New Iberia enterprise. (New Iberia, La.) 1885-1902, 1900-09-29
REPORT ON COTTON FACTORIES.
NEW IBERIA, La, Sept. 18th, 1900.

we, UUt COIHLulttcc, 6ppoihtNu W ''i'
president to make an investigation as to
the general conditions, welfare and sue
cess of the cotton mill industry, beg leave
to make the following report:
Before going into details of this report
we wish to state, that the short time OF our
absence and the amount of territory COW
cred, did not allow us to investigate more
closely great many details appertaining
to those institutions.
On our first attempt in New Orleans to
obtain assistance to investigate the mills,
we were informed that we would meet
with great many difficulties. Fortunately
for us this prophecy did not prove true.
From the first mill we visited up to the
last our path seemed to be opening for us
more and more, and as we went on from
one mill to another our task for obtaining
information seemed to be getting easier
and easier. The people interested in and
in charge of those mills, with the excep-
tion of one or two, were very courteous
and more than willing to give us any in
formation we could reasonably expect. In
some cases thev were liberal in giving us
a great many pointers and inside informa-
ton and in others they would not tell more
than they had to. On the whole we con
slider that we Jared exceedingly well under
the circumstances, as we are reliably in
formed, that it is next to impossible to
obtain permission to visit mill in the
east, or to obtain any information from
them. Through the assistance of friends
and different people interested in cotton
mill building we obtained access to every
department connected with the mills visit
ed, and during the conversations with the
managers and superintendents we obtained
what we think great deal of valuable in
formation in all branches: Construction,
machinery, equipments, power, labor, sa-
nitation buying, making and selling of
product, etc.
From our observations and the general
| opinion of everyone interested in the mill
| industry there is no doubt that it is a
thorough success in the south and that it is
the proper field for the manufacture of all
cotton goods, and the time is not far dis
tant, when the greater portion, if not all
of the cotton crop will be manufactured
at home.
We visited Alabama, Georgia, South and
North Carolina. In all these states you
hear great deal of cotton, mill talk and
the bright future ahead of it. The best
proof that the people have faith in their
belief is, that in every direction new mills
are going up, in others additions and ex-
tensions are being made to those already
established. In some places capital is
ready for new mills, and again in others
they are agitating the question for cotton
mill building. Some mills are altogether
owned by eastern capital, and great
many eastern mills are now removing theil
plants south or building new ones, some OF
them very large. A cotton mill is not like
sugar house or a saw mill or such other
industry that is limited to the manufacture
of one class of goods. The variety of goods
to be made in cotton mill is nearly un
limited, and from this fact it proves that
you may have ten, fifteen or more mills in
a town and neither of them will be in con
fict with the other.
Several places, not as large as NewIberia
have five mills and more and others going
up. The scope of manufacture Of the raw
cotton into a merchantable commodity il
nearly unlimited as it will make the coars
est kind of goods as we'll as thread, o.
material which to the inexperienced viii
be sold as silk The progress in the manu-
facture of cotton goods is gaining rapidly
in the south and some finer grades of clotf
are now being made.
The mills, as rule, begin with thu
coarser goods and gradually work thei
way up. They gain the knowledge b!
practical experience, and the labor has t.
learn to make the coarse goods and thel
gradually learn how to make the finer. i
is absolutely necessary that a mill be unde
the management of experienced people, a
the success of the institution depends Ell
tirely upon those who are supposed to lool
after the manufacturing, buying and sell
ing of the goods. Practical experience
has demonstrated that two mills, side b.
side, having like machinery, making tn
same class of goods, one was paying hand
somely, the other not; consequently it mus
,, have been in the management. Everywher
, in the south the mills have been crowde
; with work and in a great many they wer
working night and day. The eastern mill
are feeling the effect of the south and
great many of them are moving theirplant
or building new ones. All the mills Al
working in most systematic manner im'
: ginable and conducted on the most satil
factory basis in query respect.
The buildings are constructed on th
!, most modern style and conve Aience. The
!. are built in brick, mostly oneor two stor
high. Some large mills, when room
scarce, built higher. Modern mills suppl
Z cool air in summer and heat in winter II
. the comfort of their employees. They ais
8 furnish the best of drinking water an
]; some have bath houses attached for whic
; they charge nominal fee. All mills hav
j. their own houses which are neat and con
Portable and rent very reasonable. This
: necessary as the labor should live in pro-
: unity to the mill, as without that the
!. could not run regularly and would mea
8 considerable loss. As far as we could 81
!. we have all the advantages Of other mill
: with the only exception of fuel which ms
4 cost US trife more, but other mills ha'
+ to buy cotton in Louisiana and MISSISSIPPI
. 90 we have a little the best of it there.
p We visited twenty mills or more, hosier
J. underwear, yarn, cotton, ducks, plaid
q ginghams, tickings, denims, sashcor
: backband, carpets. ETC. Some mills mai
! strictly one line Of goods, others mai
two or three. In yarns there is also
4 variety, some making yarns for one ella
II - l-<<as <khns. e,- acofhor The finer n