The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1896-04-15
A Wall from New England.

: ton raised III LQlS country WOulU De
manufactured in the South instead of
New England, and that conviction is
stronger now than it ever was. The
New Englanders themselves are be-
ginning to realize the true situation,
as cotton mill after cotton mill in that
section is forced to the wall by the
competition of the Southern mills
The Boston Journal recently published
very significant editorial under the
caption Are Our Mills to Leave
u.s." The Journal then proceeds to
answer its own question as follows:
The Lawrence Manufacturing com
pany has decided to go out Of the busi-
ness of making cotton cloth, to sell It's
machinery and return to its stockhold-
ers one half of its capital from its cash
surplus. With the other half it will
continue to make hosiery. It takes
this step after most careful delibera-
ton. This company has been one of
the most successful in New England.
1t has nearly 100000 spindles, used for
making clotn. Its capital 81, 500, ,000.
In former years It's stock sold for
about twice par. 1t accumulated
surplus nearly equal to its capital. It
has one of the best known and most
popular trade marks in the country.
Its plant is in good condition, and 1t
would seem to be in strong position,
to continue business. Its managers
are extremely able men-among the
best in the community. MIR. 7. Jetfer-
son Coolidge, than whom no one IS
better known in manufacturing cir
cles, has been large owner IN and
president of the company. The delib-
crate Judgment of such able men as
its officers is cause for profound re-
Election. Is it the beginning of the
end2 Is it possible that Massachusetts,
industries are en- the downward path2
If so, what is the cause and what the
remedy2 While there has been much
discussion from time to- time concern
ing Southern competition in coarse
goods and foreign competition under
the Wilson tariff on fine goods, macy
have claimed that this talk was only
for campaign purposes. The fact re-
mains, however, that the Massachu-
setts cotton mills of Lowell have spent
100000 for mill in Georgia. The
Dwight mills of Chicopee have spent
similar sum IN Alabama. The
Whittier mills of Lowell have built a
mill near Atlanta, and three or four
other mills, like the Nashua, the Stark,
etc., have started or are considering
the establishment of mills IN the
South. With our present prices Tor
labor and hours, we cannot compete
with the longer hours aud cheaper la
Dor and material of the South. Some
of our mills have changed their ma
chinery so as to make finer goods.
These, however, have to meet foreign
competition, with its cheap labor: The
Wilson tariff has unfavorably affected
this kind of manufacturing. Now, we
have the fact that such able and ex-
perienced manufacturers as those IN
the Lawrence company have decided,
after most careful deliberation, to go
out of the business, rather than to
build Southern mill or to change
their present mill so as to make foe
dress goods under our present tariff.
They do this at time when they can
get their capital back. All the man
ufacturers in New England today are
discussing this move, and wondering
whether their action is wise or not.
Southern competition is unavoidable;
foreign is not. Before more of our
best mills are forced to go out OF busi.
ness, thereby depriving thousands OF
employment, we must give our manu-
facturers adequate protection, so that
they can utilize the skill of well paid
labor by the manufacture Of the fine
goods which are now imported.
The Greenville News very truly
says :'the shoe pinches and New Eng
land profits are shrinking. The
| mighty strides of the South in manu-
facturiu enterprises are telling on
the incomes of mill owners in the
North. Ithas not been so very long
ago, that Pennsylvania was buying
iron from the South-it was made
| cheaper here than in the great monop-
oily iron State and then went up the
howl that the Wilson bill was at the
bottom, destroying American indus
tries, admitting foreign goods at less
than American cost price. The Boston
Journal takes high tariff view o. the
situation. Sauce for the goose must
be sauce for the gander. If tariff re-
form effects the prices of goods in the
North it will have the same result in
the South. The Journal falls back on
the fine goods plea, that the South
does not or cannot make this class of
goods and that foreign competition
aims at this special industry. This IS
special pleading and will not stand
honest investigation. The claim that
the South lacks skilled labor is to a
limited extent true, for the simple rea-
son that the manufacturers of this sec
ton have not largely entered this
field. But it is coming and coming
With a rush. The Manufacturer Of cot
ton goods in the South is no longer an
experimental is cold, hard fact,
come to stay. Southern capitalists
will not remain satisfied with making
coarser fabrics but will enter the field
for production of the finest goods.
Machinery will be put up and the
skilled labor of the North will follow
the mills to the cotton fields. The
Journal says that Southern competi-
ton is unavoidable; foreign is not.
This is only the old protection story
in new form. Competition will
continue and possibly it IS best that it
should. New England shoddy has
had its day and there is a growing de-
mand for better goods at fair prices.
The South proposes to make goods
that will Inject, not only New England,
but all foreign competition. There is
a sneer in the suggestion that the
South uses cheap labor or inferior la
Dor. AS matter of fact, if cost of liv-
ing is considered, it is probable that
mill operatives get better wages here
than the same class get in the North.
There is an easy solution of the diff
,,,I+;.c of tho Northarn mill owners