Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1909-09-09
HEALTH CONDITIONS AND THE
TEXTILE INDUSTRY IN THE
SOUTH.
augusta Herald.)

since II has been recognized that
the proper seat of the textile indus
try is the South, where the cotton is
grown, all conditions bearing on this
subject are being closely studied. That
other things being equal it is cheapest
to manufacture the cotton where it is
grown, is a self-evident fact which adj
mits of no question. That the climatic
conditions are most favorable, is also
very plain, since cotton spinning re-
quires humid atmosphere and warm
temperature. That living is cheaper
in the South is natural, for living ex-
penses must be less where the cost of
going through the winter is lowered,
and where vegetables and other crops
may be grown and gathered continu-
ously every month in the year. And
that the South has an abundance of
the cheapest power for manufacturing
purposes has been made clear since
consideration has been given to the
innumerable streams which flow from
the mountains to the sea in the South
ern states. The only question con-
corning which some doubt was still
felt outside of the South was the
health question Outside of the South
it is generally believed that it is a
sickly country to live in.
This question can be effectively set
tied only when complete vital statis-
tics shall be available. Since such
records, of sufficient accuracy to be
worth anything, have not bee1s ..ypt in
the South, convincing answer to 81
lence skepticism 4completely cannot
be given. The Sout-g is healthier to
live in than almost any-other section.
We of the South know this, but the
people outside do not And to convince
them of the error of this belief it is
necessary to present to them reliable
vital statistics
These are beginning to be furnished.
Many cities are doing like Augusta
keeping an official record of vital sta
tistics, which show clearly that health
conditions in Southern cities are bet
ter than in Northern cities More val
liable than these for the purpose I'M
der consideration now, would be rec
ords of cotton mill villages. Only one
such record is at this time know to
exist, that of Pelzer, S. C. 1t is a sam
pie of what others would be were they
kept, and shows that as concerns
healthfulness of climate, the South is
blessed beyond all other countries.
The mill village of Pelzer has a
population of a little over 5000, and is
entirely a cotton mill town The
health statistics have been carefully
compiled by the authorities of the
Pelzer company for % years, and for
the year ending August 81, 1909, which
is the fiscal year of the Pelzer COM
pany, the health statistics show that
there were 239 births in Pelzer during
the twelve months, and 10 deaths. Of
those who died, II were under one.
year old, one was five years, one was
six years, one was seventeen, one was
twenty-siX, one was forty-seyen one
was siXty-three and one was seventy
five. There was only one death from
tuberculosis during the year
This shows that where sanitary con-
ditions prevail in healthfulness as
we'll as in other requirements the
South is far ahead of other sections
and other countries in all that is re-
quired to make it the seat of the tex
tile industry of the world. All this
will in time be fully appreciated, and
when that time comes practically all
the cotton grown in the South will al
so be manufactured here.