The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-04
TEXTILE SCHOOL.
One of the Needs of Alabama.

Oue or the NeedS or AlaOama. The following extracts from a speech by President Thach of the A. P. I. should be read with care by members of the Leg islature. Such department as he re- fers to ought to be installed at Auburn: Tn order to still further accentuate the at Auburn, I cite you the particular in- stance ofs our need of a textile depart ment. The question of establishing d tex tile department in connection with our lowing figures relating thereto have been | obtained:
 Cost of Textile School.
 First-Cost of buildings, Mississippi ss2, 800; Gforgia. .s25. 900; South Carolina, 'S second~cost % of s entire equipment saUyTi Mis- Carolina. siS,oOo.
 Third-Annual cost of instruction, Mis- Ssissippi. sie'9ee; Georgia sioooo; South Fourth--Annual cost of supplies. Mis- sissippis; Ids;, 5000; Georgia, $500; South Caro-
 Fifth-Number of professors and, assist ants, Mississippi, 6. Georgia. G. South
 sixth-Per centage of students electing | textile course, Mississippi S5; Georgia, At the last session of the Legislature a bill was introduced looking to the practi- cal fulfillment of our desires for the es- tablishment of first-class textile school. | The effort, however. proved unsuccessful.
 Now, a vital question of the develop ment of the State Is whether Alabama shall continue to lag behind in this re- interests of the Commonwealth will see that the matter Is carried to success | full issue.
 | hold in my. hand cut of the splendid | building of the Mississippi A. and M. College. Here also are specimens of the handiwork of the students of that insti- tution in textile work. One pound of cotton goes into the spinnery worth 8 pound comes out worth B; another 3S; another 69; and still another I13. Whence the difference in value? The gross material in each case Is the same as rule, of the negro and the mue-of | untrained, unskilled muscular force. Whereas in the finished product we have skilled labor, highly scientific technical try, mechanics. artistic taste.
 Roughly estimating the cotton crop of Alabama at OOo.ooo per annum. by the I have enumerated. @ % " this % value .ss could i"b be easily tripled or auadrupled to the enor- nous sum of $150, GOO. 900 or $2OO,O 900. The quickening touch of this great industry has already been felt throughout the State. The latest census shows the inn mense strides made by the State of Ala bama in the cotton industry; our per CenIdSe or increase Tn looms ana spindle s being among the foremost in the Union. Huntsville. Florence, Gadsden, B!rming- ham. Talladega, Anniston. Opelika, Mont gomery. Selma, Uniontown. Eufaula and many other Alabama towns have felt the vivifying influence of this new stream of industrial life. Larger population high CT wages. increased purchasing power of operatives, a higher standard of life bet ter school facilities. and a general uplift in the community life are some of the results. It does seem that an enlightened selflshness, business sense view of the interet of the State would demand that every feasible and reasonable effort be put forth by our law-making power for the up-building and developing of this great wealth producing industry.
 Nearly all, if not all of the superinten- dents, managers and bosses of the mills In Alabama have been educated in their profession beyond the borders of our State. The knowledge and skill of our native born men are altogether empirical and have been acquired from the most ex- pensive of teachers-experlence. The President of this Association mas beer forced to send his two sons from the Ala bama Polytechnic Institute to a remote State where the cotton plant does not even grow in order to learn the science and art of the great textile industry. II is truly a reflection upon our State, that of the wide stretch of territory including North Carolina, South Carolina. Georgia and Mississippi, Alabama alone has nc textile school.