The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-03-09
THE DAY OF THE SMALL MILL.
MIR. WITHAM GIVES HIS EXPERI-
ENCE IN MANUFACTURING


Big PrOfts-One of His MILLS Clear
cd 100 Per Cent Last Nenr-snVnn-
mains Future Lies in the Develop
ment of the Territory Around Her
and Cotton Manufacturing Is the
xeynote-He Talked to Savannah
Capitalists on This Line Yesterday.
Mr.. W. S. William, one of the best
known business men in Georgia, spent
yesterday in the city. Mir. Witham regis
tors from Atlanta, but he is interested
in so many different points in the state
that it is difficult TO say where he should
he properly credited. He occupies the
unique position Of being the president of
more banks thai any other man in this
or perhaps any other state. There are
just twenty-seven of these banks, each
one located in a different town. Every
one was organized by Mir Witham and
each is a paying institution.
Mr.. William was among the local bank
ers during the day. He was not arrang
ing TO start d bank here however, but
was attending to private business mat
tiers and incidentally talking cotton man
ufacturing 10 the bankers and business
men whom he met Mr.. William is an
enthusiastic believer in the future of cot
ton manufacturing in Georgia and he is
showing his faith by his works. He pro-
poses to establish a cotton factory in every
town in Georgia where he has a bank and
has already made good progress in that
direction. He has three cotton mills in
operation in as many different towns al
ready, has perfected the organization of
two others recently and expects 60 com
plete the organization of third before
the end of the week.
This is the day of the small mill" said
Mr.. William, when seen at the Citizens
Bank by a Morning News reporter. Il
have thought so for a long time and the
experience of the past year has demon
strated 1t. The small mills made greater
profits than the larger ones and far out
stripped them in earning capacity as COM
pared with investment"
Mr.. William believes that cotton man
ufacturing on the lines laid down by him,
good mills in good towns, managed by
the right men," will pay in South Geor-
gia. He is showing his faith in this be
lief by establishing mills along the line
of the Central Railroad between Macon
and Savannah. Just at what points the
new mills are 90 be established Mr.. With
am would not say, but he already has a
mill at Tennille, and Millen is understood
TO be one of the points where there is a
mill in contemplation.
Il started out three years ago" said Mr.
Witham. ito disprove the idea that cot
ton manufacturing could not be made to
pay in this section of the state. Whenever
mentioned the subject of cotton fac
tories for the small towns in Middle or
Lower Georgia I was told that small
mil He 1rNrI
lanfa was too far South anyway, for cot
ton manufacturing, and that satisfactory
labor could not be obtained in these coun-
ties. / undertook to prove the fallacy OF
these three objections. and | have sue
ceeded 10 my entire satisfaction. / have
now reached the conclusion that this is
the day of the small min in the small
town; that south of Atlanta is not too
FAR South for successful cotton manufac-
turing. and that our country people make
the most efficient mill operatives to be
had anywhere. I have proven this with
my own money. and now l am willing that
my friends should join with me and share
IN reaDing the benefits"
Mr.. Witham had a LITTLE talk with some
OF the Savannah capitalists in the after
noon, and what he told them about cot
ton mill profits probably made them open
their eyes. of the three mills in which |
am interested" he SAID "one made q
profit last year of 40 per cent, one of 81
per cent. and one 100 per cent. I think
l am safe in saying that these small mills
made larger profits than any large mill
IN the country, and a least one of them
a larger profit than any other mill in the
state"
Mr.. William was asked If he thought OF
taking hand in locating a mill at Sayan-
nan No he replied. My preference Is
for the small towns. NV experience has
taught me that the place of the cotton mill
Is in the cotton patch. / can take the
money which the New England manufac-
turer pays for freight on cotton to his
mill and declare a dividend. Another rea-
son Is that in the country the operatives
are free from the hurtful influences of the
city. Mr.. Debs will stop at Atlanta and
Savannah and preach socialism to the
Workingmen, but he will not stop al Ten
mile or Wrightsville or other small towns
In the country We have no visits from Mr.
Debs. no strikes and no labor troubles"
Still, Mr.. William thinks that the future
is big with possibilities for Savannah as
the result of cotton manufacturing
What you want to shoot into these pe5-
pie, my SON. said he lis that if they want
10 make Savannah great and prosperous
they must develop the country around
them and the best means at hand to do
that Is to develop the cotton manufacture
ing industry throughout this section. Sa-
cotton. This business is dwindling. There
are not as many commission houses here
as there were few years ago and there
are going to be less. Other lines of bust
ness upon which you are now dependent
are also slipping away from you. The
thing for your men of wealth and business
10 do Is to take the money which they
have made out of cotton and lumber and
naval stores while they still have it. and
put 1t into cotton manufacturing through
out this section. By so doing
they will develop this entire sec
ton and will enrich Savannah. The mills
will not be here, but they will be controll-
ed here. their bonds will be issued by
Savannah trust companies and deposited
in Savannah banks and their dividends
will be paid out here. The machinery and
supplies which they will require will be
sold by your local men. Your commits
sion and insurance men will get their
profits, your railroads will haul the
goods and your business people will profit
by the prosperity which will result"
Savannah handles million bales of cot
don annually" said Mr. William. THAT
is to say, that much passes through your
port. In reality it is no longer handled
hal of