The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-01-20


will go to those who manage them. The
people of this State seventy-hve years
ago knew much more about manufacture
ing than they do now, Notwithstanding
the recent phenomenal development Of
manufacturing.
1.-THE intelligent development of the
cotton manufacturing industry of the
State is, / believe, to great extent the
salvation of the cotton planters of the
State. There is very material advance
in the price of cotton on account of the
local mills that we now have-I should
say an increase of a quarter of cent.
Then again the establishment of cot
ton mill brings in much money to a COM
munity.
"There are about 10000 people III
North Carolina employed in cotton man
ufacturing in the State, receiving an
average of about S. a week. This S.
comes from some foreign country where
the cloth is bought.
mind you, have no objection TO for
eigners coming here and helping us, l
simply want our own people put on
basis of competition with them
Mr.. Tompkins said he made the plans
for the South Carolina textile mill. IL
consisted, he said, of a small model
mill. with lecture rooms. The student
is required to study and do everything
done in a cotton mill, to make all the
calculations and become conversant with
the machines.
Germany is the country in which
this special and technical education has
been more thoroughly developed than
anywhere else. 1t is not question
of spending money to develop industries,
they simply create industries and make
resources. Its history and present con-
dition is Il proof of maxim that knowl-
edge is power In Germany there are
many women who attend textile schools
and make q profession of designing pat
terms.
MY disposition is TO make this school
separate from any other institution, so
that all people may take advantage of
the opportunities it offers women as well
as men, The appropriation asked 49,,
000) is small, and hereafter the State
will probably be asked to appropriate
$4,000 year.
eff the school were started he thought
the bulk of machinery would be given
by manufacturers. The textile school
in South Carolina cost about 10000, of
which $4,000 was given by the State.
''There is going to be school in the
State. You people may not do it now,
but you are going to do it. South Car
DINA and Georgia already have them;
Alabama and Mississippi are considering
the matter. And sooner or later North
Carolina is going to do it, and when
you do you will wish you had done so
sooner There are three young men from
this State at the North HOW, and one
other has just got back. They all went
there to learn just what would be taught
them in this school.
''In less than ten years you will have
100000 in textile school. Your own
children will make you do it.
''Other States are taking steps to make
cotton goods cheaper. We must do the
same. The object of government is to
foster and protect its industries. As
we promote a knowledge of cotton mill
ing its cost is decreased. We are pro-
ducing cotton cheaply and We must learu
to manufacture it cheaply. Otherwise
somebody will take the laurel from our
brows.''
The next speaker was Mr.. w. J. Peele,
of the Watauga Club, this city. He ar
gued that there is $20,000,000
invested in North Carolina in
cotton mills and over 100000 Il
year paid to operators and ,hns
kept in the State. He thought it merely
question of investment We are too
poor not to establish this school We
can't afford not to do it. Any people that
can keep thing in North Carolina and
increase its value are the people we are
/ looking for. In this case the value of
cotton is quadrupled
Mr.. Peele, as chairman of a commit
tee appointed by the Watauga Club, read
memorial of that club asking for the
establishment of textile school in con-
nection with the North Carolina College
of Agricultural and Mechanic Arts, at
Raleigh.
Wherever established, it ought to be
in close touch with the mills and the
mill men. They ought to be the direc-
tors of the institution end all parts of
the State ought to be represented"
Mr.. VIM. Entwistle, superintendent OF
two of Rockingham's eight cotton mills
made speech full of good sense, good
humor and good advice. Mr.. Entwistle
said he came to this country from Eng
! land, twentyseyen years ago, but he
didn't leave his Lancashire home to come
| to North Carolina to talk; he came to
work and he had been at it twenty
seven years, and he had done the best
for us he could.
"A textile school is daily becoming
more necessary. The finer the material
made the greater the skill required
The more factories you build the less
the competition ON the farms. Hands
| daily apply for employment i'll the mills
especially girls from the farms. Moth
ing would more encourage the building
of factories than the dissemination OF
textile and technical knowledge
ITO establish this school would be the
best investment the State of NORTH
Carolina could possibly make.
I'm 1884 we started in my mill a sort
of textile school-a free school for the
operatives. This school is still in opera
ton and has seventy-five scholars. il
was the first school of the kind in the
State.
There are many North Carolina boys
now at the North studying cotton mill
ing, and they annually expend for the
knowledge they are acquiring, as much
this cnhoaI will cnct tho Stotn