The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1907-04-05
GROWING COTTON IN ITALY.
The Experiment to be Made on Large
Scale-Wages Paid-The Fight
On the aRilroads.
BY James S. Mccarthy.

/ BY James S. Mccarthy.
Washington, April 3.-Accordiny
to reports from Genoa, Italy, to the
Department Of Commerce and Labor,
the rapid growth Of the cotton indus
try i'll that country during the past
twenty years AM the consequently cr-
largcd volume Of Italian export trade
in piece goods arc conditions worthy
OF careful investigation and study
on tie part Of the American cotton
! manufacturers and exporters. The
cotton mills Of Lombardy number
about 500, or about 60 per cent of the
total number for Italy, thc number Of
looms throughout the country (ex-
elusive of hand looms) being cstimat-
cd at 100000, with 100000 spin
dies, employing 100000 people. The
| weaving machinery found in Italian
mills is practically all of English
make. Ten hours usually constitutes
a days labor, for which women re-
ceive wage Of from 80 to 40 cents
and men from SO to 60 cents.
The cultivation of cotton in Italy
is insignificant, the yield averaging
not more than 10000 bales. A project
IS said to be on foot for the extension
Of It's growth on an important scale.
During the American civil war a
large amount of cotton was produced
in Italy, and its extensive cultivation
was continued until 1871, when about
l9S, 600 acres were devoted to the
fiber. Cotton fields were then turn
ed into vineyards as yielding more
satisfactory export returns owing to
the scarcity of wine in France. This
country is also making an effort to-
ward cotton raising in Argentina; in
fact for more than ten years Italians
interested in the South American
trade have been attempting to create
cotton crop in Argentina, with fair
ly successful, though gradual, results.
In 1905 the estimated area under
cultivation was 10000 acres. Several
companies with Italian capital have
been organized to exploit the field
and are actively at work, one COM
pany having exported about 1000
bales Of 500 pounds each.
The disposition on the part of some
Of the state legislatures to carry rail
way legislation to extremes has cer-
tainly alarmed business men in many
parts of the country who fear that
lis effect will be such a cripplino Of
the railways is to put Il stop TO the
Improvement in transportation facili-
ties so urgently needed by the grow
ing business Of the country. An illus
tration of this is the resolution re-
Gently adopted by the Chamber Of
Commerce of Chattanooga, Tenn.
This body declares that "such leeis-
lation on thc part Of the various
states Is the out2rowth Of what we
believe to be, in large measure, a
mistaken and misguided public scn-
timcnt.' 1t deplorcs the existence of
such il public sentiment end "such
unfair and unjust legislation aimed
at the railroads, especially of the
South" and urges upon The people
and the legislature Of Tennessee
"that the present unjust warfare on
railroads which is being waged in
0thei states be not encouraged or
abcttcd in the state of Tennessee, lest
such Il warfare prove disastrous to
the legitimate development of the in
dustries of the state and well being
of all her pcoplc.'