Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-02-15
Increase In tho Number Of Factories
Last Year.
LARGE PERCENTAGE IN THE SOUTH
Labor Question Beginning to Be
Felt There.
SECTIONS ADV "A G ES
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence OF The Evening Star.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala, February II, 1901.
Owners of southern cotton mills now ad-
nit the time is rapidly approaching when
they will have no advantage over thei1
northern competitors in the matter Of labor
employed, it's supply, price or docility
Southern mills are now voluntarily reduc-
ing the hours Of work to sixty-six a week
or only six hours more than prevail in a
majority Of Massachusetts, mills. This is
done in anticipation Of a demand for such
reduction. The surplus labor Of the south
which was available for cotton mills has
been absorbed during the past year. and
the same questions now confront the south
ern mill owner as have puzzled his Yam
kee brother tor several generations.
The scale Of wages in the southern mills
Is from IS to 90 per cent of what is paid In
New England. but the cheaper and better
style Of living, 1t is asserted, more than
compensate to the worker for the differ
ence. The south is very generally pros
porous. Cotton, lumber. phosphates and
coastwise shipping bring good prices and
are in active demand This means employ
ment for great numbers of people and con-
sequent dearth of surplus labor for the
mills and other new industries to draw
upon. Should this condition continue much
longer 1t will have an appreciate effect IN
raising the wage scale and shortening the
days work in the near future.
The Labor Question.
Unionism Is making considerable head
way in the southern cotton mills, but SO
far lacks cohesiveness and comprehensive
organization. Nearly every employe Of a
mill is a member of a union, but In each
mill many labor organizations are repre-
scented. Mill owners recognize the day is
not far distant when some influence or
some leadership not now exercised Will be
able to bring these subdivisions together
and amalgamate them into a force which
will have treaty rights by virtue OF Its
strength. In brief, the labor question is
just beginning to present itself IN tanglble
form for southern mill owners TO renect
upon. They are dealing with it intelligently
and effectively far but are still coaxins
the situation along, SO to speak. The wage
Garner, generally from the rural districts.
where unionism is unknown, Is absorbing
the new ideas, acquiring sense OF power
in negative strength and otherwise becom-
ing a counterpart of his brother In arms In
the great Industrial centers of the world.
The result Of an increasing cost OF produc-
ton, greater competition and less flexible
and docle labor supply will have the effect
in time of checking any tendency TO Doom
such prevailed last year, and Will put
the business upon conservative tHoush
and permanently valuable to the south
The real advantages of the south IN the
matter Of cotton manufacturing are Gil
mate, water power and raw material al
the door. The climate insures twelve
months of operation cheaper living for the
operatives and q thousand and one econ
omies in the running OF the mills wafer
powers are abundantly distributed through
never-faling streams of convenient size,
free from freshets owing to the long ana
gradual watersheds. These water powers
never freeze or block with Ice, as do the
mill streams in the north. The raw cotton
IS to be had at the door of every mill in
the south. The advantage of this is shown
in the fact that the average 1re!eHt rate
paid by Massachusetts mills 10 secure the
raw material delivered is more than the
rate upon the manufactured goods from
Columbus, Ga, to Boston or New York.
Growth of Factories.
During 1900 the number of spindles In
creased in the United States by about
/ 100000 o. this increase only 1871, 600 new
spindles are credited to all the states out
side of the south. In brief, the great
growth Of the cotton manufacturing busi-
ness In the United States In 1900 was
practically all due to the progress made
by the southern states There will not be
such an increase in 1901 nor will the in
crease as 1t does appear show such pro-
portionate gain by the south over the north.
There will not be as many new spindles
in the south this year. and several large
mills are being built in New England
whose spindles will figure in the growth OF
the industry in the north in 1901.
If cotton continues to hold Its present
price Of about cents there Is no telling
where the stimulus to the industrial south
will end. At the present figure cotton is
profitable in all It's phases of growth, sale
ana manufacture. Conservative men expect a
drop in price, but no one believes 1t Will
ever go as low as 1t was three or four
years ago, when AZ or cents was all the
farmer could get. 1t seems to be the gen.
eral opinion that cotton prices will in time
find their way down to basis of about
cents, and there will stay, subject to the
usual slight fluctuations. The cotton crop
of the current year will bring to the farm
ers of the south over $5OO,OOO,0OO, and still
not one-third Of the available cotton land
is under cultivation.
The Field Widened.
Improved machinery has so widened the
field for cotton goods that the present con-
sumption Of cotton is believed by many
experts to be but small part Of what
will be demanded by the people Of the
world within few years. Fifty years ago
the factories of the world used $500, COO
bales of cotton. Last year they used nearly
100000 Of bales, thus increasing the con-
sumption in fifty years over 700 per cent.
The cotton fields Of the south furnish 70
per cent of the lint cotton used by the
manufacturers of the world. Edward At
kinson estimated In 1895 that 1t would re-
qutre at that time an annual crop of AZ COO
COO bales to raise the worlds consumption OF
cotton manufactured goods to the highest
standard. In 1860 the American cotton crop
was 4.S24, 600 bales, and in 1900 1t was over
1O,OOO,OOO bales. 1t will be but few years
until crop Of 25.OOOOOO bales Of cotton is
bringing $1,0OO.OOOOOO each year to the
farmers Of the south.
In 1880 there were $50 cotton factories in
the south, in 1880 264 and In 1900 663. The
percentage of increase of spindles and
looms largely exceeded that of the number
Of factories. The number Of factories in.
creased in the last year 49, an amount
almost equal to the number existing in