The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-04-14
SOU7H'S THE PLACE.
New England Can't Compete in the
Manufacture Of Cotton.
DIXIE HAS EVERY ADVANTAGE
Cheaper Material, Labor, Coal and
Freight is Here.
ANSWERS TO EIGHT QUESTIONS
by Mannfaciurers Show tho Eject South.
orn Competition Is Having ON
Northern Mills Even Now,

'Hc uecducilce Oh manufactures or Cotto
IN this section of the country and tn
movement of the great mills South, mr.
printed by the Journal here. The suh1ec
Is brought up by recent step taken b,
the Lawrence Misunderstanding company 4,
regard to going out OF the business o
r manufacturing cotton goods and returnin,
; the capital used in that business to 1t,
stock hoiders rather thaii attempting t,
change the min SO as 10 avoid Southern
competition or building mill In tn,
S39tn Itself. The questions asked were:
i; Is IL an indication that New ENG.
land manufacturiug of cotton goods is 20
ing to decrease? ="
-. Does this mean competition OF good,
manufactured IN the South is TOO severe
Tor our manufacturers?
y. What advantages has the South ovei
New England IN such manufacture?
-. Is II loager hours of labor or lower
| wages, or botn. ar Is 1t also because OF
cheaper materials and mildcr climate?
| %. DOCS this competition affect all
stades or goods manufactured IN New
England alike. or is IT likely to do SO III
the near intur'; or is 1t only to bo feared
ia the coarser grades OF guods7
80 Can our New England mills profit
| ably. adapt themselves TO making inner
goods and fancy ,weaves. or are they ex-
| ciuGeu from this business by foreil.n COM
| petition?
y. Have the, laws enacted by our State
legislature and congress had anything to
| do with these conditions. and II so. why,
and In what way
| ~ WIN these conditions injuriously NJ
feet the wage earners Of New England or
throw them out of employment, or change
the price of labor?'
The replies speak for themselves Tho
consensus OF opinion seems to be that
New England has seen her day ns the
leader IN cotton goods manufacture, and
mat the South has nrisnn AZ tho new
queen of this great industry. 4. Jefferson
Coolidge. treasurer of the Amoskcag Mum
ufacturing company. says.
Il am inclined to think the mnnufac-
grow very slowly.
20 Conpeiition with goods manufactur-
ed at the South, as long as labor is 30
sets, VIII certainly he a very severe one
almost too severe for New England mnnu-
iactiIrers. unless wages come down here
or rise at the South
S. The advantages the South has over
New England are: % to 20 per cent cheap
ar labor coal AT half price and some saw
manufactured goods to tho West; In sons
places cheaper cotton.
- Longer hours OF labor are an ndvan-
faEe 10 tho South. So are lower wages
IS. Competition affects all kinds of goods
manufactured In New England because |
II too many coarse goods are manufactur- |
ell the mills here will be driven 10 fne |
foods and then too many fine goods will |
100 made.
q, me naOdltions will have n tcpdoncy
ENGLAND out ~ employment, unless the
nrlee 81 lahDr IL ohangtd'
Ar,nlr W. Love Treasurer and agent
q 10 Park fi' 9iarai"etarins company.
4; II coars ilncs. ~
"s Miiidier climate. lower ,s.Sos. longer
ton, cheaper fuel and cheaper cotton.
~ i is a combination Of al.
20 Al present Now England mills sur
fer In competition, and in some cases are
excluded from iinc goods by foreign pro
y, Y"s. Too many .harrassing State
laws and too low tariif TO protect against
foreign competition.
Elliott G; Clarke, treasurer of the Boot
cotton mills. says;
Tho advantages possessed by the South
,rn cotton mills are: Much cheaper labor
)f excellent quality, longer hours, cheaper
,otton and fuel milder climate. fewer vcX-
',ious legal restrlctions, unui recently
las been SO small the price of cloths has
zen iiNcd by its cost to Northern mills.
,rohts. Now the Southern production is {
50 enormously thai the price OF
many grades Of cloth Is liked BY their
,roiits on plain cloths will be less and The
Northern mills viii not br able to make
hch goods except nj loss. They must
get produced In quantity in the South. The I
esirc to get large profits by making goods
, ~, price 10 governed by higher North,
mills for milking finer yarns. There :
re "A few Southern mills already produce G
eios n e OF y the N .a G m nj
&c no reason why the South may not sue
essfully compo,e, with the North in max u
rophcsy. but ] rather think Southern pro- IA
uction will Increase much more than
Iorthern:. that poor mills North ana Il
bat good Northern mills viii ind some D
rohtable business provided they are not
20 much hampered by restrictive legisia- t.
j. II. Chase. treasurer OF the Albion
pmpany, says:
4 Undoubtedly.
"2. Surely. under the present condi- r,
~. The labor laws OF Massachusetts NJ
eek, whi HE in the the other kew Eng Enrla nd "
Iates the maximum legal running time n,
sixty hours. In tho south they run '"
eek. and in some cases night and day, CT
sides which wages are less than In New
~ The cost OF cotton laid down at pa
any mills in the South Is about a cent
pound less than at the New England
Ills. by saving In cost OF transportation,
sides tho saving OF about per cent, or ~,
We pounds to the bale. loss In weight In Sd
ansporiaiion claimed by tho Southern
ton sellers AGAINST New England mills. on
- TO heat Southern mills. and 1t costs ~
y 70 warm and clothe the operatives, LIZ
o. AZ the rapid progress made In tho
nth 1t viii soon also affect All kinds
manufactured goods ev
o. Under cheaper conditions they will
on make finer goods and fancy weav- no
Z. New England mills win also soon "'
excluded. II not already prevented. from ne
king any kind OF cotton goods In com Ell
fition with foreign mills under the vii N
n-Gorman tariff. "
T. state and congressional legislation
We both conspired 10 cause the present tw
disastrous condition of cot
! manufacturing in the North
=. Present conditions Of manufacturing /,
ist result In a reduction OF wages In
w England or stop the mills and cause BE
my iaborers TO be thrown out OF EN- 4
Iesldes the foregoing dozen other mill An
paEa gtYe 0Qininna Of Ike TENOR s