The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-21
BUILDING OF COTTON MILLS.


moro rapidly In Norm Carolina ana south
Carolina than in Georgia, and seem 10 W
n loss Tor the reason. The reason
seems 10 me as plain as the nnolua'
sun namely. FIRST, taxation Is hisne. :"
ceorgia than either OF the Carolinas' 81
ond the hours o. labor are not res ~
bv law in either Of these States, but 10
a question II contract between the Gu
ploier and emplosc; third, the cues anu
towns ID these states can, IL tney chouss,
exempt mills from municipal taAatloh'
fon,tb and most important OF all, the leg
features OF these s,a.es have not passed
ana continually threatened inimlcaple
labor laws. ,.-,.-
Ten years ago Georgia led North Caro-
lima and Sou.h CarJlna in cotton manu-
featuring but about this time the Gso'Ba
LEGISLATURE, prompted no doubt ~ wen
n.cantng but uuwist. labor asi atoss anu
small p.ln-cians, passed a law pIactleauy
taking from mill owners and mill hahuS
the right t. contract making II 'lesal ~
work hands ia ! cot o. mill over siAty-siA
hours per week. While | think eeyen
hours is long enough for days work.
The mere fact that the legislature proposed
to regulate labor d1. in my judgment
untold harm And each succeeding iegls-
allure. including the last, has had be.ore
il some more or less Objectionable bill.
Cotton milling requires large capital and
is strictly business; there ore the ques-
ton OF taxation aud the right 10 employ
necessar} lab-r wi bout hlndrance are
vital and will, in the end, as they nave
allCady done to some extent In the past
determine where capital viii be invested
In cotton milling.
Tie investment of Northern capital in
cotton milling South Is Of but little con-
sequence. Georgia has abundant money
to build cotton mills or any other fact)-
les that laspire confidence, When Geor-
CLANS have millions invested as they nave
In per cent, 4 pei cent and . per cent
securities, 1t Is not a matter o. capital
but OF confidence venture to say that
amy we'll known Georgia cotton manufac-
turer of experience and ability could get a
millin OF dollars or more, all Georgia
money, to build p cotton mill in any suit
al BILE location in Georgia, but the man who
can do II knows that the tax collector is
10 he considered and that the Georgia leg
islature is always an unknown quantity.
Georgia can not pay more money for Con-
, iederate pensions, more money for public
schools than any State in the South IN
other words, she can not be pr3digal n
taxation and hope to offer the best field for
the investment Of foreign capital in man.
ufacturing enterprise.
In my Judgment. what Georgia requires
to make her tho leading manufacturing
state in the South, as she should be is
lower taxes and no FEDERALISM In govern
ment, W. ]. Ktncaid
Griffin, Ca, January is, 1900
80
In commenting upon this the coustitu-
ton said:
A most remarkable letter is that which
mint This .,atv
Alnca.d OF The Grim Manufacturing com
pany.
Recently the Constitution had OCCASION
70 refer to the growth of cotton mills in
me Carolinas, aaG expressed the hope THAI
Georgia would come In for her share OF
ne lnereasel spindle force which is. now
turning It's way toward the South. OF the
| louUuO,UOO spindles at work upon the cot
Ton product, only 10000 600 in all are on
me American continent The Increase of
american 'spindles for the last decade hss
Neen at least Is per cent and the momen
N is daily increasing The Immense
4 capital invested in cotton milling is pre-
pallhg Ior congestion upon the field of
pTouuct on. THIS means Increased popu1a-
ton In the fortunate Safes Increased de.
mand for the diversified products Of the
arm as result and increased profits I
lhe farmers who will have to feed as waI
as S'olne the manufacturing hosts.
sihsularly enough. the hear Of tb.
cotton milling business in The sortb w. ~
oeen located in the Cdrolinas. and thence
- mas Jumped over Georgia into Aia-
pSma, and Is there building up anotbSr
powerful cotton district. The cotton cron
OF Georgia for the season of 1SgS-go WIS
over l'3u0,O0O bales. while that of 1sqo-
tSOV mas o5en reduced one third owing
70 exceptional conditions II NAV hs
th.4
nam one OF the giants OF cotton produr-
tioh' ana as a consequence. should bo,a
the same position In manufaoturino ,Tbo
hliIs already established In Georgia 49,
uolns well, but 1t must be admitted thar
we are not attracting builders in the SANE
/ way as are the Carollnas and Alabama.
SAoulu TINS De so? This question is ex
Veuh giy pertinent and the reply of MIR.
hlncald comes as an alarm hell i, IN
night and should receive attention '-'
Mr.. kircaid is one OF the most spc-
| Gessihl mill men in the whole Union
he IS one of that class of pioneers
whieh blazes the way to new fields ana
INTO aggressive progress He has msi
| with success enough in Griffin to Justify
h'm IN seking to make of Griffin the cen
Yer OF one of the great fabric districts of
W.. ne "oFI9; ne even goes so far as TO say
tnat besides possessing every ADVANTAGE
Tor cotton weaving, the state is In Ina
happy position in which it does not have
TO rely upon foreign capital for the ex-
probation of It's industries "Georgja "
says he, has abundant money 10 build
cotton mills or any other factories thlI
inspire confidence But saws he. ths
confidence is wanting, aud why?
Here is where the situation grows ser-
ious Were the statements printed made
by a man OF less strength than Mr. kin
cad We might pass them by. but In thIs
case We can not afford 10 ignore them
MI Kincaid. besides being an expert ana
successful mill man, Is a devoted citizen
OF Georgla, whose interest in his Stnte
surpasses mis- attachment 20 any personal
enlelprite He accuses small politics
! OF ltS share in disturbing Investment h
hpds fault with the spirit in which ire
7 legislature attacks labor conditions Hs
nnaily draws attention TO the constantly
increasing tax levies which are heing
made upon property
I MT kincaid may be right. and then h,
may be wrong, but In either event his
statements demand attention. for the cor.
teeton o! his error, II error there be o
lor the correction Of the conditions con.
plalnea or, II he views them Alright. The
STATE oil Georgia, as a commonwealth :
inter. Sled In the aggreg ate dsvslonm ~
Of Industrial wealth; the inye tor Is is
tsrg sted In the safety Of his lnye tmert
and suitable dividend thereon: the IA