Birmingham age-herald., 1895-01-19
Highest of all in Leavening PowerLatest U S. Report RH!aI! H!! Bskasg;! BBskiRg
 ABSOLUTELY PURE
ABSOLUTELY PURE

lightly at the prospects of keener competi- tion in the future. In half dozen years enough spindles have been placed in south ern mills to represent one-sixth of the eu . tire number in the country. Previous to the time mentioned the south contain ed but one-ffteenth of the spindles of the United States. n
 During the hast four years the number of southern mills has increased from 250 to 400 and the capital invested from S61 ,000,- GOO to s97 ,000, GOO. No better evidence could be afforded of the fact that the cotton manufacturing interests oi the north are destined to seek ere long the more con- genial, more convenient and moro econom- ical field for their development in the coun- try south of the Potomac.
 The advantages of this transfer are ob- vious h the first place the chief raw ma terial used is more cheaply obtained by the southern mill and the saving in the cost of it's transportation must always be serious consideration with the manufacturer. The bright southern climate is much more favorable to the health Of operatives than the rigorous climate of New England. Labor in he south is also more steady and cheaper than in the north. But there is still another and important consideration in favor of the south as the chief seat of our cotton man ufactures, which feems to have been overlooked The statistics of the treasury department show that 73 per ce 1t of all cotton cloths, colored and uncolored, exported from the United States go to countries situated south of the 40th degree of north latitude, or to countries whose chief seaports are nearer Norfolk and Charleston than Bos.on. The develop ment of our export trade in cotton piece geo 1s must for many years be looked for chiefly in the markets of Mexico, Central and South America, the West Indies, Africa and China. And these foreign markets can be more easily reached from the seaperts of the south than from any seaport of New England. If American cottons are to compete in foreign markets with those of Europe they must utilize all these advantages.
 Old England, by means of her free trade policy, is now enabled to import an nually 1 100 ,000 ,000 pounds of cotton (mostly from the United States), out Of which she manu. factures yarns and piece goods of the value of $500, GOO ,000. Of this total production of cotton goods she exports and sells ann ually iu foreign markets an amount valued at about S325 GOO ,000. Nothing but our 'tpro- tective' tariffs prevent the United States from reaping the vast profits which our of American cotton. Of course we can never hope to do this while our 'protec- tionist' system is retained. The very means we have adopted to shut out foreign man ufactures from our markets have nec- essarily shut us out of the markets of other countries from whom we re- fuse to buy freely. Unfortunately the statesmen of the new south are ignorant of this changeless and -invin- cible law of trade. The people, however, are not as blind as their politicians. A small, but very able, Virgi0ia country pa per, the Nelson Examiner, commenting recently upon the southward march of the cotton trade to get the advantage of cheaper raw materials, says: ''It would be the same in tue iron trade-the iron and steel manufacturers of Pennsylvania would have to follow the cotton mills-if iron ore was placed on the free list aud the duty on fin- ished articles made of iron reduced to rev. enue basis. But it pointedy remarks:
 ''In order to add few thousand dollars to the already enormous profits of tho own CTS of iron and coal mines and the railroad carriers of those articles, a few southern congressman stood out against free coal and iron ore and reduced duties on their products--thus putting off indefinitely the day of abounding prosperity of the south '
 Magnificent, indeed, is the vista opened up to the south and to the whole country by the new commercial era now dawning upon it. But it's new hopes are doomed to long period of disappointment unless it throws of it's blind political guides, who would strand it amid the fatal quicksa sands and on the sharp rocks of "protection- ism. v