The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-02-27

theory that the cotton mills must come
10 the cotton fields is working itself on,
with a ralsidity hardly dreamed OF and
certainly not expected. even by the most
sanguine friends Of the South n few
years ago.
1t 3 MT difficult TO understand how the
mills OF the South can afford TO pay half
Il cent POUND more for cotton than
spots bring in New York. A state
ment made at Mobile q few days ago is
both interesting and significant. English
buyers paid niIle cents for cotton. half Il
cent above the local market price. The
explanations was that the Manchester
mills would pay two cents a ,rolnd more
for cotton than the staple was quoted
at IN Mobile that day. It is not gener
ally believed that the difference in price
was SO great. yet, at this time, there IS
no reason to doubt the truth of the state
ment made in Mobile.
MERE QUESTION OF TIME.
Two c. nts per und is $40 bale. II
| the Manchester mills have TO pay so a
! hfle more for raw material than the mills
in the South pay it may be accepted as
| only u question of time before the South
crn mills run the English mills out Of
| take the case Of one OF the large mills
| in he South. Some of them consume Is
| bales Of on daily. With $40 b le diff
| fe ence this means an advantage of $3.50,
| difference in cost Of raw material in
| favor of the mill in the South. as COM
! pared with a similar mill at Manchester
! England. This may he an eXdggcratloll,
| but at the same time it will serve TO
make comparison cf adva ntages that
| can and will accrue in favor of the
! Sou he m lis. if it does net already eX-
! ist to the extent Of the difa enc Ct tW 9
cents pound in the price of cotton. In
other words, If this grtft eliTercn>,' doc.
not now exist, it Will soon he brought
about by forces already IL sure and &C
| tive operation.
| Take the case Of North Carolina, to
day, for example The mills Of that
State already consume practically every
bale of cotton produced IL ..orth Caro-
lima. and are drawing on other States
| fer p rtion Of their supplies. The cot
ton congresses of North Carolina Gavt
been forced into idleness, foe the reason
that there rs no need for cNmUrrsSce
where the cotton is consumed by homo
! N lis. 1'2is mearS 4 saving OF 30 cents
per bale in favor of tie - uilicra mills
that must be figured III the cost of cot
ton consumed by the English mills, foI
all cotton exported mas. be con}nrcss,d q
AN IMMENSE SAVING.
Another large saving Will be brought
about by the shipment of cotton frpn
the fields direct to the Southern cotton
mills. In this way all warehouse ans
storage charges, weighing, insurance
etc, will be saved 10 the Southern mills
oh
bale. and Inltst be figured in the cost oI
every bale Of cotton exported and con
sumed by British mills. Throw in th<
1yrotit-s of the middle men. which tn.
| .Sout hern mills. getting their supplies dl
| rect from the field, viii not have to pay
| for good measure. Aside from the pres
| cnt actual difference in the price Of cot
ton to the Southern mills, and the cos.
TO the English mills, here is prospective
difference of at least $50 per bale
North Carolina and the mill towns hks
Raleigh and Charlotte are already in q
position to enjoy this advantage Ill part
if not in full. Capitalists only just
beginning to understand tnc advantages
Of the South as a location for cotton
mills The rapid growth OF the industry
III the past two years L. really nothing
compared TO the strides the South vii
make along industrial lines III the next
decade North Carolina already con
SumeS more cotton than she raise
In 20 years. at the outside Georgia mill
will consume every bale Of cotton produc
Cd in that State. South Carolina mills
III 10 years will be drawing on Other
States fer i large part of her s1lrpie3, OF
cotton Th, cotton mills are indeed com
ing to the cotton fields with a rush.
BRITISH PRESTIGE LOST.
The last claim Of advantage to tht
Manchester mills has already been ex
pIoied. For years the British spinner,
refused to regard th.. South as a possible
rival. They asserted that on the coarse
grades Of cotton goods alone the Soutl
would have an advantage over them
They took the position. further. tina
skilled labor was unknown in the SOuti
and would never equal the la ror III th'
Manchester mills. These. positions arr
no longer tcnable The leading mills 81
this State compare farorably with tn
! latest and most improved modern cotto1
mills of England The North Carolin;
mills employ operatives J7l>t az skilled a,
can be found in tho British mills. Thei
products compare favorably with the ont
put Of the best cotton mills OF England
in quality. workmanship, design and fin
iSh. The Southern mills sell their good
in the South Amefican countries, il
China and Japan. even. in active competi
tion with the English mills. They turI
out different varieties of goods, and t1ei
novelties sell in the market Hf the work
in competition with the leading Englisl
mills.
These details are mentioned for th
purpose of showing that there is no trutl
in the claims formerly made by the Eng
lish siinners that the South could oni.
hope to compete with them on the coars
OF grades Of cotton goods. As matte
of fact, the mills OF the South are buyin;