The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-22
coxroS MANUFACTURING.

| lDtcfestcu III tuclr unuuiacbufo 10 stol
and closely ssrutinize every individual
item OF expense that makes up their
actual cost, as we can scarcely realize
what has brought about the present re
suits.
To us, the first cause apparent Is out
faith that ginRhams will for the future
ever supersede calicos in numerous cases,
because their present low price, for the
raw material for thorough work ing
dress is put tritle over a calico, their
makeup being tho same, and their dura-
bility being actually much greater. How
much this would affect the general m arket
the future only will prove Print goods for
oolored carabrics viii not probably be
superseded by any substitute during this
generation.
The next step is to utilize cotton into
heavy sheetings, and here our manufao-
turers meet a formidable barrier. as il IA
universally conceded that such goods
can be manufactured at less cost in tho
Southern states than in New England.
Just here is where our manufacturers
draw the line and ask first either for a
compromise OF for Congressional Iegisla-
tion defining the actual hours of labor
for employees In cotton mills throughout
the whole land. One present formid BILE
wedge into and against our home manu-.
facturer is the stubborn fact that while
ten hours here is the legal NUN Der
named by legislation. the operatives
South labor twelve hours or more, and
even then they receive less for their per
diem services than the New England OPP
eratives get II the result of their labor
produces tine samo result per capita, then
the Southern manufacturers have an adj.
vantage over our manufacturers OF twenty
per cent alone in hours saying nothing
about the per diem wages
This is a serious obstacle against us,
but from our standpoint there are many
Others OF a far more serious import that
cannot be overcome. When our manu-
facturers concede the point that these
competitors have the advantage in the
manufacture OF heavy goods, then their
balm Of consolation is that the South,
not having skilled labor, can never sue
cessfully compete In Misunderstanding fine
goods.
Let us look at this point a moment and
view the naked facts. Who mako UP this
skilled laborf 1t Is not those TO the
manner born. Go through our cotton
mills and rarely will you find a native
employe, genuine live Yankee. They
are foreigners, and perhaps ii is per-
fectly safe to say that the majority in
our locality are French Canadians, whiIe |
In some localities the German and Swede |
element prevail. These were not skilled |
laborers when they arrived or began |
work here. and Southern managers have |
precisely the same field from which to
gather. the raw material as we do. There
they can procure them In the rough and |
educate them to their Will. To 90 one
step further. If the Southern managers
can prevail upon a few OF the experienced
laborers to 60 with them as teachers OF
the masses, then this imaginary line O; |
skilled expert operatives must forever di,.
appear.
This settled, there Is still to our mind
a much darker cloud that never can be
dispellsd. Let us start with the recent
purchases of boston capitalists Of valuable
extensive real estate in Georgia. covering
hundreds of acres. This property, when
fully improved, by an agreement with
the local authorities, is 10 be free from
taxation for many, many years. The
promoters say that their purchase is sur
rounded by cotton fields and includes
mum berless acres OF land now waste, but
filed with valuable inexhaustibls coal
mines OF course no similarly favorable
conditions are possible in New England
Stopping here, let us refer to the pub.
lished pamphlet in Fall River relating to
complied in 1890. BY
that We learn there were 65 mills there
whose capital stock aggregated a trine
over 2ol4 millions, averaging about s3l7
600 for each plant There were also
l2s, 22S spindles in the aggregate. averag.
Ing 81, 7i2 for each plant or about ~. 20 as
the cost Of each spindle. These afford us
a reliable basis ana although wa can
preS@St no cloud with silver lining. we
start on soliu facts. Suppose, now, we ara
TO build two mills, one I'm Georgia tba