The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-12-18


 equal to more than half the amount of new or original capital invested in in- dustries that year, while for 1904 1t was only slightly less than half. While the in- vestments in additions last year was com paratively small the explanation Is found in the peculiar economic conditions asSo- ciated with the cotton situation in the early part of 1904. having their origin In a wide spread misapprehension touching the souths capacity to produce sufficient raw cotton to meet the worlds needs. This misapprehenson which was not correct ed until the world was informed of the enormous cotton crop of 1904, had the eff feet of staying the construction of many proposed mills and postponing the nstalla- ton of much additional equipment which had been planned by cotton mills and other interests related thereto. This situa- ton was of course reflected in the indus trial record for the year closed on June 30-a situation which was taken note of by the Southern Field in the issue for November, 1904
 The Investment In Cotton Mills.
 During the past year there was in- vested in cotton mills and related indus tries thes um of s9,073,65O These plants in cluded cotton mills cotton warehouses. cotton seed oil mills, knitting mills hos iery establishments, congresses, etc. In 1904 the investment was $12, ,953, ,5O0 In 1903 SIC, 326, 100; and in 1902 $I51485O, making a total for the four years of $39, ,S6S, ,Oo0-a truly remarkable showing still further emphasized when results are measured by the number of spindles which this great investment has put in motion in the cities and mill towns reached by the lines of the Southern railway. With the addition of spindles installed since January 1. 1905 -on which date the last yearly record of mill equipment for this territory was closed-there are at the present time 6, 77S.- 1S6 cotton spndles immediately tributary to the Southern railway line which is about 8 per cent of the total number of spindles in the United States and S2.5 per cent of the spindles of the entire south
 There are some 800 establishments in the southern states which consume raw cotton, and of this number all but 95- less than half the number located in North Carolina alone-are established in southern railway states This number in- cludes spinning mills and those estab- lishments which use raw cotton in the manufacture of mattresses. batting felt, etc. The number of active and idle spin dies in southern mills, as compiled by Mir Hester Is S,S5,S93; the number as compiled by another authority for the northern mills is 15325OO0. and the total uutiiDer Ol splnuleS compiled from these two sources Is 240l0,393, which corre- spends substantially with recent report of the bureau of the census.
 Cotton Consumption.
 The cotton consumption in the south- ern mills amounts to 15.6 per cent of the entire American production. Not count ing Virginia, which secures practically all of its supplies from other states, North Carolina leads in the per cent of produc- tion consumed. showing B.4 per cent, com pared with 51.4 per cent In South Carolina and 23.9 per cent in Georgia. The con sumption of mills in the two Carolinas amounts to 56.S per cent of that of the southern states. For the country Massa- chusetts ranks first and South Carolina second in cotton consumption, although the combined consumption of the two Car olnas exceeds that of Massachusetts by 170s44 bales.
 The census report alluded to states that in twenty-five years the production of the United States has increased from D. .359 to 13,693 279 bales. In the same period the total consumption of cotton in this country has increased from 1,67l 3S3 to 427S, ,9S0 bales. Within the last five years the cotton consuming establishments of thes outhern states have increased their consumption from 1,4S3.111 to 2.140151 bales, an increase of 656 40 bales. During theSe tHNe years the nortneTn cotton con- suming establishments have actually de- creased their consumption by 16.955 bales. This is explained by the fact that these mills have been engaged during this period in repla cling old machinery by that which Is more modern. thus increasing the ef- flciency of their plants and the fineness of the yarns spun without making very large increases in the number of So'a- dies.
 In 1880 the southern mills contained 542.04s spindles and consumed 1s3. 453 bales 31. 1904. these mills reported S.211 734 spin dies, and during the year ending August 31. 1905, there were consumed in these mills 2140.15l bales of cotton.
 The cotton consmed per spindle in the