New-York tribune., 1901-07-28

NOW RANK NEXT TO MASSACHUSETTS IN
NUMBER OF SPINDLES AND LOOMS
GROWERS WILL GET GOOD PRICES
IF CROP Is SHORT

Columbia. S c., July 26 (SpeciaD-While accord
ing to government reports. the condition of cotton
in South Carolina is poorer than in any other cot
ton growing State. the farmers may expect higher
prices than anywhere else iE the country. few
years ago prices here from 80 to 40 points
lower than IN New-York. Last year that condition
was reversed. and because of the increased local
demand the difference this fall will probably be
much half cent in favor of the local market.
This changed condition is due to the cotton mills
running in every part of the State. If the
crop is short indicated these mills will
sumo three-fourt1s of the production and to
their stock at home without having to send buyers
into other States and have long haus the rail-
roads will offer the bonus indicated
In the last twelve months South Carolina has
taken her position to Massachusetts in cotton
manufacturing. There is yet big gap between
these two leading States. but the Palmetto is
gaining with phenomenal rapidity. This State has
led Rhode Island in the number of looms operated
for several years but It only that the
textile authorities unite in putting her ahead of
that State in both looms and spindes. The figures
for the present time give Rhode Island 2,O9O,13s
spndles and South Carolina 2,2497Os. Rhode Island
has 43 6S1 looms and South Carolina 63.6l2
North Carolina is next to South Carolina in the
South in cotton ma 1ufacturing. and takes fourth
place in the Union. There the rule has been to
build small mills. There many more mills
than in this State but with aggregate capital
and capacity of much less. She has l692,333 spin
dies and 1858 looms. New Hampshire ranks after
North Carolina. then Georgia and Connecticut.
The other States that manufacture operate less
than million spndles.
According to the figures of a recognized textile
authority there a gain in the United States
for the last year of 1,57S,0Ss spndles, rs per
cent and 34,OS4 looms, per cent South Caro-
lima furnished 10 per cent Of the entire loom in
for the United States. and about SIS per
OF the increase in the South. The increase for
months in SpndleS 390.3S3 for this state.
Just about one-fourth of the total increase in
the United States. and 40 per of the additions
in the South Two years ago some business men
declared that manufacturing here was being over
done, but after such remarkable expansion that
idea is not now entertained There dis
position to check mill building. great water
power the Catawba River has recently been
purchased by persons who contemplate its i'm
mediate development and il is intended to not only
build mills near the river. but distribute thousands
of horsepower by electricity where wanted in ad-
jacent counties.
The war in China has been a setback to a few
ping goods direct that market and had they
been strongly fortified financially they might
have found II disastrous. AS II was, most OF them
met the emergency by putting in machinery for the
weaving OF finer cloth.
There has been not the least trouble labor.
organized; in others the management has eX-
cluded organizers and union men, and there the
matter has rested. The labor is almost all local,
but In the heaviest manufacturing centres the
supply has been exhausted, and in some instances
the mountain regions of Tennessee have been
drawn on for hundreds OF operatives. In three
factories in Columbia and Charleston negroes have
had trials in cotton mills and in every instance
have failed. They are bright enough, but VIII not
work steadily