The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1895-12-04

| Northern .'Lcn " no I'FOlllGu DJ FOTe-
Sight.
The Augusta Chronicle has pub
lished the following interesting inter
view with +. 3. Deberard. of tae New
York Dry Goods Economist:
IF allthe cotton goods OF America.
sad Mr.. Deberard, reached the con-
sumer by the most direct routes, the
average cost Of transportation would
be about one-half cent pound The
consumer now pays about about /!
cents pound freight charges on ev
cry pound cf cotton goods he uses.
Three.ffths OF the total cost Of trans
portation is abnormal, because it is
paid for moving theraw material away
from the centers of consumption in
stead OF toward them.
The New England States produce
neither cotton nor fuel. They trans,
port their cotton 1000 miles and their
fuel 500miles, and they transport both
away from their final destination IN
stead Of toward it.
And the consumer pays the freight:
lie pays for carrying the raw material
and the fuel far away, and he pays
for bringing it back.
Nevertheless, this abnormal trans
portation tax may not be an economic
waste. There are many elements CT
cost in manufactured products. and
some Of them may be relatively SO
low as to compensate for those that are
excessive
''New England pays dear for its raw
material and fuel. To compensate FOR
excessive cost OF these factors it must
have some exceptional advantages. If
it pays more for its transportation it
may pay less for labor, may be supe-
rior in Skill, in management, in equip
ment, in methods If it pays more
than the south for some things, it may
pay less than the south for other
things. Machine for machine, it may
tuln out more product than the south.
Operative for operative, it may pro
duce more than the south. Yard for
yard and pound for pound, New Eng
lands cotton goods must cost less than
the south's, if it continues to maintain
its ground.
IF New England cotton goods cost
less than southern cotton goods, 1t
must be because New England gets
moro out Of its machinery and work
people than the south gets. fit does
not do this, its products cost more, its
days are numbered and the end is not
distant.
what are the facts!'
They are stated impartially in the
Looms of the South, upon which | am
now engaged, and every reader can
weigh them for himself. The present
conditions of cotton manufacturing in
the south will be fully and honestly
set forth. None Of the data given are
at second hand. They are the results
of careful and prolonged personal in
vestigation and inspection. For this
purpose nearly every leading cotton
mill in the south and a large number
of the minor mills have been visited.
The data secured are absolutely rella-
| bic. in nearly every instance they
obtained from the account books of the
mills visited, and all figures relating
to outputs and costs were carefully
verified from independent sources.
''That the south is entering upon a
| new era of wonderful prosperity can
hardly be doubted by the unbiased OBJ
| server
In the Looms Of the South, is Of
fered a true picture of the beginning
OF that prosperity.
"A few years ago New Englan':: lad
| no rival in the manufacture Of cotton
goods. Practically, the whole Ameri-
can industry was there. With start
ling rapidity, the south has developed
into formidable competitor. The
long accepted dictum, cotton goods
can't be made in the south" has been
proven untrue. Cotton goods are
made in the south. and for the first
time New England finds in full opera
ton against her economic laws that
have hitherto been latent.
"With no competitors, New Eng
land was under no disadvantages.
With the south as competitor, her
natural disadvantages count against
her with full force. The natural ad-
vantages are with the south, most of
the artificial advantages are with New
England. Which set of forces are the
most powerful?
1T is an economic truism that nat
ural advantages persist and are OF pro-
eressive force, while artificial advan
taees diminish and finally disappear.
The south produces cotton, coal, tim
ber, iron: ard it is close to the con-
sumer. New England produces Meth
er and it is distant from the consumer.
AS population becomes denser, this
fundamental advantage Of the south,
which can never be lessened, will eN-
ert continually increasing force:
Cheap raw material, cheap labor and
nearby markets are economic magnets
far more powerful than any opposing
forces, and they are certain sooner or
later to attract to their support the
forces arrayed against them at the out-
set.
These opposing forces, spoken Of
above as artificial advantages, areplen-
tiful capital, highly developed skill,
varied Development, capable manage
ment. All of these New England has
in abundance: but she cannot prevent
their free migration. They are all the
creatures of opportunity, and if the
south offers the opportunity, capital
and skill will 60 south and quickly
create the varied Developments.
This IS not mere theory; it is a
plain statement of what is actually
happening now every day, and with |
daily growing momentum. 1t IS the
bare truth that the south today has
better mills than the north-they are
the product of the best engineering
skill obtainable and in every detail OF
construction and arrangement are Of
the highest and most scientific type.
They are equipped with the most mod |
ern machinery, embodying the latest |
desirable labor-savino improvements, |