The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-25
THE LOWERING SCHEME.


Is it true that a cotton mill owner OF
Massachusetts is the originator of an
amendment to the constitution now pend
ing in Congress to give that body au-
thority to fix the hours of labor in fac
tories, and that his purpose is to take
from the South any advantage she may
have in the matter of labor in cotton
manufacturing? That is practically the
statement that is made in the dispatches
from Washington.
A couple of years ago, when the times
were hard, the New England cotton mills
found it difficult to make both ends meet
In fact, many of them had to stop run
ming altogether or run on half time. only
a few of them declared dividends. During
the same period the cotton mills of the
South were running on full time and
most. if not all, of them declared divi-
dends A great deal of Northern capital
came South for investment in cotton man
ufacturing. Not so much is coming just
now, because the mills Of New England
are making money. They are running at
their full capacity and have more orders
than they can fill. While this condition of
affairs lasts it is not probable that much
Northern capital will be invested in cot
ton mills in the South.
But times like the present will not last
forever There will come a period of de-
preston again. 1t may not come FOR sew
eral years and it may come very soon.
When it will come no one can predict
with any degree of certainty, but no one
questions that it will come. The proposed
amendment, it seems, is TO protect the
New England mills against the eompeti
ton of the mills of the South in hard
times.
The idea is that the chief advantage
of the South is in her labor There being
few labor unions Southern factory opera
tives are willing to work more hours
day than those of New England. Hence,
Southern mills can make cotton goods
cheaper than such goods can be made IN
New England. The Lowering scheme is to
give Congress authority to fix the hours
of factory labor in all parts of the coun-
try, so that the hours of factory labor
shall be the same in the South as they
are in New England.
fective the South will be pretty well sup
piled with cotton mills-that is, If the
rate at which mills are now being built is
kept up. 1t will take a long time to get
Congress to authorize the proposed
amendment to be submitted to the states,
and it will take a still longer time to get
three-fourths of the states to agree to it.
In fact, 1t is not certain that Congress
will pass the amendment nor that the states
would approve it if it should be sent
to them for their action. Mr. Lowering is
likely to be disappointed therefore if he
is placing much dependence on his scheme
for evening up the advantages possessed
by the mills of New England and the
South.
AS matter of fact, however, the labor
advantage possessed by the mills of the
South is a small one. Southern operatives
may work more hours a week, but the
labor at the North is more skilful, having
had more experience. The real advant-
ages which the South possesses are near
ness to the cotton fields and a climate
which permits of operating the mills at
less cost. In the climate advantage there
are several factors. One of them is the
cost of living. If Mr.. Lowering succeeds in
getting the legislation he wants he will
not succeed in preventing the South from
becoming the great cotton manufacturing
section of the country.