The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-02-09
SOUTHERN MILLS.


SOUTHERN MILLS.
American Wool and Cotton Reporter.
In q sense, as Massachusetts and
Rhode Island are to the North the
banner manufacturing States. 50 the
Carolinas are to the South, and some
entertaining statistics are prepared.
showing them to be the centres of tex
tile industry in that section of the
ountry IN the matter o f~capitaliza-
ton, North Carolina mills, 352 in
number, including those devoted to
capitalized at $~54,192,3O0, and they
operate 3.103,O19 spind6es. 1t is esti-
mated that the average dividend paid
by these corporations Will equal 6
per cent. the normal return from a
mill share Investment, so hat share
holders in North Carolina mills re-
ceivcd about $3,251.53S during 19O8.
There are about $1,000 looms and
500 knitting machines in North Car
DINA and 1872, 961-horse power is nee
essary to drive the mill equipment, and
electricity is the most popular drive
in both Carolinas, There are about
10000 operatives employed in North
Carolina mills, and the fact that IS
per cent can read and write is an inli-
cation Of a good order of Intelligence
in the mills. Ninety per cent of the
manufacturer oppose employment of
CiilihitI uIltlcl L Years OF dSc, iilu
20 per cent favor the compulsory
school law, which rather upscts the
picture painted Dy some Of our yellow
Journals. and about as yellow maya
zines, of the child, slavery in the South.
II the ~hard-hearted manufacturers
who are the slave drivers.
The average days work in the North
Carolina mills is 10 IS hours, and the
highest average wage for men is $3.50
q day. with the lowest average 10
cents q day. The highest average for
women operatives is $50 per day,
and the lowest sc cents q day. The
average for children is ; cents.
South Carolina leads the South in
spindleagc and IS Second in the United
States, ranking next to Massachusetts.
There are 49, textile manufacturing
corporations in the State. operating
on a capitalization of ~s56.9a2,05O, and
the average dividend disbursements
are about 6 per cent or S3,419,523 on
the capital stock of the mills. About
1000 operatives are employed in
producing $4,000. 600 worth Of finish
ed fabrics from 500. 600 bales of cot
ton and the value Of the product is
materially increasing. which shows
expansion and production of finer
grades of goods. OF the cotton man
ufacturing States operating as many
as one million spindles. Massachusetts
Ill IL Hitli S1'ooS
South Carolina second, with 3,713,0OO
North Carolina third, with 2.944,404
Rhode Island fourth, Georgia fifth,
New Hampshire sixth, and Rhode
Island seventh, and the time has ar
rived when when the Carolinas rank
fully as high as the North in the
quality of help, n the result Will be
an increase in fine goods production
from those States in the future.
Considering the condition Of bust
ness in all lines during 1905, the re-
suits reported by the mills IN the
Carolinas are gratifying and creditable
to the a~nufacturer in those States.
and it signifies their capab1llty OF
meeting adversely as we'll as prosper
ity. and overcoming all difticu ties ana
at the same time showing
Fine warns and fine goods should be
the slogan Of the CarOlinas. They
have the the eQulpmen the
men to produce results AID they now
have the trained help, and the prog
ress toward finer production is all the
more deserving of commentator
when we consider the obstacles over
come in the matter Of heln. FROM
raw recruits the Southern mill treas
nrers. agents, superintendent anf
have trained up an army OF
mill operatives such as can be credlted
to no Othef manufacturing ce1tre ~
the world. as iii all other centres eA-
cept in our own Southland there WaS
something to build on. Down there
it was absolutely raw material "ltn
very little natural Inclination TOR IN
work, and the success OF the tisA :
now so pronounced that it is no longer
a question Of competency as one SCI
ton is as good as the Other-