The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1895-02-08
Discussed Before Boston's Com
mittee on Mercantile Affairs.
OF REMOVALS
Cheaper Coal, Cotton and Labor
the Principal Attractions TO Cot
ton Mill Operators. Exhaus-
tive Discussion of the
Whole Subject.
By Southern Associate | Press.

nittee on Mercantile Affairs at the
State House this morning opened its
investigation as to the removal to
other States of the textile corpora
tious.
Hon. Wm. 9. Lowering said that
n great deal of loose talk had boon
lnuuiged i'll by the newspapers, es-
peclally i'll the South, which would
seem to indicate that there was
| about to be u stampede
There are grave dangers threat.
ening our industries. The nesrness
of the cotton gelds, supply OF coal,
equao!e climate, daylight all the
year round, aud sixty six hours
against fifty eight, abundant water
power, are all III favor OF the South
against Massachusetts. 1t has been
SAID that there is very little skilled
labor IN the South. 1t requires moro
skill for adjusting and less for
minding machinery thnn twenty
years ago. The real point ~ TINT
| there is 40 much restrictive lopisla.
ton III Massachusetts. We cannot
compete With our neighbors. We
have reached the danger line and it
should be stopped. We should wait
until onr nelgiibors and other coun-
tries catch up before enacting any
more III the direction OF shorter
hours or twenty other harrassinp
things like employers liability,
which is burden"
He did not ask its repeal. but
Massachusetts should not be dis.
crim!nateG against by her own Leg
islnture.
MIR. Lowering ssid he believed
| that Southerners could not tend
looms successfully. He did not
donbt but that there would be labor
| legislation In the South, but there
| are still many advantages In mann.
featuring there.
Committees from the South are
continually IN this city. There is
| one In Boston now.
Howard Nichols, treasurer of the
Dwight mills at Chicopee. said his
! concern had built II mill in tho
South. They were wanted there
while there WAS too much restrictiye
legislation here. They were obliged
to spend altogether too much time
at tho S!ate House fighting legisls
tion. His mill would prefer to re
main here. but was discournged
His mill was then in Northern Ala.
| bama.
Nlr. Moriarity, o.! Worces ter. had
a tilt with Mr.. Nichols, the latter
| denying Mr.. Moriuritys allegations
that last year he claimed TINT the
chief advantage in going South was
! to he near the raw material Tina
three Items cheaper coal, cotton
aud labsr-were the principal at
tractions. The Dwight mil! was
to make coarse goois. He had
been IN n North Carolina mill.
however, where they were using
yarns much finer than the
average IN the North. The
company asked permission to go
South last year. instead of orcaniz.
lug under Alabama laws, Iii order 10
save the trade marks. 1t expected
It's goods would BIZ better made
there, because the machinery will
be new aud improved. Only the
picker hands In the South are ne
groes. The whlte hands are all from
the mountain districts. They are
lar more Intelligent than those m
Northern mills. In his Chicopcp
m'iis the help are mostly Bohamluns
and French, IA far inferior class to
those IN the South.
AS to climate MIR. Nichols claime1
mat 1t was more euuable in the
Southern mill districts than IN the
North. The Chicopee mills could
not start until o'cloc!, Yesterday
pecAlise OF tue Ice IN the canals.
Arthur 1. Lyman, treasurer of
the Lowell Carpet Carpet Company,
sald he did not object 10 labor
legislation. In his mill the advance
III wages had In few years been 10
per cent. while the price of goods
had gone down 50 per cent.
Inc ten hour time was short
enongh II man really desired 60
work. A Elk hour day would close
all the mills i'll the State. Ii wns -
fact that thousands OF spindles nre
gong TO the South that ought to be
put INTO Massachusetts,.
MIR. Lyman thought tho tax svs
tenn OF the State particularly we'll
devised to drive people ont of thn
State. The offers from tba Sonth,
ern states included exemption from
taxation Tor ten wears, Edward
Stanwood, special agent to colleaf
STATISTICS on cotton manufactures for
tho eleventh census, said that nil
The statements by the manuiactn.
rers nre proved by the gross figures
In tho states. The cost of lan6
ana buildings is less in tho
} South than il the North. The price