The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1898-02-12
MANUFACTURE OF COTTON,
Tho Causes of,hestriks OF III. New Eng.
te4 III. land Ops ratIves. Fl

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Commercial America: The future OF
the cotton manufacturing industry OF
the United States stu continues to ex.
cite the llvellest interes. both In the east
and In the south. In New England Il
represents an investment OF over $780,
100000 OF capital. and this fact alone
naturally creates the greatest concern.
especially since II has been realized by
the eastern manufacturers that It Is
hopeless for them 10 prolong competition
In the manufacture OF cheaper grades,of
cotton goods with southern competitors.
Naturally manufactures should be ,es-
tablished as near as possible to the
source OF supply, or the raw material
frum which goods are made. In the past.
circumstances have decred otherwise In
the United States. The more thickly
populated eastern states have created
the demand for the finished product, and
mills have been erected IN these locall-
ties, whence also the movement OF capt.
tai was directed. But competition at
home, beyond the immediate needs OF our
own people, added to excessive cumpe.i-
ition abroad. has resulted In such
sharp decline OF prices that the margin
OF profit now left to the manufacturers
Is exceedingly narrow.
This fact has stimulated the manufac-
turing interests In the south. There the
cotton Is at the doors OF the mill. Freight
charges on the raw material are much
lower than to the eastern mills. Coal Ia
also equally as accessible. IL not more SO.
to southern than TO northern manufac-
turers. The freight rates to our con-
Stunning centers are probably somewhat
higher from the southern mills. though
they have certain advantages In water
transportation over our great rivers. In
acquiring an export trade the south has
been rapidly improving Its facilities both
for the shipment of the raw cotton and
the finished products, and on the whole
their northern competitors seem to be at
decided disadvantage.
Such are the facts, and they have been
squarely faced BY the eastern mill own
ers. What has happened In the case of
their cotton industry Is just as likely to
happen In the WOODEN trade II our sheep
raising interests remain undlsturbed.
The western markets for wooden goods
would be supplied with the products of
western mills, which would also control
good share of the southern trade
through the cheaper facilities afforded
for the transportation Of goods by water.
With moderate freight charges on Aus
tralian wool from San Francisco to the
Interior western states we would be like
ly to see the creation OF great wooden
industry nearer to our sheep farms.
With moderate fraghts on wooden goods
from the Pacific coast states to more
eastern markets there should be no rea-
son why California or Oregon should not
become as greatly identified with the
manufacturing OF wooden goods as those
eastern states that can also receive their
supplies Of foreign wool practically at
tldewater.
But this Is a question for the future.
The immediate concern Is the fate Of the
cotton industry in New England. and
there seems to be but one course open
II. as both north and south seem TO
agree. the cheaper cotton goods Will
hereafter be manufactured in the, cot
ton-growing states, New England must
contine itself to the production OF the
higher and more costly grades. II some
of the eastern mills are not adapted to
the necessary process they must be re-
newed. and the, sooner this Is done the
better. II fancy cotton goods can be
made in England, France. or Germany,
1t IS idle TO say that American ingenuity
and skill cannot devise how to so and
do likewise. In the past but little effort
has been made In this direction because
the occasion Is here, and 1t remains for
the New England mill owners OF to-day
TO show themselves as adept, skillful and
progressive as their fathers were before
them. when they lacked the facilities
which manufacturers now possess.