The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-04
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One Price and Plain FIGURES.

Der of such counties in the vicinity of
Savannah increasing the value of their
output in this manner there would be
surprisingly large amount of the money
which would find its way to this city,
The speaker then proceeded to discuss
the relative advantages of commercial
and manufacturing cities, his experience
and observation convincing him that
city must choose either one or the other,
and his conclusion, being that commerce
is more advar t. geous o a large city than
manufacturing. commercial city which
can control a large manufacturing city
around it occupies an especially advant-
ageous position and in this particular he
held up to Savannah the example of Sos
ton, which, ". thout a Gotten spindle in
It's limits, controls the immense manu-
featuring district around it and reaps
large profits in the handling and sale OF
the products as well as from inves tments.
There are, OF course, he said, certain lines
of manufacturing which are suited to
large cities. These spring up to mset the
conditions, their heavier expenses being
offset by the greater advantages of city
location. These are for the most part in
dustries which are able to pay reasonably
high wages. They also employ a class of
labor which is restless and INDEPENDENT
and inclined to move about at will. For
cotton manufacturing steady, reliable
practically permanent. and which will be
satisfied with less wages than that re-
ceived by the city labor. For these rea-
sons village conditions are better for cot
ton manufacturing than city c-nditions.
The speaker advised that while large
mill could doubtless be operated success
fully in Savannah the business men and
capitalists of the city would find 1t more
to their advantage to locate the mills with
in easy reach ten, twenty, thirty or forty
miles from the city. or even further, Where
the operatives would be removed from the
attractions of the city which would tend to
cause them to keep late hours and unnt
them fer their work, and where they woull
not be SO likely TO be Infected by the rest
less spirit of the city laborer. If within
the sphere Of influence of the city the ben
Gifts resulting 10 its commerce would be
Just as great or even greater than II To-
Gated in the city Itself.
Speaking of the labor conditions in the
South. Mr. Tompkins said there is plenty
of labor of the very best kird. There are
any number of poor people in the South
who are not protitably employed and who
would gladly take employment in the cot
ton mills. England has 46,00o,0o0 people
and 5000 600 cotton spindles, besides prob
ably three times as many more spindles
employed in wooden, linen aud other indus
tries The South has total poulation OF
10000 900 OF which about 100000 is white,
and has only 100000 cotton spindles.
North Carolina manufactures 3OOOV0 bales
of cotton and employs 10000 operatives. or
at the rate of ten bales to each operative.
At tie same ratio of employment the
South might manufacture its entire annu-
al product of 100000 bales with only
1000, 900 operatives.
Mr.. Tompkins does not think there Is
anv danger of the cotton manufacturing
business being overdone. Some years ago
there was a great depression in the ion
trade, and it was declared that the iron
business was being overdone. To-day
Birmingham is exporting iron through
Savannah, Mobile, Pensacola and New
Orleans and the Iron men are making
large profits. A few years ago there was
a depression in the dry goods line, and 1t
was thought manufacturing had been
overdone Markets were opened up In
China and the East, and to-day about one
half the product Of the Southern mills
goes to China and the trade there Is yet
In it's infancy. This accounts for the re-
cent large Increase In the number OF
Southern mills The question Is largely
one OF new markets. In this connection
Mr.. Tompkins advocated the control by
this country of its own shipping and the
building up OF this county Of its shipping
by subsidies This country has the best
home markets in the world, he said, be-
cause of its great transportation facili-
ties, which were obtained by the liberal
Substituting Of the railroad by states,
counties and towns. And yet when II Is
proposed to subsidlze shipping the same
people who subsidized railroads make a
great hue end cry against IL.
Mr.. Tompkins also declared himself an