The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1895-03-12
SOUTHERN COTTON MILLS.
The Testimony OF an Experienced
Mannfacturcr-Chea aud Effective
labor In this Section /.

The Testimony OF an Experienced
Mannfacturcr-Chea aud Effective
Labor TN this Section.
The present inclination of the
Northern coarse goods mill to remove
TO points nearer the cotton and coal
fields does not spring suddenly into
existence. The New England manu-
facturer has been slow to admit that
there was any apparent advantage for
| cotton manufacturing in the South over
that Of the North. They have, how
ever, watched with growing interest
tho rapid development of that industry
| In the South, and Il, last are express
/ ing their convictions by proposing TO
| invest largely in the business at favor
able points in the South. This they
choose to do rather than abandon the
manufacture OF cd ,se goods which
they have u reputation for making.
The writer, for over thirty-iive
ears, has been personally associated
with cotton manufacturing in the
South and has carefully watched its
rise and progress in that section of the
country and for the past twenty-five
years has been fully convinced that
the coarser fabrics OF cotton goods
would be manufactured near the cot
ton fields. The only doubtful! Issue
that ever presented itself was the
labor question. But that long since
has ceased to be u cause of apprehen-
sion and today the Southern cotton
mills, as u rule, are as wcll equipped
with operators as the Now England
mills are. While the question OF
cheap labor and longer hours for a
days work in some localities in the
South gives considerable weight to the
matter, yet in fact it does not enter
much into tho future prospects in favor
OF tho Southern cotton mills. The
labor element, when of sufficient
strength in the South, will not fail to
secure for themselves all the privileges
that have been obtained for their in
tercst through legislation in New
England States. 1t will probably be
many years before the Same adverse
legislation will be inaugurated South
that is being forced upon tho manu-
facturcr in Now England, rs there are
other greater and more =
tercsts that w"
in the South
tcntion from the mn
Thcro Is u growing teuuvncy on the
part OF the small farmer in the South
to remove to the mill where he can
better support his family. This tide
will not likely turn to tho country
again. They have gono to tho cotton
mill to stay. The necessities OF life
Tor tho Southern cotton mill operative
are less than for the New England mill
operative. Cheaper rent, fuel and
provisions enter largely into tho mat
ter OF living, together with the fact
that the Southern mill operative
seldom provides for the future. His
present wants are first and foremost.
The scaio Of wages will be regulated
much upon the basis Of tho opcrutives
wants and the supply.
The writer eighteen years since pre-
pared an article, which was published
in q Now England newspaper and was
copied into several Southern papers. in
which he stated that "The intclli-
gent manufacturers in New England
want no beLter proof that the South
possesses superior advantages for
manufacturing the coarser fabrics in
cotton than the knowledge that when
a bale OF Southern manufactured goods
is laid down in New York or ST. Louis
that they are offered and sold at
profit to the manufacturer for one
half cent per yard less than the same
class OF goods can bo produced in New
England. Why this result Is brought
about Is evident that tho South has a
climate well adapted to cotton manu-
iacturing where nino months in the
year work is conducted without artili-
cial heat and with open factory doors
and windows.
The Southern cotton manufacturer
has his cotton laid down at tho factory
with no short weight from cotton
pilfercrs or from any other shrinking
process 50 familiar to parties who
handle the cotton crop. The increas-
inp ru lrnn1 Foni1ifi,,o fh,nurln,,t l,<
South give ~ low rates of transit to
the great markets of the United States
and foreign ports as can be obtained
by the New England manufacturer,
and places the Southern manufacturer
as competitor with any manu-
facturcr in the United States.
"The history of manufacturing
throughout tho world is traccable In
it's product Of tho loom. The c0arscr
fabric with its wealth of staple will
find it's producer nearer the cotton
folds and under miidcr skies than can
he found on the cc-bound streams of
New England
The developments of the last
eighteen years have extracted nothing
from the writer's views of the situa-
tiCn, but has confirmed the facts and
further demonstrated that the manu-
featuring OF some of the finer yarns
are to follow closely upon the coarscr
numbers that are now so generally
spun in tho Southern cotton mills.
Another decade of years will show far
greater developments in the South for
its manufacturing interests than the
past has shown. The statement made
by Itobt. Howard, of Fall River, be fore
the Legislative committee in Boston IL
few days since that "thc South has
hi fxr-f llar -, l. >
in Receivers hands," may be true, but
they are mostly small and badly
equipped mills, or those which never
had sound financial backing. The
mistakes that have boon made in build |
ing small mills to be operated with
limited capital which were sure to
fail will not be repeated, but the larger
and well equipped mill with ample
capital will bo the future cotton mill
Of tho South. M. l.. FOSTER.
Milfrod, New Hampshire, March 2,