The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1905-09-13
The Cotton Association.

The Cotton Association.
Elsewhere in the Press and Banner we copy
various articles in reference TO the recent
meeting in Asheville of delegates from the
Cotton Association in the different states.
The Press and Banner would, II 1t COULD
correct a very erroneous impression AS to the
position OF the manufacturers in reference 10
The price OF cotton.
AS We understand, and we think we know
whereof We speak, there is no antagonism On
the part Of the cotton mills toward Inc lar
mers. Any stable price that may be. set on
the staple suits the cotton mills better than
fluctuations.
The manufacture OF cotton cloth has been
reduced to q science. Cotton mill men know
exactly the cost of manufacturing cloth, In
their different mills, but they cannot, any
more than any body else, tell the future mar
ket price of either the raw cotton or the
manufactured product.
There are two lions in the path ofthe cotton
mill On one side 10 the market price OF the
raw cotton, and on the other side is The price
OF the manufactured product.
If cotton goes up and cloth goes down, the
mill is in q hole.
by great rise in the price OF cloth.
1t Is true that there is slight difference IN
the cost and quality OF the cloth at the differ
ent mills. The cost OF labor in the mills is
about the same, but the power TO run the
machinery In some mills Is little cheaper or
q little more costly than in others. In some
OF the mills the machinery Is more modern
than In others. The skill in manipulating
the machinery may be a little different, and
one mill may as consequence, make better
sample than others, and some again may
make more seconds than others. The differ
ence Of cost in each OF these instances IL
the smallest Part OF ce mt ON the pound, and
makes the cost average up nearly the same
In all the mills. These differences are incon-
siderable and neither make nor break the
mill.
The cotton mill is hurt by the great fuctua-
tions in prices OF the raw cotton and In the
change in the price Of cloth. When cotton
drops frcm l6 cents to or cents the mill
like any body else, suffers loss in proportion TO
the stock on hand. Ifa cotton mill contracts
to sell cloth at specified price when cotton
is at 8 cents and the price OF cotton goes
higher the mill losses lis profits and may
run for months at loss.
The cotton mills, If they could have prices
which would vary but little, would prefer TO
pay II CT mis- the Year round than 10 pay 10
cents one day and cents another day. In
the fluctuations they get caught. and the
legitimate business of manufacturing cloth
becomes little more than speculation in the
price OF cotton or gambling in The price OF
cloth.
The great number OF new mills that have
been built make competition very strong,
and the great number Of new mills has util-
tied all the help that is 10 be found in the
country. There is scarcely q mill IN the
State whose machinery Ia in full operation.
Spindles and looms are standing in all OF
them.
The money of a cotton mill Is made or lost
in the Office. If cotton Is bought when the
market is in their favor they get rich. II
they buy and the tide is against them, they
suffer. The superintendent and the help
may be OF the best and the most skiifu!, and
the machinery msy be the best but the mar.
gin of profit Is not enough 10 overcome the
mistakes or the msfortunes of the Office.
Ifthere was fixed price for the cotton the
price of the cloth would he regulated accord
ingly and our mills would prosper. Any
fixed price Is safer than the shifting figures.
The mill people, like the farmers, sometimes
think the price OF cloth will 60 up, and they
hold 1t: The price Of cloth is just as uncer-
tain as the price Of cotton,
We often hear expressions to the effect that
the speculators are against the farmers and
strike to put the price down. There never
was greater mistake.