The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-13
The Result VIII Be a Marked Improvement
In the Cotton Industry.
CASE OF SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST.
Cotton Men Agree Tho Movement to Take Smaller
Factories Out Of Manufacturing Business
Will % For Best interest," Of All Concerned.

Concerning the old cotton mills IN
general many brokers and cloth mer.
, chants of this vicinity are of the com
| mon opinion ,hat the smaller mills
viii be gradually bought up by the
larger corporations and save In some
Few instances, the affairs of the firms
! closed the machinery disposed Of and
the buildings either sold for some pur-
pose other than manufacturing, or raz-
ed 10 the ground. Many OF the smaller
mllls are owned by descendants of old
Rhode Islanders who, several genera
tions ago, established their plants
they were great concerns in those DAYS
and mace money by them. Succeed
ing generations have not done so WELL
their talent or tastes laying along other
lines mayhap. Furthermore many of
these older small mills are located SO
very FAR away from railroads that they
cannot be made To produce in competi-
ton with the larger concerns, that have
existed for many years or have since
come into existence These latter con-
Germs enjoy all the advantages of la
test improved machinery, the most per-
feet transportation facilities possible
all opportunities i'm fact for accumulat-
ing profit at a minimum OF cost.
The owners OF the less important
mills are anxious to get the properties
OFF their hansis that they may reinvest
their capital and have done with the
executive management of the mill.Thus
~ Is the larger concerns are afforded a
chance To weed out the smaller ones
which help glut the goods market with
out materially enhancing the general
industry -of-tffe state.-The- -Attest-of
them all will eventually arise as the
sole cotfpn .napufa aptiIripp ,,npaarpa
and, the expanding competition offered
ny the South taken into consideration.
the verdict among cotton men il, that
IL Is a movement for the best industrial
interests of Rhode Island.
This tendency seems not To be con-
fined TO Rhode Island and the matter
of that proves how certain is just such
action To come To pass. One of the most
prominent cotton men in this state, ex-
pressed his firm belief that In very
few years. the cotton manufacturing
corporations OF Fali River Will be con-
tracted in number very materially that
In the same time the mills will have
decreased in number to about IL. and
that all will then be controlled by one
enormously wealthy family of that city
whose name Is too well known to be
mistaken. This statement does not ap-
ply to the Fall River Iron Works Cor
poration which will continue TO be one
of the greatest establishments of its
kind in the world.
BY some of the mills being sold for
purposes other than manufacturing
is meant precisely. for purposes other
than manufacturing by means of water
power In Rhode Island as In many
other states the water power OF the
streams Is used by the various manu-
featuring concerns drawing from them,
under restriction. Each concern Is al
lowed so much water per year for pow
er purposes, the quantity being regu-
lated so far as Is possible by the de-
mand of the mill. Water power is con-
cedcd to be the most economical form
OF motive force known TO the age. and
the larger concerns as they find the de-
mands of their machinery increasing
must secure additional power. They en-
right Oft. the limit law and the
only thing for them TO do, aside from
steam or some other form of
power. is 10 secure possession OF the
older and smaller. and thus increase
heir title to power. This is believed to
be an important reason for the trans
FER from time ~ time of certain mill
properties IL is certainly a very i'm
DUrtHut item IN the ease ~ the cotton
mill industry as a whole.