Passaic City record., 1895-01-19
COTTON Is KING.
NEW ENGLAND MANUFACTURERS
MIGRATE SOUTH.


Era Dawning.
The recent decision of two of the
strongest cotton mill companies OF
Massachusetts, to build large mills in the
South to cost $509 coo and S600, ,OO0 is
destined to have a lar reaching eHect
upon the business Interests oil that
section. Itwili also arouse New England
people to a realization OF the fact that
their cotton manufacturing interests,
which have been SO largely Instrumental
in developing the wealth of their section,
have probably nearly reached the limit
of growth.
OF course mills aow in existence will
be enlarged from time 10 time, and some
few mills will be built Tor the production
of the finest grade tf goods. The real
growth of this industry III this country
will, however be III tbs south. The
success of the mills in tnat section has
fully demonstrated that 10 other section
can compete with the Suuth III cotton
manufacturing. Up to the present time
most of the mills in the South have
been established by local men with local
money.
Southern men have displayed a peculiar
aptitude for this Industry, Southern
capital has sought it as one OF the safest
and most profitable Investments, and
Southern working people have proved to
be probably tine best cotton mill hands,
and all things considered, to be found in
the country. For years Il good many
Southern people were sceptical about the
ability of their section to become a great
iron producing region, but none of them
ever questioned the South's ability to
make cotton goods at profit.
Cotton has been the seouth's idol. Its
worship in times past found expression
in the production of the staple, but now
it is turning to cotton manufacturing.
In a large part of the South cotton mill
is now regarded as Il necessary sign of
progress in every enterprising commun-
ity. Under many disadvantages the
South has labored to build up its milling
business Limited capital and lack OF
experience, but espeelal4y the former,
have kept the business from being over
done
There has been no rush, no hurrah, no
boom in this industry. Steadily and
solidly it has been developed. Many
companies that started III d small way
nave from time to uime enlarged their
plant or built new niiis oub 0i surplus
earnings, accumulated ailct paying good
dividends. Successlu! NIL; companies il
Georgia ana the CgroIiiias are now
spending $2,00U,000 ii increasing their
equipment and building lew mills.
The New England people did not,
until year or SO, have much faith In
the future of this inausEry IN the South.
They would not investigate il carefully.
Hence they did uot understand the
South's advantages. They beiieved that
their cheap and abundant capital their
long experience and their Intrenched
position i'll the trade woulG enable them
TO hold their syn forever. But the South
went on building cotton mills, and these
mills, much to the disappointment of
the New England peopls, kept on paying
dividends.
Even during the great depression of a
year ago, while many Northern mills
were closed Southern mills with rare
exceptions, were run OH Iull time. New
England cotton manufacturs at last woke
up. They commenced 10 Investigate,
and during the last twelve months there
has been a revolution in sentiment as to
cotton manufacturing in the South.
The statements regarding the advan-
tages of the South Tor cotLun manufact-
aring, and the predictions in regard to
The future of this industry for a long
time n.eo only with ridicu.e on the part
Of our New England friends. Neither
the press nor the people OF that section
were willing to admit that the South
would be able to compete with the New
England goods, even i'll the production of
coarse goods. They claimed that it
would be impossible Tor Uhe South to
build up its textile interest to tine extent
nT =,
England.
This position, however, has been grad
ually abandoned as far as coarse goods is
concerned. 1t will not be very long be-
fore New England will have TO admit
chat the South has just as many advant-
ages for manufacturing the finer grade
II goods as it had a few years ago for
making The coarser grades. This position
- now being emphasized by the course OF
events, and some of the New England
papers are freely admitting all tnat has
syer been claimed, SO tar dis coarse goods
is concerned.
Furnishing the raw material for more
shan one-half of the cotton spindles of
Inc world, the South is no longer content
20 ship It's cotton in its unmanufactured
lorm. Manufactured at home it would
ne worth annually more than 81 ,000, ,000,-
40 instead of $500, ,0OO, 900 as now. Such
~ industry as this alone would revolu-
.ionize the South. 1t would furnish en-
.loyment for hundreds of thousands of
lands, and create wealth on a greater
scale than any other manufacturing ill.,
5erest has ever done.
Because of these facts, the realization
by New England of the South's destiny as
Inc coming cotton manufacturing CEN