The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1895-12-05
LOOMS OF THE SOUTH,
PRESENTATION OF
THE SOUTHrS ADVANTAGES.
The Situation Reviewed by IL Disin-
tcrcstcd Parry Who is NnIingP :
SOnal inspection of Southern Mil

sonal inspection OF Southern Mil
Mr.. II. b. DcBcrard, of Tao
Now York Dry Goods Economist, -
making thorough analysis of tue
mills OF tho South, collecting data und
crsonally inspecting the mill propcr-
cs OF the South for tho special co.
tion OF The Dry Goods Economist.
which will be published in January,
under the title, "Thc Looms of tie
South, Cotton Mills in Cotton Ficlds."
lie has just completed Il tour Of the
mills OF North and South Carolina,
where he has watched the looms and
spindles, interviewed the mill prcsi-
dcnts and superintendent and made a
study OF the subject that makes him
u"qucstiOnably the most reliable au-
thority in the country on cotton mann
featuring in tho South.
The Augusta Chronicle had an inter.
Wow with Mr. DcBcrard and his views
us expressed below are the most en-
Couraglng words that could be spoken.
They came not from u man who j.
seeking to latter but one who has en-
tered tue field with u keen, discrimi-
rating analytical mind, robbed Of sen
tlineut aud acting from thoroughly
d)slntcrcstcd standpoint.
IL all the cotton products of An
lca, said Dc5rrlrd, reached the I, =
Suincr by tho most direct routes. o
average cost OF transportation woa d
be about onc-hal( cent Il pound. Tre
consumer nov pays about one and one
'ourth cents UDa pound freight
charges on every pound of cotton good.
nc uses IhrcH-liftnS or tho total CO !,
oi transportation is abnormal, bcca u,
IL Is pad for moving the raw mater
tpft I,..,
Instead OF toward them.
'Thc New England States produc.,
neither cotton nor fuel They trans
port their cotton 1000 miles and their
iuci 900 miles; and they transports
both away from their final destination
instead Of toward it.
ANA the consumer paws the
freight lie pays for carrvin~ the
raw material aud 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 Of
cost IN manufactured products, and
some OF them may be relatively SO low
us TO compensate for those that are cx-
CcSSivc.
New England pays dear for its raw
matc"ia! and fuel. TO COMPENSATE for
u
pave somc exceptional advantages. If
1T pays more lor it's transportation, it.
may pay les for labor, may be supc-
riOr IN skill, in management, in cuuip-
mont, IN methods. If it pays more
lhan tho South for some THINGS.
1t may pay less than the South for
othcr things. Machine for machine,
| 1T may turn out more product than the
South. Operative for operative, it
may produce more than the South,
Yard for yard and pound for pound.
New Englands cotton goods must cost
| less tllan the SOuth's il it continues to
maintain It's ground
! If New Englaud cotton goods cost
| loss tnan Southern cotton goods, it
| must be because New England gets
more out of its machinery and work
people than the South gct". If it doe,
not do this, it' product costs more, it's
days are numbered, aud the cud is not
| distant.
What are the facts?
Ihcy arc stated impartially in T.
| Looms ol the south, upon whi
| am now engaged, and every rcat
can weigh them for himself. The pr,
cnt conditions Of cotton manufacture.
in the South will be fully and homes
SET forth. None Of the data rivcn - :.
at second hand, They arc the rcsrl,
ol careful and prolonged personal ii-
N"sJl&htlon and inspection. For this
| purpose nearly every leading cotton
| nill IN the south and IL large nl,mbGr
OF the minor mills have been visited.
| lhc data secured arc absolutely rclia-
bic. In nearly every instance they
were obtained from the account books
ol The mills visited, and all figures re-
latlng 10 output and cost were careful
~ verified from independent sources.
nat the South is entering upon Il
nc" era OF wonderful prosperity, can
hardly bc doubted by the unbiased
observer. In the Looms of tho
south y is offered true picture of tbc
beginnings OF that prosperity.
fe" years ago New England had
no rival in tho manufacture of cotton
goods. Practically, the whole Amcr-
can industry was here. With start
ing rapidity the South has developed
| ,nto formidable competitor. Tho
lohE accepted dictum, Cotton goods
can DC made in the South has hc
proved untrue. Cotton goods
made in the South and for the Il
time Now England hEds in full opcr. .
ton against her economic laws th.;,
have hitherto .uC latent.
with no competitors, Now En :
innd was under no Disadvantage.
With the South as II competitor, her
natural disadvantages count again,s
her with full force. The natural aG
Vhntages arc with tho South most q,
the artificial advantages arc with New
England. Which set OF forces is the
most powerful /?
ut is all economic truism that
natural advantages persist and arc OF
progressive force, while artificial ad-
Vantagcs diminish und finally disap-
pear Tho South produces cotton,
coal, timber, iron and it is close to
the consumer. New England produces
neither and is distant from the con
sumer. AS population becomes dcnscr,
this ndamcntal advantage Of the
South, which can never be lesscncd,
will exert continually increasing force,
Cheap raw material, cheap labor, and
nearby markets arc economic mac
nets far more powerful than any Oh.
posing forces, and they are certain
soonor Or later to attract to their sun.
port tho forces arraycd against them
at the outset,