The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-01-25

The Day Past When New England
Can Ignore Them.

Baltimore, Nd. Jan. William {.
Lowering, president of the Arkwright
club. which represents all of the large
New England textile manufacturers, was
invited some months ago. after returning
from a visit of Investigation to the south,
10 deliver an address before the New Eng
land Textile club on cotton manufactur-
ing in the south This address. which
has never before been made public. IS now,
by the consent OF Mr.. Lowering, published
in this weeks issue of the Manufacturer
Record In this address, which is a very
fun and comprehensive study of the whole
situation. Mr. Lowering says. The time
has passed when New England ranufac-
turers need TO give but little attention TO
cotton mauufa curing in the south We
have come to realize that the south has
entered the race III earnest ana 10 stay
Eenceforth it must be the survival Of the
httest The mills in the south, with their
aatiquitcd machinery, have been sue
ceeded by first class mills with the best
equipment. and we find mills in the south
to-day that viii compare favorably with
our New England mills. built in every re
spect 70 DO their work in the cheapest
ana most approved manner.
While it has long been conceded that
in certain lines of coarse goods the advan-
tages are IN favor of the south. northern
manufacturers have comforted themselves
with the statement that the manufacture
OF the finest goods would remain with
them and that the south could not make
such goods. In this we are mistaken
There is an actual increase in the produc-
ton OF the finer goods in the south, and
where manufacturing is once nrmly es-
tablished it is only a matter of short
time when the labor employed viii improve
in skill and adapt itself to the finer work
There seems to be no reason why as flne
yarns ruay not be spun in the south as
in any other section OF our country
"A mill in the south, running sixty-six
hours per week for fifty weeks in year,
runs $500 hours. 4 mill in Massachusetts,,
limited to fifty-eight hours per week for
fifty weeks in year, runs 1900 hours-a
difference of 400 hours year, or seven
weeks. in favor of the southern mill. Two
mills of the same size, construction and
equipment, one in New England and one
in the south, will cost about the same,
so far as the buildings and machinery are
concerned. The very low cost OF
building material in the south
is partly offset by the higher cost of the
machinery due to the expense Of freight
There is a large population at the south
eager and anxious to work. The class Of
help at work in southern mills to-day
is as good as can be found in the whole
country. They are native Americans,
with but few foreigners among them.
The south is in this case really more
American than the north. The taxes in
the southern states are not half what
they are here. 1t has been found that
the southern men are more desirable
and efficient as superintendenJs and over
seers than men brought from the north,
as they seem to understand and control
the operatives better than the northern
overseers. New England has, however,
the advantage OF establishment which
may be termed the prestige of priority.
This is a tremendous advantage, and if
We are not legislated out of it, We shall
hold it for a long time by sheer force
of New England pluck and determine
ton"
In summing up his Investigations and
seeking to draw what conclusions he can
from them, Mr.. Lowering says: 1T
seems to me that the cotton manufac-
turers of New England are to-day in a
critical condition. The tendency is away
from New England and towards the
south, and any legislation that stops
looms and spindles in New England to-
day for any considerable period stops
many never to be started again. In
making these statements, l do not wish
to be understood as sounding any alarm,
but 1 think it is wise for US TO know what
the future possibilities and limitations Of
cotton manufacturing are in New Eng