The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1897-11-10
Over. Production or Undcr.C Onsump-
tion the Problem.
GROWTH or PRODUCTIVE CAPACITY.
curtailment and Low rrlccs Fca-
tures or Recent Ycars-Export
Trade south's Opportunity.
New york Journal OF Commerce.

ity should mean a rNtufn TO normal con |
sumption. II awaits solutLoa.
Since lSas the cotton industry. in COM
mon with Others has suffered from de-
pressed times and contraction of outlet. IL
has had 30 resort 10 continued curtail-
ment OF productgcn and sell large pro-
portion OF the output at prices barely re-
turning cost or under. The average prof
its for fivc years have been very much
below the normal scs,te Of profit which
capital invested in manufacturing cnser-
prises Is row considered eatstied to.
| Such a conditscn OF things may he at
| trsbuted to undcr-consumption for the
time being. and II would ho well ~ that
fEaily disposed OF the issue. but IL does
not. Economies steadily practietd ler
| hve years casr not tan 10 nave permit
ncitly corrected prevSous extrafasaNt
| haoits, but there IN evidence mat IL mas
n5t materially corrected at the sartc time
| the tendency 10 increase productive ca
pacity. and that has left tue industry "
"a condft;n where normal pradueueh Is
| greater ttian normal consumption,
| The increase in productive capacAy tSs
| been altogether out of proportion 70 me
ircreasc in the consumptve power OF tne
| country, IL that Ia to be judged py Srowlh
1 OF population a,d attogeulor apart from
| what may be termed artificial restrictive
| tnfuenccs. In 1872, acc5rdirg - the ,,eri-
| mercial and Financial Chronecle, therc
| were To- 81 $50 operative spindleS M the
oointrv. and ia isg, II $50, 5S7~-an Increase
| of 2,07S,6TS srsadtss or nearly ~ per cent
| This is al least five uncs greater than thu
| increase In p@imlaton, even allow9ns tnNt
to have progressed al j materially greater
scale than II did in tho decade lSn 70
1890 Bun increase Ia number OF spindies
does mot fully cover the power of output.
! improvements in machcnery during the
last few years have supplemented that TO
an extent which can not be estiinated, put
must be substantial.
The chief growth has been In the South,
In 1872 the south WAS credited with 1--WE SUI
spindics. and In lM7 Win $500 Ds,'--ati N
crease III ii53,66S splndles, or az per cent,
This Southern increase has been almost
entirely made on the ocarser qualities OF
cotton goode In the production oil s ,,Sn,,
hours have been important advantages
held up to now by Southern mills over
mills IN the North, and the result mas beS1n
the transfenr.sG of most Of tho coarse
| cottnn goods output TO the former, ana
with IL a very considerable pr1portlon OF
the export business, which Is mostly con,
| fined to heavy coarse pam lh' co'heu
Northern mills, feeaig tac force of This
| competition which, as the SCUM perievs
its misunderstanding, Is niore ana more ui-
t,-tlt to meet have been compelled %
turn their attention TO cotton goods o'
/, fincr construction than they preViousiy
asr9red TO- ana recently 10 contemplate
l ami In n few instances 10 experiment IN
7 incLrs.one INTO other branches OF the tex
tiie Industry. ,.o,,,.n,
=
. prominently forward one held which some
of them are desirols OF exploiting that y
the linen induttry II under the new lar
, IN Northern malls can secure any conStu
or.eblc pnrt OF the linen Industry II WI
| be gratifying, but past experiences ar
not encourag my. Cotton ana linen fnEAe,
| Foods were turned ont under the old tail'l
end q few all linen goods of coarse chaf
aciei How far they can improve upol
tlMe remsbns TO be seen 3nt even cap
ture OF the cntre i1nsn trade. which car
90 l. hardly be hoped for by the most optimls
= tic promoter of the hsnle industry, wonl'
> afford bat a limited measure of relief, 800
: "a series OF years pasd the Importation OF
linens into this country has average;
abou; N5.00Oo0 per annnm Win ne IN
Q 1 eVitahlc higher prices the consumpt on Il
Emo, likely to be Increased, ard the mum
her OF mills in this country with capacl y
III aarec enough to Supply All Nhe nnet, soVu
7 lrouid he numbered on The fingers of one
Z hand
e f !. IS al5o reported that number OF
II Northern mills are experimenting IN th'
! t'prcdretion Of all s!lk fabres. This hranel
i offers TO co,Hon mills even n less prom.s'
ina Held than inf9 The SIR 1ndustr,
Of the country has been no more prom
able than any other branch. The idle ma
/, chinery In tt Of late years has been great
D err. propoctionately than even In coutof
gcotls There is In exastence already Sir
machinery N the country fully sufficient
&c supply the co1ntry's requirements. II
fact, enc Of the largest manufacturers Q
: SIX stated to representative of thi
] journal some Gtrle ago that were all TN
live SILK factories 10 run fun time IN
= year through we should have surplus
that would be simply astounding. IT IN
beet equipped . TX mills ind Their ROAD |
! hard cna i would seem as though any cot
ton mill venturlng into competition wa'f
> thom wonJd have /, sorry time OF H.
> AGG YET there nss been great Increase
in the use of SIX IN cotton factories, bH
\ | II has been IN ssonJunctiDn with cotton an,
e In the way OF quite a legitimate diyorsi3n
, ! Cotton aud silk dress goods, cotton ant
. silk sllirt.ngs and cotton and SIX lining
! have all been successfully manufactured
q and the trade gained has been less al III
D expense of other domestic goods than II
8 competition with foreign fabrcs; ana u
], This Is "A distinct bsncnt 10 the home IN
n duk Try.
q But the most remarkable advance has
bcel In the progress made by NortherH
. the finest qualities. A few years ago the
c printer In search of very Dne cloth, ms
e iobber needing algh grade fabrics. or thf
G manufacturing tnldtS seeklng the iine cot.
q ton dress goods or shirtangs, were an com
d PEELED to resort almost entirely TO i'm
ported good Now the im.2rt1g bus
is to a very large extent confined 10 nov
: elites The printer can ind home organ
n dies, lawn, clnbric or other gray cloth
+ as fine az amy foTetga fabrics; the jobbel
! has ample cn3sce OF beautiflf domestic
n trades a range Of ginghaSps. zephyrs, Ma
: dras and other shTtings really eScelilnf
al but the very finest products OF fcrciRf
looms. Many such goods are now seA.n,
as foreign wlnCl are made IN America
: and this. while MT cre1itable to those re
spSasible for the mSrepreseditatitifil, Il
y practical testimony 10 the great adyance.
n made here IA fine goods Here, really Z
Q the Held for well-eqlipped Northern mils
' The fact - beng recognized. for not onll
e are efforts constantly beng made TO i'm
4 prove spinning. weaving and finishing, bu
the promotion OF textile schools IN manu-
o featuring centers shows an earnest desir
s TO secure higher cultivation OF technica
and practical knowledge ir those TO whon
the future OF the industry Will be In
trusted.
AS the North moves towards the highe
ranges Of manufacturing the South siroul'
IN addition to what Il has already secure,
:. gain a wider hold upon ths export trade
: It must In fact do So for In 70 other wa,
can II expect u Keep moving lis norma
outrat Of ccarse goods. II ~ true t.at 4
the South also the &c is n desire TO produc
fine cottons but until there = a snfflciefl
supply or highly skilled labor there, an
a. that does not appear likely for long tim
. TO come. II can not hope 70 compete wit
Re the North therein.
y The export OF COTTON goods from Thu
country has grown considerably dnrin