The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-06-06
THE ADVANTAGES OF SOUTH
ERN COTTON MILLS.

/ the condition Gus even worse Ill Nc"
England. This weeks Manufacturers
Record says ''thirty-eight corporations
have paid to stockholders $192,950, or an
averages of seven-eighths of one per cent
ON capital of $50, 1873 900, one of the
slmmest showings in the history of the
industry. 1t is further stated that sur
pluses from which dividends have been
drawn are either exhausted or
are needed for the purpose
of improvements. Fifteen of the
mills, among which are some
equipped to produce goods economically
under the stress of hard times, have
passed their dividends and stockholders
! in others have had to be satisfied with
small Dividends
| These facts, and others of like charac-
ter, lead correspondent Of the New
York Tribune to predict that the owners
of Northern mills must in the near future
do one of three things:
"First-Either their mills must move
|
known brands, which they cannot manu-
facture at a profit in the North, they
will be able to supply the markets of
the world. Competition would be useless
| by any other country of the world or
section of the United States.
| ''Second-Or, by a layout of money and
time. turn their mills on to fine yarns.
There seems to be a grave doubt in the
minds of the best judges of the advan-
tages of this step at present in the States,
as the field is already well covered.
''Third-Or go out of business and sell
| their plant to some other business"
! While it may be that the Tribune cor
respondent has smut up the Northern
mills to rather narrow limits, the ac-
acknowledgement of superior advantages of
Southern mills is one that all who study
the two sections are forced to admit Per
haps nowhere have they been set forth
more cleary than by President Sanford,
of the Sanford Spinning Company, one
of the Sanford Spinning Company, one
land manufacturers, as follows:
There has been a great deal said dur
ing the last five years about the ineffi-
ciency of the Southern operative; that he
! is not able to do as much work and as
well as his Northern competitor. | find the
operatives are good native American
whites. They very quickly adapt them
selves to the work; are eager to learn,
happy, contented with no tendency to
strike or to join the organizations They
yxYa pt ara fnJu and
proud of the mills they work in.
Wood is used largely; two cords of
wood, against one ton of coal, costing
for same $1.15 per cord, or at the rate of
So 80 per ton of coal. Coal also can be had
cheap, costing, according to location,
81 so to $3.50 per ton. Some mills located
on fine water powers are making great
saving. Alabama exempts from taxation
for ten years all corporations locating
within her borders.
In North Carolina, South Carolina and
Geogia taxes are very low. One mill
which / visited. having $250,000 invest
ment, pays a tax of only $240 per an
mum. Such a mill in Fail River would pay
$1,000 tax. All the large mills are pay
ing almost no tax to speak of.
The mills recently built and now I'M
der construction by our leading mill ar
cLtects located in the Piedmont belt, are
the equal of anything in New England,
both in design, construction and equip
ent of machinery, nothing overlooked to
make them complete. They have also re-
duced the cost of building of $50 per spin
die formerly down to $50 and SIC, in
Guiding tenements for help. Owing to be-
ing able to run night and day, they are
also equipping mills with half of the ma
chinery for carding and spinning depart
ments-say, for running 1000 looms-op-
Grating their carding and spinning day
and night, thus supplying the looms for
the days run. This enables them to get
the production of a 40,000-spindle mill,
and having to buy equipment for only
10000 spindles in carding and spinning
rooms"
Commenting upon the Iacts contained
in Mr.. Sanford's letter, the Manu-
facturers' Record says:
'The subject is capable of great elab-
GRAFTON, hut enough mas been noted,
probably, to form the basis for a sug-
gestion. Mr.. Sanford calls attention
to the completeness of the equipment
of the Southern mills just built or I'M
der construction. Their proprietors
have acted upon the principle which
has long been the rule in New England,
tat the competition in textiles in this
country has reached a point where it is
absolutely necessary to install modern
equipments. 1t would be we'll for every
Southern mill corporations to adopt the
same. Natural advantages are well
enough, but they will not be sufficient
to maintain a mill against the economy
of modern machinery in the long run.
Natural advantages and modern ma
chinery combined are invincible."