Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-07-30
Cotton Manufa cturers.

The significant and important fe: {
ure of the census bulletin on cotton
manufactures which has just been is
sued, is the showing of the great adj
vance of the industry in the South.
While in 1850 there were 1G1 Gotten
manufacturing establishments in the
southern states with 10000 active
spindles, and in 1890, 239 establish
ments with 1,75G,047 spinGles. there
were in 1900 an even 400 establish
ments with 4,29S,1SS active spindles.
This is Il marvellous advance and, in
view of it, il is hardly strange that the
industry in other sections did not much
more than hold It's own. There was an
apparent decrease, III fact, in the num-
Der Of establishments in the New Eng
land and middle states, but this is due
mainly to consolidation. The number
of active spindles. however. which is
the real measure Of the industry, in
creased in New England from 1885,
POI in 1890 to 13,171,377 in 1900. The
total number of active spindles in the
country in 1900 was 19472.232. so it is
seen that New England is still the
great seat OF cotton manufacturers. In
fact within 80 miles of Providence
there are almost twice as many spin
dies as in all the southern states COM
bined, and tie single county of Bristol,
Massachusetts,, has more splndles than
the whole South.
the bulletin shows that the 973 cot
ton manufacturing establishments re-
porting in 1900 bad Il capital invested
of 46O,S42,772. This means land, build
inGs. machinery, etc, and does not in
cludc capital stock. In 1890 the capital
invested was 3ii millions, in 1850, POS
millions. and in 1870, 40 millions. Tile
growth of the industry was steady and
great all through the 10Th century It
was the first, the largest and the most
typical factory industry in the country,
and still holus its rank, almost undis-
putcd. in all these respects. The
growth of the Industry is proof enough
that it has been profitable, but it has
had many seasons of encouragement
and loss. Within the past generation.
southern competition, labor troubles
and the menace of Democratic low
tariff policies have nj times made the
northern manufacturer work hard tc
figure out profit.
In such a great industry the labor
employed is a most interesting factor.
The bulletin shows that in 1900 the
American cotton mills employed APP
proximately 100000 people an increase
of about 10000 over 1890. OF this ir-
crease. 10000 We're in the South. No
other industry employees so many per-
sons within mills. and it is of interest
to note that the numbers of men and
women employed are more nearly equal
than in any other great industry In
the last decade or two the number of
men employed has increased much
more rapidly than the number of wo-
men. An unpleasant fact revealed by
the report is that 10000 persons under
16 years of age We're working in the
cotton mills in 1900. This evil of child
labor exists mainly in the South where
restrictive laws are few, and where
the demand for help in the new mills
exceeds the supply. But that section
is beginning to realize the wrong OF
such u system and the agitation for its
abandonment which is in progress will
probably work something of reform
before another decade has passed. The
wages paid By the cotton mills for 1900
reached a total of over s92.O0o,o OO. an
average of about S3CC for each man,
woman and child in the employ of the
mills.
As to the condition of the cotton