The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-01-16
The Mills to the Cotton.

The Mills to the Cotton.
LOWELL, Mass, January 11.--With
the announcement that the Merimac, the
largest cotton manufacturing company in
Lowell, in addition to other concerns
which have been mentioned, is to have
Southern plant, the interest in this city
In the Southern movement has reached
high pitch. This makes three Of the
largest establishments in the city to join
that the capitalists are following 1t with
curiosity the labor element is inclined to
be anxious. The elements in the prob
lem are thus set forth by Elliott Clarke,
treasurer, and Mr.. A. G. Culnock, OF the
Boot Mills.
sThe fact is," said Mr.. Clarke. "that we
can no longer manufacture plain sheet
ings and drills at profit in the North.
Against So per ton for coal in the South,
we must pay 81 to $3.50.
The climate down there is milder, IN
which it does not require 80 much coal to
heat the mills. The manufacturers there
can buy cotton off the market wagon.
Here we must pay freight and broker
age, giving them an advantage Of one
cent per pound on the raw cotton, which
by itself is fair profit for mill making
coarse yarn goods. The labor, too, costs
60 per cent Of what it does here. and down
there the taxation is not quite one-half
what it is in Lowell.
"These are some Of the main reasons
why we cannot manufacture the sheeting
and drilling in the North in competition
with the South. Along with the Dwight
and Massachusetts companies we are
compelled to seek more favorable loca-
ton for making these goods. We have
valuable trade marks on these drillings
and sheetings, and it would be pity for
Us TO abandon that kind of work. We
can make the goods for, say, about four
and quarter cents yard, and in the
market we can get, say, four and half
cents a yard. In the South, with its
superior natural advantages, we could
produce similar goods for about three
cents per yard, yielding an excellent
profit" Speaking of the labor element,
Mr.. Culnock said: "About five years
ago, the last time we compared our weaY-
the South, I found there were many
things discriminating against US. Our
weaYers worked ten hours day, or sixty
hours week, and averaged about ST. is q
day in wages. In the South they worked
seventy.two hours per week and got
about 60 to 20 cents day. In other
words, the Southern manufacturer paid 5
to cents per hour, we paid 10 to IL. l
believe that they are now running sixty
mine hours week against our fifty eight
hours.
..To offset these inequalities we have
changed over about one-half of our plant
here to the production ofa finer class of
goods goods with fancy weaves-in
which the price of raw cotton does not
enter SO much into the cost of production
that it controls the price. These fine
goods sell higher, and therefore allow Us
10 pay living wages
On the same subject Mr.. Clarke said:
"The labor there, while cheap, Is Of
very fair class. All the female help In
the mills down there are farmers daugh..
ters, who are glad to work for small
wages, which seem large to them, as they
are not 80 accustomed to money as we
are here. AS the negroes do not work in
the cotton mills down there, the white
people are quite willing to take up that
\ form of work. These Southern girls are
strong, quick to learn and glad to be in
the way of earning some money. Re-
ports Of production from good Southern
I mills show that the machinery, as rule,
Is run q 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"
- Mr.. Clarke was inclined to qualify con-
yfident convictions of immediate mill
building by the Boot Company, and said
with reference to the petition now before
the Legislature: ".We ask the Legisla-
ture to give us the right to do business
outside the State, thatif we should feel
disposed at any future time to make
change we shonld be in condition to do
so. We are doing business under a
special charter. Were we organized un-
der the general laws we could do business
anywhere. We think now that it 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
can be made at great profit in the
South
Is Mr.. Culnock added that he thought
New England had seen its best day as
manufacturing centre. Lowell had water
power. and that is all. but the mills are
mostly run by steam power. AL the adj
sditional machinery put in, Mr.. Culnock
said, since the water power was exhausted
has had to be run by coal, which is
brought here in sailing vessels from
Pennsylvania and Maryland, and with
the freight to 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 S. Ludlow, agent for the Merri-
mas Mills, said today: "We have as yet
no site selected, but we want to be in
position to do that sort of thing if we find
we have to. We are at great disadvan-
tage hero in every department., but es-
pecially in our print work, in conse-
quence of the big cost Of coal. Fall River
and New Bedford are growing with steam
mills because they get their coal for more
than 81 less ton than we do. We are
already manufacturing only the finer
grades of cloth in our mills here. Labor
Is cheaper in the South because the sup
ply Is greater and the hours longer, while
there is an immense capacity for the man.
ufacture Of coarse goods"