Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-01-17

are cute Wiling to take up that forn
Of work.
"The southern s,ris are strong quics
to learn. and glad to Be In the way Of
earning some money.
Reports Of production from good south.
ern mills show that the machinery a. q
rule 10 run little faster vnan In the
North. and the goods are OF excellent
qualify. which n the best proof Of the
efficiency Of the labor In the South"
FALL RIVER, MASS.-Fail River mill
men, who have been forced unwillingly
to recognize the fact that the South has
already become factor OF no mean i'm.
portance IN the manufacture Of cotton
cloth, are not disposed to look lightly III
the prospects Of keencr competition In
the future. In half q dozen years enough
spindles have been placed IN southern
mills to represent one sixth OF the entire
number In the country. Previous to the
time mentioned the South contained but
one fifteenth OF the spindles OF the
United States.
talked with mill-men to-day. who said
that Fall River had been driven out OF
the market for the coarser goods--sheet-
ings and cotton bagging-by the cxpan-
sion OF the industry In the South. Figures
were presented which proved that the
growing Importance OF the country below
the Mason and Dixon line was not looked
at with any other but q degree Of uneasi'
ness by New England manufacturers
The men who control III. investments OF
$S5.00o,o0 in this city say there must be
but one outcome. II the South progresses
for the next twenty years as she has
during the last four--wages must come
TO the southern basis.
Cyrus &. Housewife. secretary OF the
Manufacturers Association, said that
North Carolina paid its employees siss per
year; that South Carolina paid sD1 per
year, and that Georgia's average went up
TO $225 annually. Massachusetts, pays 1874.
The fact that In four years the South
has put in more spindles than are used
by New Bedford mills was commented
upon by mill-men who were asked for
their views. An increase from 667 76a
spindles in 1880 10 1908. Ss5 at the beginning
Of the year 1895. indicated q growth as
wonderful as II was steady. 1t In figured
In this city that the southern manufac-
turer pays % per cent. less for his I'M
finished product than his New England
competitor
MORE SCARE THAN REALITY.
The American Printing Company, OF
this city, has brought goods from the
South: the Arnold Print-Works, OF North
OF the southern product. The South takes
10 the Craise fabrics-such as 3S 1-2-inch
wide goods, 6i inches square. and 6ox52.
sS IL inches wide. The S9-inch 6Sx72 cloths
were pronounced in New York recently
to be of as fine finish as could be made
in any Fall River mill. indicating to my
informant that there was not much faith
to be placed in the argument that
climatic conditions interfered with the
production Of fine fabrics.
Just now the South Is making wide
goods for printers use. but as the in
dustry is developed. the gentlemen who
talked with me to-day thought that ere
long the South will be fighting for an
opening in the New York market. and
placing producers hereabouts at a dis
advantage.
Senator Howard tells me that In his
opinion the southern mills cannot make
better than sos or i0s yarn. this being
the kind used In coarse goods. but MIR.
Housewife sees nothing to prevent the
South from making the same grades as
are made in this city. with the possible
exception of those spun at the King
Philip. where the numbers go as fine as
120.
Secretary Whitehead. Of the Weavers'
Union, feels that there is more scare
than reality in the stories of the Souths
importance in the trade. He believes that
with the long hours the machinery could
not be speeded as high as obtains in this
city, without endangering the lives OF
the employees of the southern, mills.
and, with Mr.. Howard, he Is Of the opin-
ion that the help is unskilled.
The South has practically one NTH more
spindles than Fall River. but in 1898 used
up about three times as many bales of
cotton as the Spindle City. The disad-
vantage of the South In having a long
haul TO get its goods to the printer Is
Offset by the advantage Of being close to
coal-mines and cotton-fields.
Summed up, the feeling among Fall
River mill-men is this: That the South.
with its long hours and low rate OF wages.
will eventually drive New England down
to the southern rate Of compensation,
or else drive the mills entirely to the
South, provided the degree OF expansion
and prosperity which has marked the
southern industry thus far is continued.
AS yet there has been no move on the
part Of Fall River manufacturers to go
South.
TWO OF THE ADVANTAGES
CLAIMED.
MANCHESTER, n. H.-The probability
OF some grades Of the cotton manufac-
turing industry going South does not ap-
pear to be as strong, as far as Manches-
ter Is concerned, as II does in Massa-
chusetts. At least two of the prominent
advantages claimed for the South are
either absent or greatly modified in New
Hampshire-namely, the longer hours Of
labor and lack of labor organizations.
There is no nine-hour law in this State
as In Massachusetts,, neither are there
organizations OF the weavers, splnners.
or any class Of mill operatives in any
Of the Manchester mills. Besides. the
local corporations are run largely by
water-power. thus saving the great out
lay for coal which the corporations OF
Lowell, Lawrence Fall River. and New
Bedford are subjected TO. As matter
OF fact, however. the class Of goods man.
ufactured in this city has been rapidly
changing. the coarser grades being su-
perseded by the finer or medium-grade
goods.
The agents Of the local mills do not
anticipate that any Of the present manu-
factories will be likely to be removed to
the South, at least during this decade.
Aretas Blood. owner of the Manchester
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. however. has but re-
Gently completed the erection Of large
cotton-mill in Columbia, S. c. This mill
has JUDI Oh tht
coarse grades of cotton, and Mr.. Blood
states that 1t is even now running over
time to complete its orders.
The class OF goods manufactured therein
Is made profitable only because OF the
lower price OF labor In Columbia and the
additional hours OF labor
COTTON MANUFACTURING IN THE
SOUTH.
LEWISTON, ME.-The prospect that
the South will In a few years compete
strongly with the North In the sale OF
manufactured cotton goods In the big
markets Of the country is ever a ripe
topic Of discussion among the local mill
agents In this city. but they almost in
yariably talk for publication only on con-
dition that their names shall not be used
The agent Of one Of the largest mills
In Lewiston said to me: I'VE have nc
urgent reasons for seriously contem'
plating heavy competition from the
South, as the goods being manufactured
there are of q coarse variety, while We
make a finer grade: but the business
being SO Identical with ours We have taker
considerable interest In the development
OF the cotton manufacturing industry In
the South. and have no doubt whatever
that the northern manufacturers will In
a few years find their strongest competi'
tor there.
.,C,rcuynu ta nces are very favorable fol