Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-22
Cotton Mill. in North and South.


The American Cotton Manufacturers
Association held a meeting in Knox
vile. Tenn, last week. which was at
tended mainly by the cotton manufac-
turers Of the South. In the utterances
of the southerners present at this
meeting. and in the comments of some
Of the southern newspapers, notably
the Atlanta Constitution, there has
been a somewhat jubilant tone regard
ing the growth of the cotton manufac-
turing industry i'm the South. Some of
these speakers and writer's have boldly
claimed that the pre-eminence of the
North in this branch of industry is rap
idly passing away, and that before
many years the South will be as much
the seat of cotton manufac curing as it
has always been of cotton production.
Such talk has become very familiar
during the past few years, and yet the
to do business. and it is a very safe
assertion that they will be found doing
business a generation and century
hence.
1t is not to be denied that many cot
ton mills have been built in the South
in recent years. and that they are be-
ing successfully operated. The North
is far from begrudGing the South the
increasing prosperity which this in
wolves. But it is hardly true that the
conditions which have resulted in the
construction and early success of these
mills is such as to warrant the alto
getber optimistic prophesy in which
the southerners are INDUCING. Even
the proximity of these new southern
mills to the cotton fields is no longer
the fact that it once was. The cotton
fields are moving away from the mills
towards the southwest, and already it
costs the manufacturer in Georgia and
South Carolina almost as much to get
his raw material as it does the New
eI ANcllIci Is tiiS
southern manufacturer likely to enjoy
indefinitely the advantage of freedom
from legislative labor restrictions.
Child labor will not much longer be
tolerated in the southern mills. An
awakened public conscience will eff
fectively protest against it. and al
ready the duration of hours of labor is
receiving attention before several
southern legislatures.
Undoubtedly the South possesses an
advantage in the fact that it's mills are
now equipped with modern and up-tO-
date machinery; and, moreover, it's
mills receive the direct personal atten-
ton Of those whose fortunes and in
terests are involved. This is very sell
dom the case with out northern mills,
and it is a factor which does much to
offset the higher grade of labor en-
ploycd in our northern mills. I'm
doubleday there will be more cotton
manufacturing done in the South in
the future than has been done in the
past or is being done now, but it is
hard to believe that the time will ever
come when cotton manufacturing will
not be a leading industry in this Sec
ton of our country where it originated
and where it has - long prospercd.
Now England manufacturers have
faced new competition and new cOndi-
lions before. and they will face them
low. The natural advantages of the
South are not enough to give it any
considerable lead over the North in
this matter, and we do not believe the
northern manufacturers will be so
short sighted and conservative as to
allow themselves to be left behind in
the race.