The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1902-10-15
BUILDING COTTON MILLS.

!
bales Of cotton. It's mills consumed
only .iG3 bales. The wide difference
between the number OF bales raised
and the number consumed boy mills
has set the Arkansas Guz 'tte TO max
ing an inquiry with an In, lination to-
ward the encouragement O mill build
ing in the state Il has Obtained eX-
pressions Of opinion from u.c cotton
men OF Little Rock. and two ui these,
while not agreeing. are valuable in
rejecting conditions which have sur
rounded the textile industry in ether
parts OF the South. Mr. George II.
Brown secretary OF the Little Rock
Board OF Trade, who Is organizing a
company TO establish 100000 mill
at Little Rock, takes the ground that
the state has every natural advantage
for cotton manufacturing that the la
Dor may be had with ease; that much
Is lost In shipping raw cotton away
and buying &c back in finished form.
and that when the few mills that are
now In operation have proved them.
selves successful during the next fcw
years. there will be an enormous IN
crease in the number OF mills in the
state. He would take time by the
forelock and provide technical
school for the training OF young men
and women Tor mill business. and he
believes that such school would 20
FAR 70 arouse interest In the industry
ON the other hand. Mr. r. f. Morris.
also a member OF the Board of Trade.
believes that the principal cause why
mills have not multiplied is that Ar.
kansas Is practically new state and
therefore there are many industries to
be developed which pay greater divi.
dends ON the investment than do cot.
ton mills. He instances cotton seed
oil mills paying from IS 70 80 per cent
as a dividend. the lumber trade and
mining and against them sets the cot
ton mills. where the margins OF eN-
pense must be cut close. and where
the material used represents only 20
per cent of the total cost. He says
that In Arkansas there are not enough
OF the class of whites TO furnish opera
tiyes for the mills as there are in the
Carolinas and in the Eastern states.
Commenting ON these statements
the Manufacturers Record seusibly re-
marks:
In the main both OF these views
are correct. however contradictory
they may appear at first glance. Il is
doubtful that the experience OF quick
and large gains made in the early days
OF the cotton manufacturing industry
in the Piedmont region OF the South
may be duplicated anywhere in the
country Conditions were unique and
In the comparative absence OF such op.
portunities for investments in other
directions as those now enjoyed by
Arkansas the rise OF successful cot.
ton mills in Georgia and the Caro-
linas was a logical necessity. still
even Arkansas mineral. timber and
cotton oil opportunities have their linn.
itations. and as they expand they
must necessarily attract a steadily in
creasing population 20 the South.
With that increase will come the op-
pOrtunity and the means. II not the
economic necessity. for an expansion
Of the textile industry there and the
mills built now and conseryatively
managed must reap the cream OF the
results With New England and Car.
Gilman capital uniting in establish
ing an immense cotton mill near Kan.
sas City, il would seem that Arkansas
may hardly aford 20 defer 70 a more
convenient season plans FOR carrying
ont safely but steadily the policy OF
raising GOTTEN mills am.ng the cotton
blooms"