The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1897-10-27
TIE EASTERN MILLS


TIE EASTERN MILLS
2zo Being Pushsd to TIE yFeN by Southern
Mins.
In y;eE CT the proposed visit Of New
England cotton mill manufacturers to
the souta the first OF next month at
the Invitation OF the Southern and
Seaboard Air Line systems, and fol
Lowing the fgUr5s relating to the cot,
ton mill Industry IN this country pub
iished n The Safe CT few days ago,
tie following article on The mill
situation" whicn appeared il the Bos
ton News Bureau Ct Wednesday, last
makes interesting reading:
The decline in print cloth brings to
light a very unsettled condition in
cotton rfaCuiac:urin2 Factors ia
the case are lower priced cotton, south
ern mill competition and the falling
eff OF trade. Since July print cloths
have declined Il. per yard, while
cotton has declined from 5 | to 81 2c.
per pound. The cotton decline is due
to the large crop and the fact that the
Manchester and other English Gotten
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS are exporting G
but few goods 10 India and other coun-
tries, ard hence are not large cousdm-
ers Of cotton.
The greatly increased production
OF the southern mills is disturbing
factor. I: may cause difficulties in
New England as, unless there is g
change IN the situation, wages will
have to be reduced in order to meet
the southern competition.
THE latter part Of July and the
month Of August showed great trade
activity, and large amounts OF goods
were moved, but in September there
was a marked falling off in pus:ress
which continues very dull.
The opposite, however, has been
the situation among the woolen man
ufacturers, who are running their
mills full. They have secured large
advances in prices, due to favorable
protection under tie Dingley tariff
and the pig advance in wool.
Hon. 7. Jefferson Coolidge, treas.
urer OF tie Amoskeag Manufacture g
company, says: The boom has no.
Ieacned US yet, tut I DO not see how
the west can b. as prosperous as it is
without a demand for our goods soma
time. There has bean no reduction
in prices OF our goods, fo- the reason
/! that We did not advance prices during
July and August. The reason for the
weakness in the prices of cotton goods
IS due to the fact that the consump.
ton OF goods is net equal to the pre-
cuc,ion.
My own feeling in the matter is
that this situation is due to the enor,
nous production of ofthesouthern mills,
as they make their goods much cheap
er than ne can, and consequently car
seu lower. The bad feature Of the
situation is that they will continue to
| increase their production under these
circumstances.
"'There is no use trying to shrink
from this fact. People shut their eyes
ard try not to see the true condition
Of affairs.
The lsbor question as affecting
the mill situation is one which may
have to be taken into consideration II
the south continues TO increase pre-
duction; wages will either have to be
r Guc3d in New Englard o. be ad-
vanced IN the south.
"'rhere is NO profit in selling the
export trade, ct present prices, but ex-
ports viii continue large, as we have
70 get rid OF our goods on account OF
the great production.
However, there will be Al in
| provement il business, as I cannot
see how the great prosperity OF the
west can help but increase the con
sumption OF our goods.
Mr.. Howard Stockton, treasurer Of
| the Merrimack mills, says:
The decline IA cotton is OF course
largely responsible for the decline ia
pr:rt cloths ard c5ttan goods. Busi
ness IS quiet, but this is not month
1han We expscs to make large sales.
! S3uthern mill conpetition has q
serious affect upon New England
cotton mills, as southern production
has increased az an alarming rate dur
lag the past yesr, Trey consumed
| double th5 amount Of cotton CT the
previous year.
The wage question has become a
factor and reductions may have to be
considered by New England manufac,
:urers. It was thought that possibly
the increase il production by southera
mills would require an increase in
labor and wages would be higher, but
such has not been the case yet:
The decline in print cloths natu-
rally affects cotton goods, as priot
cloths are taken as standard IN
many cases. A great many odd counts
are sold on the basis o. print cloth
prices, especially goods used for print
ing and converting.
"'Goods now being manufactured
are sold in December and January.
Actual jobbing does rot begin until
January and goods ordered now by
the iobbers are bought on speculation.
The trade believes that by January
there will 0s big demand for
| goods ,"
Is Ra Lunatic or L ,gus.
4 peculiar case has developed at
| 1ro++be,re n = 9 fa- miles from