Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-17
COMPETITION.
axS1Ts 70 BE GAINED
y hlelsAls LAM Chsaps. Labor
lnd Longer Hours,
uANf OTHER ADVANTAGES
~ CQnsss IL Aildsr and II Does Not
Rsasirs % Much Cool to
Heat the Mills.
Boston Correspondence OF the New York
1r4ft|..

Heat the Mile.
eBoston Correspondence OF the New Ycri
Heraid)
IS TIA entire manufacturing population oil
I New England, employer and employee
hss been startled the last week by III,
Nppssrance In the Massachusetts Legsla
sure OF three Of the largest manufacturing
0ofporAticns In Lowell asking permission
under amended charters. to do bushes.
- the South. On all hands have beer
oreescd eager questions as to the signif
Qance OF the movement. Following the
natural sequence Of the IDEAS many have
smagancd that the whole textile opera
uons Of the North using cotton were tc
- transferred TO the borders Of the sunny
aeids wherein the fibre is grown. and
that the industry was to be revolution
lied.
IL 10 hardly that. however. The in.
dustry 10 not TO be revolu,ionlzed. 1t Il
simply to advance. The movement mean:
change. but II means progress Chear
labor. long hours, wholly or quite re-
etricted by legislative control. and proxi-
mlty to the staple, are the inluen-
tial elements in the change. II is by
no means a new thought. Northern
manufacturers have Cor the last halt
dozen years been watching the develop
snent OF the cotton manufacturing indus
try In the South. From few mills II
has taken trade. Into It have been put
relatively unskilled labor and cheap raw
material. 1t could turn out gray cotton
5n coarse numbers. coarse ginghams,
drillings. and similar fabrics much
cheaper than northern mills-cheaper. in
fact, by 90 much approximately as was
represented IN railroad freight. higher
wages. and shorter hours.
1t began to get control Of southern. and
In Lowell, where the movement is just
now most in evidence OF the export mar
ket With even the fraction Of cent per
yard the northern mills could not stand
the competition. Some Of them put their
hands down. and abandoned the market.
AL OF them prosecuted with new energy
2 tendency which has marked the con-
duct of northern mills for twenty years
viz. the preparations for making inner
fabrics. In the mills of Lowell, Lawrence.
Manchester. n. H.; New Bedford, Fall
River. Chicopee. Lewiston. and elsewhere.
to-day. hardly q yard of the products OF
twenty years ago Is now made.
CONDITIONS REVERSED.
They have reversed the conditions. For
merly, as In the South to-day, the product
represented about 40 per cent. labor, 20
per cent. cotton. The percentage OF labor
IN the product OF the Massachusetts,
Boot. and Merrimac mills is now upward
OF 20 per cent. Nevertheless, there is
money In the coarser goods. and idle
northern capital is only too eager TO con-
fde itself to the skilful hands that have
developed these vast enterprises on the
banks Of the Merrimac. of Buzzard's and
Narragansett bays.
or the Lowell corporations. the Massa-
chusetts was the first TO ask the Legisla-
ture for an increase OF capital. This COM
pany was incorporated In 1899, and had In
1893 a paid-up capital Of 81 10000. and a
property worth much more, located at
the junction of the Concord and Merri-
mac rivers. For many years previous TO
three years ago this company enjoyed
almost a monopoly. so far as American
manufacturers were concerned. OF the
China market, for which the staple was
brown cotton.
Seriously pressed by the southern mills.
the company went 10 the Legislature in
the spring Of 1895, and asked Tor and OBJ
tained permission to increase Its capital
stock to 100000. Rights for this stock
were eagerly taken up. The ayowed object
was the establishment Of plant m the
South to take the compauy's coarse work.
Meanwhile. the machinery In the lowe II
plans was changed for finer work and
fancy material
Tho Tlncff vv,il1a tpcarpnrata6 IN 1SoS
with a present capital Of 81, 100000. is next
door to the Massachusetts. Its officers
have appeared profoundly impressed by
the example Of its neighbor from the
start. The Boot, also, until within a
few years. enjoyed a steady and proflta-
BILE trade on staples and medium num-
bers. but, like their neighbor. felt the
force Of southern competition. At its
executive head in charge of the mills ii
had an exceptionally able man. one ia
miliar with the works from boyhood,
and also endowed with a keen apprecia-
ton Of the commercial possibilities Of its
products. az well as thoroughly technical
skill In its manufacture II was largely
by A. @. Cumnocks advice that his COM
pany-the Boott--petitioned the present
Massachusetts, Legislature for permission
to follow the example of the Massachu-
sets corporation.
Then followed the Merrimac company,
with request TO be allowed to increase
the capital from $2.500000 to $500 600.
The latter capped the climax OF the
almost dramatic effect Of the movement.
The Merrimac Is the Oldest great cotton
manufacturing corporation in America.
Incorporated in 1925. ii was the first to
demonstrate the commercial practicability
Of the power loom. II shaped the policy
and laid the plan. thought out and worked
out system OF manufacturing operations
In cotton that Ii to a greater or less
extent In vogue In every cotton mill In
America.
MANY ELEMENTS IN THE PROBLEM.
In this problem there are many ele-
ments. Primarily, for the establishment
OF any new industry whatever. superin-
tendent. overseers, second hands. trust
worthy and 'skilful. and who are willing
to 60 South, are necessary. There is no
Duperabundance Of them Skilled opera
tors are another factor. Twenty years
ago IN the Merrimac one girl could run
seven or eight looms on plain work. On
some grades now made there she can
only run one or two. The element Of at
mosphere. its moisture or dryness. is
important. The best conditions admittedly
prevail In England. In the whole region
from Long Island Sound to the Penob.
scot river the problem Is one OF varying
dificulty. Except In fundamental phases
II Is almost wholly undetermined in the
South.
On the other hand. IN Lowell. Fall River.
New Bedford. Manchester. etc. labor is
expensive: legislation. according to the
corporations, restrictive. often oppressive.
TO the inland places the railroads tax
On coal 10 burdensome. The mills OF
Fall River and New Bedford. for in
stance. are at tidewater. Coal costs about
81 per ton less TO them than to Lowell.
The latter has to some extent equalized
q, AZ have the mills Of Lawrence. Man.
chester. and Nashua. on the Merrimac,
and Lewiston. on the Androscoggin. etc.
By water-power.
And finally comes the lost freight cost
IN waste. the dirt. and useless portions
Of the raw material. These latter con-
alterations are strongly affirmative In
influencing the establishment OF mills In
the South Tor the coarser lines OF goods.
and for many OF the preparatory pro-
cesscs for fine grades. probably.
LABOR SIDE.
Elliot Clark. treasurer OF the Boott
Company. said to me to-day: "J'he fact
A. ~ ran m Hangar make main sheef-