUTH
has been proved untrue. Cotton goods are
made in the south, and for the first time
New England finds in full operation
against her economic laws that have hith-
erto been latent.
with no competitors. New England
was under no disadvantages. With the
south as a competitor, her natural disad-
vantages count against her with full force.
The natural advantages are with the
south, most of the artificial advantages
are with New England. Which set of
forces are the most powerful?
1t is an economic truism that natural
advantages persist and are of progressive
force, while artificial advantages dimin-
ish and finally disappear The south pro-
duces cotton, coal, timber, iron; and IL is
close to the consumer New England pro-
sumer. AS population becomes denser,
this fundamental advantage of the south
which can never be lessened, will exert
continually increasing force. Cheap raw
material, cheap labor, and nearby mar
kets are eXconomic magnets far more
powerful than any opposing forces, and
they are certain sooner or later to at
tract to their support the forces arrayed
against them at the outset.
These opposing forces, spoken of
above as artificial advantages, are plen-
tiful capital, highly developed skill, va
ried development, capable management
All of these New England has in abun~
dance; but she cannot prevent their free
migration. They are all the creatures OF
opportunity and il the south offers the
opportunity, capital and skill will go
south and quickly create the varied de-
VelOpments.
This is not mere theory: it is a plain
statement of what is actually happening
now every day, and with daily growing
momentum. 1t is the bare truth that the
south to-day has better mills than the
GOrth-they are the product of the best
engineering skill obtainable, and in every
detail of construction and arrangement
are of the highest and most scientific type.
They are equipped with the most modern
machinery, embodying the latest desira-
BILE labor-saving improvements, and are
of higher average efficiency, atteSted hV
quality and quantity Of output than amy
but rev northern mills. Moreover. they
have been constructed at far less cost
than other mills, and represent much less
cost per spindle or per loom than the
capital invested, they have greater earn
ing power than their northern competi-
tors.
The test OF the relative skill employed
is the quality and quantity Of the out
put. In the comparison of similar grades
the output of the best southern mills is
as great, and in some cases greater, than
that of the best northern mills 1t is pro.
duced with the same number of machines
and the same number of operatives. anu
It Is produced at much less cost than the
product of the northern mills Finally
st is of higher average quality than The
northern product. So much for the re-
suits of skill and experience.
As to capital, hardly a leading south.
ern mill but numbers among its stock
holders many northern investors. South
ern energy, southern capacity and bust
ness shrewdness have been the organic
ing forces. They have shown that south
err men have all the qualities needful L
command success, and can without for
eign aid develop a great opportunity un
I'll 1T becomes great success. Upon thu
foundation laid by southern men, saga
Cjous northern capitalists have aided [,
build d great superstructure, confiden
III its frmness.
Leading investors in all river mil
stocks are also confident investors in
certain mills in the south from Which
they are receiving large dividends
Among the capitalists of Worth street