The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-11-24
LOOMS OF THE SOUTH
Mr.. DeBerard, or New York, Talk Entertain
ingly of the S0uth'S Cotton Industry,
IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE CHRONICLE
The Long Accepted Dictun TINT Cot.
ton Goods Cannot be lIndc In the
Sonth Proven To be Untruc-with
Startling Esnpfdity the South Has
Become New EnsIand's Competitor

Augusta, Ga, Nov 23.-The Chronicle
tomorrow will publish the following in
tercsting interview with Mir. +. B. De-
l3erard, of the New York Dry Goods
Economist:
IF all the cotton products OF Amer
ica," said Mr.. DcBerard, reached the
consumer by the most direct routes,
the average cost of transportation would
he about x cent pound. The consumer
now pays about 1A cents a pound for the
charges on every pound OF cotton goods
he uses. Threeilfths of the total cost
of transportation is abnormal because
il is paid for moving the raw material
away from the centres of consumption
instead of towards them.
The New England States produces
neither cotton nor fuel. They transport
their cotton 1000 miles and their fuel
500 miles: and they transport both away
from their final destination instead Of
towards it. And the consumer pays the
freight. lie pays for carrying the raw
material and the fuel far away: and
he rays for bringing ii back.
Nevertheless, this abnormal trans
portation tax may not be an economic
waste. There are many elements of cost
in manufactured products and some of
them may be so low as Ia compensate
for those that are excessive.
New England pays dear for its raw
material and fuel. TO compensate for
must have some exceptional advanta ca
ii IL pays more for its transportation II
may pay more for labor may be supe-
rior in skill. in management in equip
m"nt, in methods If il pays more
than the South for some things IL may
pay less than the South for other things.
Machine for machine il may turn out
moro product than the South. Opera
tive for operative, it may produce more
than the South. Yard for yard and
F,,. md ,,,l'. not
| on goo mus cost less than the SouthS
if il continues 10 maintain It's ground
"lf New England cotton goods cost
less than Southern cotton goods II must
be because New England gets more
out OF its machinery ana working peo-
pie than the South.
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 III
the South will be fully and honestly
set forth. None of the data given are
at second hand. They are the results
of careful and. prolonged personal in
vrstigation and Inspection. For this
purpose. nearly every leading cotton
mill in the South and II large number of
the minor mills have been visited. The
data secured are absolutely reliable.
In nearly every instance they were OBJ
tanned from the account books of the
mills visited and all figures relating to
output and cos; carefully verified from
independent sources.
"In The Looms of the South is Of
frred n true picture of the beginnings
Of that prosperity.
"A few years ago New England had
no rival in the manufacture Of cotton
goods. Practically the whole American
industry WAS hers. With startling
rapiditv The South has developed into
4 formidable competitor.
Tho long accepted dctum cotton
goods cannot he 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 opera
ton against hor economic laws that
have hitherto been latent.
With no competitors. New ENGLAND
was under 10 disadvantages. With the
South AS competition the natural disad-
vantagcS count against her with full
force. The natural advantages are
With the South most 6f the artificial adj
vantagcs are with New England Which
set of forces are the most powerful?
1T IS an economic truiSm that ma
tural advantages diminish and finally
disappear. The South produces cotton.
coal. timber. iron and 1t is close to
the consumer. New England produces
neither. this advantage OF the South
which can never he lrssencd. will cXerr
continually increasing force Chcap
raw material. cheap labor and nearby
markets are economic magnets far more
powerful than any opposing forces. and
they are certain sooner or later to at
tract TO their support the forces nr-
rayed against them at the outset"