The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1904-08-09
IN FALL RIvER.


The cotton manufacturing industry
in Fall River seems to be at q very
low ebb. The situation IS alarming for
both the mill owners and the opera
w The closing Of the factories by
reason Of the strike and the consequent
curtaifment of the supply does not
seem to relieve the situation. The mar
ket is still stagnant-
The strikers have played into the
hands of the mill men. for under pres
ent conditions and the outlook for The
near future the latter are very willing
10 nave their mills shut down for a
while.
At the same time the operatives felt
that self-preservation forced them TO
s-ike rather than agree to another re-
duction in wages. which had already
reached the bottom notch as far as
being able to make a living was con-
cerned.
The Springfield Republican under
takes to explain the cause of the dis
tressfng conditions at Fall Rive. 1t
says.
1nST6 are TWO CAUSES " tliS =
tributable to the attitude OF both the
manufacturers and the buyers. The
former in the majority of cases cannot
sell cloth or yarn at the prices that
would attract buyers without losing
money, while the later see in the large
cotton crop a good reason for hold
ing off. When trade eventually devel-
ops cotton prices will be based on the
new crop rather than those prevailing
today. Hence it will be seen that for
the manufacturers to make up goods
based on ten-cent cotton to be market
ed at a time when, as IS expected. ss
cents or 8 cents will be the quoted
figure would be bad business
policy unless the cost. of production Is
reduced in the meantime to an extent
| that will approximate this difference.
The wage reduction furnishes IN only
way out, and has been resorted to-
! Admitting the above to be correct,
there is another cause behind this.
and that is southern competition, which
| the northern mills cannot meet. That
is the prime cause and it is a stumb-
ling block in the way of prosperity Of
the New England cotton mills which
not only cannot be removed, but which
will become more destructive of that
prosperity year by year.
ACTIVITY IN the COTTON goods market
will help those mills to some extent,
but 1T will not remove the obstacle
in their way, for as their condition is
bettered by improvement Of the mar.
ket so will that Of the southern mills
advance, and enlarge their power OF
successfully competing with the mills
of the north. In a nutshell-the soutf
has the advantage of the north in Get
ton manufacturing and is enlargins
that advantage early.
/ Fifty years from now people viii
wonder how it was that the New Eng
land people ever made a success of cot
ton manufacturing. They will not D.
able to understand why it was tina
the south allowed it to do so for 81
many years, when it was so plain tina
this section was the logical locality TO
the cotton mills.
Since the development of cotton man
ufacturing in the south the New Eng
land men have made a hard fight L
retain their supremacy in the industry
but 1T has been a losing fight from tn,
beginning. Their supremacy is doom
} ed, and it is only a question of tim,
when they must acknowledge utter de
feat. Their only salvation is to trans
fer their capital to the south-to NOV
their mills to the cotton fields Will
there is yet room for them here.
~