The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1907-07-16
Cotton Manufactures.

sFor the cotton industry the year end
ing May 81, 1900, was as unfit year
for comparison in being one Of Tar
more than average prosperity as the
year 1904 was in the opposite sense. In
1904 there occurred in Fall River, Mass,
the most protracted and extensive
strike ever known in the cotton indus
try In this country.
Embellishments engaged in cotton
manufactures, not including cotton
small wares, numbered LOTT in 1905.
Tho most Important fact regarding the
Industry during the five years is its
continued growth In the Southern
States Five hundred and fifty of the
1917 establishments. or, to use more
accurate index of the industry's pros
perity, 7,5OS,749 Of the 23,15b,16s produc-
ing spindles in the country were in this
section. Nevertheless New England has
a long lead over the South, and the
spindle capacity of Massachusetts, alone
is greater than that Of all the South
ern States combined.
The capital employed in cotton goods
Increased from $46O,S42,772 in 1900 to
S6O5, 1oO, 164 In 1905, or 31.S per cent;
tho greatest increase was in the capi-
tal invested in machinery, etc.
The average number of wage-earners
in cotton goods establishments was S10,-
ASS, net increase of 1850. The pro-
longed labor struggle In Fall River
caused a falling off of nearly four per-
cent. in the New England States; and
in the country at large the rate of in
crease was low probably on account Of
the employment Of more efficient help
and improved machinery. In all diyis-
ions except the south there was a
dininution in the number of children
employed, and in that section the in
crease was only 1888 out of total
gain in those states Of 22,616 There is
a slow but steady displacement of wo-
men by men, resulting from the in
creasing speed of machinery and the re-
quirement that one hand shall tend a
greater number of machines. Slightly
more than one-half Of all the wage
earners In the cotton mills of the coun-
try are splnners and weavers. There
were 1896 mule spnners-almost ex-
clusively men, and about three-fourths
of them in the New England factories
and 55, 4SS frame spinners of whom 10,
100 were men, 25,7O1 women, and 1905
ciiifdren. The total number of weavers
was ss,SO7, about So per cent. of whom
were in New England mills and more
than SO per cent. in southern mills.
The consumption of cotton mills was
s.743,Os9 bales, or 1,S73,074,716 pounds
ami comprised 54,SSt bales, or 1882, O3.
pounds, of sea-island; 1929 ,OS5 bales, OF
1,S07,512,278 pounds, of other domestic
and SO, $40 bales, or As, 700 406 pounds, Of
Egyptian and other foreign. The aggre
gate cost was $221, 1921, 944. Yarn amount
ing to s1594,65S pounds, at cost o.
81, sol, 4SS, was purchased as material il
1905.
The aggregate value of products was
SAC, 451, ais. The principle product Of
the cotton goods industry was 5,070,O2S,
$40 square yards of woven goods, val
ned at 1920 9S2, 967. More than one-thirt
Of the quantity was plain cloths fol
printing and converting, and more thar
one-fffth was brown or bleached sheet
ings and shirtings. Other products in
clude yarns for sale, sewing cotton
twine. tape and webbing, batting ant
wadding, etc Owing to the high pric
Of cotton, much higher than in 1900, tn
cost of goods was also higher. More
aver. there has been a decided move
ment toward finer goods