The Savannah morning news., 1900-11-03
THE INDUSTRIAL SOUTH.
IT II MAKING ITS WAY TO GREAT
PROSPERITY.

IN the Productive Industries Of the
United stnte--CondttIons All Paw
orabie for TrHnsfcrence Of Cot
ton Manufacture Near the ba-e Of
supply - Climate. FaeI, Material
aud Labor Potent Factors 10 Bring
About the Result Predicted.
In recent article IN an Atlanta paper
reviewing the probabilities Of greater IN
dustrial activity Ia the South. the writer
says.
The fac, that the South Is gradually
working its wav toward great prosperity
o.. demonstrated not 60 much IN the in
crease la the number Of looms and spin
dies a. by the general drift and tendency
which This Increase denotes For accom-
panwur TIE new cotton mills and follow
ing them VIII come other productive in
dustrics in an lines in which profit u as
.urcI
Tho hard-headed business men Of the
Nortn understand full we'll that In ali
lines OF manufacture which depend on
cotton iron. steel and wood for Their raw
material no section 10 the word can com
pete with tho south. Any Northern or
Eastern manufacturer who has taken the
trouble 10 investigate the conditions eS-
isuur here viii make This admission pri-
vat~ly though he viii not consent TO
publication OF his views with hts name at
iached BUT each ard every one o. them
knows what IS coming and understands
perfectly well that the South in the course
o. time is 20 be the controlling influence
Boa the productive industries OF the United
states
our cotton crop s. 50 important. ard
mss becn Tor 20 long the basis of the
trade aud business Of the South that 81 is
natural that the first movement Of the
Industrial south is devoted 70 an effort
10 make that crop more valuable. This
is natural Nevertheless. the conditions
which render IL possible for tho South TO
Manufacture cotton more probably than
il can b. manufactured In other sections
apply 20 almost every other productive in
dustry that can he mentioned. Certainly
thee. conditions apply Co oil the staple
oommodiucs over an extended region IN
tho south iron ore coal and lime Tie
side py side. over vast areas virgin for
s-ts cast their shade ana over millions
and millions 81 broad acres an equabe
climate spreads lite shetering and hfe-giy-
ing wings
New England mnnufac turers who per-
Fi-t in shutting their eyes TO facts away
from home declare that the South has
. cheap labor" This term by an associ-
alton OF ideas. suggests wages as low as
those paid lu Mexico and India whore the
labor market g. fuu to overlooking This
is what Mr. Edward Atkinson means
when ne says that the cheap labor Of
th, south Will prove 70 be- very costly in
inc cud
Bu, what the south has. and what Il
VIII continue 10 have so long as the wage
. rate conforms 10 actual conditions. is
cheaper labor than the North ana East
can employ. The wages OF labor are in
variahy and inevitably regulated by the
conditions of living 10y rents. by cost OF
food. clothing and fuel leaving oIt Of
+ view the condi ions which prevail when
there o. q surplus Of labor az any given
center and which have some influence
on wages. the average rate OF wages Is
based ou and IL regulated by the cost OF
uvInp Labor ls not cheaper in the South
because of les inehel-ncy but because the
cost 81 ivire Is cheaper here than IN the
I Nor.h. Take what in civilized country
is the very FIRST item 81 living. Labor must
have a shelter for las head. and this shell
tor must conform 10 the climate The
houses bullt for working people IN the
I North Hnd East cost ucar.y twice as much
az those built for the same purpose m
the South. therefore. rents must be
higher The price 81 food d. higher and
the cost Of fuel IS nearly twke as much
] in the East as O. IS IN the South. The
SAME may be- s1id ~ clothing Il must
I be heavier and thicker taun ia tho South.
and. therefore 10 costs more
10 short 70 MAY De said that the wage
Garner in the South who receives 81
week makes more-that h. 20 say has
Z larger margin 90 profits and savings than
. The wuEe-earner 80 the North who is paid
SIS ID week Tni, Is why % b. possible for
I the Southern manufacture IN any given
. line a. ndd as much value 20 the raw
material as his Northern competitor az a
+ cost very much less. As his margin Of
-roats b. q great deal wider he can. In
times OF financial stress sell his goods
or his products much cheaper than the
/ Northern manufacturer
To the climatic conditions prevailing
I over most Of the south must he added the
I phv4ical conditions which have brought
Z TIE raw material OF iron In contact with
\ the natural products necessary TO put u
7 Boo a shape Tor working into mRrketa bile
4 commodities T. Is as Impossible for capt
tsl go ignore these conditions as q g. for
seeker after god not 10 take advantage
/ OF discovery Of the precious metal.
7 While 30 Is true that capital mas ignored
them for many years. that fact has been
I due To various circumstances which time
has "a last overcome.
To-.iay there Is but ono obstacle IN the
way, and that Is the fact that millions
upon millions Of dollars are invested in
I costly plants a. the North. These pants
1 must bee run. They cannot be transferred
I 10 the South save az tremr ndous loss aud
I they VIII NOE BE abandoned untu South
eru competition is much more important
. than BE- .. likely 90 become for many
4 wears We shaI first witness the gradual
. tfarsfcroucc OF the cotton mill industry
] TO th, south. movement which requires
l time. ana then We shall see other In
dustries coming hlther. al impel.ed BY
the Same motives that impe'led the Car
/ ncgic S,cel Company to build is plant
. 10 the iron and coke-proiucing region o.
/ Pennsylvania.
IN" mention 81 this great company calls
90 mind the rumor that IL has recently
purchased extensive Bessemer ore proper
I Ties nt l.ano. Tex This purchase. 70 the
rumor thereof BE- true. was undoubtedly
made with an cye o the future develop
mcut of that region a. the site OF IRON
and steel works. IN Georgia there are
vast deposits % brown hematite ere. ana
this Will undoubtedly invite the fesurrect-
Ing hand of capital.
During the first six months OF the pres