The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-12
COMING TO TIE SOUTH.
New England Cutton Hanufactursrs 10
Build In D,xie

LOWELL. MASS, Jan. H.-Whh the
announcement that the Merrimac, the
largest cotton manufacturing company IN
Lowell. in addition 10 Otner concerns
which have been mentioned, Is to nave
southern plant the interest In this city
i'm the southern movement mas reached
high pitch.
This makes three OF the largest estab-
Ushments in the city to join the move
ment. and besides the fact that the capt.
tallsts are following IL with curiosity
the labor element is inclined TO be anNl-
Gus
The clements in the problem are thus
SET forth by Elliott Clark, treasurer. and
Air. \. q. Cuiuock. OF the Boot Mills
THE fact is" said MIR Clarke, that
We can no longer manufacture plain sheet
ings and drills at prOut
in the North Against 81 per
ton for coal in the South, We must
pay 81 to $3.50. The climate down there
is miider: it does not require so much
coal to heat the mills The manufac-
turer there can buy their cotton off the
market wagon. Here we must pay freight
and brokerage, giving them an advan-
tase or one cent per pound on the raw
cotton. which by itself is a fair proht
for a mill making coarse yarn goods.
ne idbpAt AObf ANoAH W BNt NtiANs W N'rA~
It does here. and down there the taxa
ton is not quite one-half what IL is in
Lowell.
These are some Of tho main reasons
why We cannot manufacture the sheet
ing and drilling i'm the North In COM
petition with the South. Along with the
Dwight and Massachusetts companies, we
are compelled to seek a more favorable
location for making these goods.
we have valuable trade marks on
thcsc drillings and sheetings, and ii would
be a pity for as 10 abandon that kind of
work. We can make the goods for say,
about { Il cents yard. and In the mar
ket we can get, say. - cents per yard.
In the South. with It's superior natural
advantages. We could produce similar
goods for about cents per yard, yielding
an excellent profit"
THE LABOR ELEMENT.
Speaking Of the labor element, Mr.. Cul-
mock said
About tive years ago. the last time we
compared our weavers' wages with those
on similar work in the south I found
there were many important things dis
eliminating against rs. Our weayers
worked ten hours a day. or sixty hours
week, and averaged about $i.l5 a day
IN wages. In the South they worked
scVenty-two hours per week. and got
about sixty to seventy cents day. In
other words, the southern manufacturer
p@!d five to six cents per hour; we paid
ten to eleven. I believe that they are
now running siXty-nine hours a week
against our ffty-eight
ITO offset these inequalities we have
changed over about one-half of our plant
here 10 the production Of finer class
OF soods-goods with fancy weaves-in
which the price of raw cotton does not
enter 50 much into the cost Of produc-
ton that it controls the price These fine
goods sell higher, and. therefore, allow us
to pay living wages"
ON the same subject Mr.. Clarke said.
"rhe labor there, while cheap, Is OF a
very fine quality. All the female help
IN the mills down there are farmers.
daughters, who are glad to work for small
wages which seem large to them. as
they are not so accustomed to money as
We are here. IS the negroes do not
work in the cotton mills down there. the
white people are quite willing to take up
tnat form Of work These southern girls
are strong, quick to learn. and glad to
be able TO earn some money.
Reports Of production from good south
ern mills snow that the machinery as
rule, is run little faster than in the
North and The goods are OF excellent
quality which is the best proof OF the
efficiency OF the labor in the South"
FOR AN IMMEDIATE REMOVAL.
MIR. Clarke was inclined 10 quality the
somewhat confident convictions of imme-
date mill building by the Boot Com
pany, and said with reference to the pc
tition now before the LEGISLATURE:
I'VE ask the Legislature 10 give us the
right 10 do business outside the State 80
that II we should feel disposed at any
future time TO make Il change, we should
be IN condition 10 do so
I'VE are doing business under a special
charter. Were We organized under the
general laws We could do business any
where We think now that IL may be
expedient TO change our scene for the
making OF plain export goods-the KIND
OF goods the trade marks OF which are
OF such value and which AT present we
must make at almost loss. ana which
can he made at great profit in the
South"
MIR. culnock ADDED that he thought
New England had seen its best days as "A
manufacturing centre. LOwe1l had water
power. and that il all, but the mills are
mostly run by steam power All the adj
ditional machinery put In. Mr.. culnock
said. since the water power was eN-
bausted, has had 20 be run by coal. which
is brought here In sailing vessels from
Pennsylvania and Maryland. and with
freight 10 Lowell. makes the fuel very
expensive. This. with the cheap cotton
and cheap labor in the South, turns the
tide in favor of the South on plain goods.
Joseph :. Ludlow, agent OF the Merri-
mae Mills, said to-day: we have as
vet no site selected. but we want to be
in "A position to do that sort OF thing II
we find we have to. We are at "A great
disadvantage here In every department.
especially in our print works. having the
big cost of COAL Fall River and New
Bedford are growing with steam mills,
because they get their coal for more than
81 legs ton than We do. We are already
manufacturing only the finer grades OF
cloth in orr mills here Labor II cheaper
i'm the SOUTH because the supply Is
greater and the hours longer while
there is an immense capacity for the
manufacturer Of coarse goods ~