The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-04-13
COTTON FACTORIES WHICH
MAKE MONEY.
Continued from Pase FiftcAl)

~St1 ~
and this is now under construction.
In addition to the above, these mills
have a pension. fund which now
amounts to $4,000, a fund for the
welfare of. the employees of more than
100000 and d sanitary fund Of $685.
900. The workmen have also socie-
ties organized under a for
mutual relief and for the promotion
of the general interest of the men,
bers. One of these societies has a
large income from it's members fees,
including a subsidy from the company,
and another has a capital Of $780,
900.
Japanese Mills Which Pay Big Diyi-
deIidS.
/ am told that all the cotton mills
Of Japan are doing well. In addition
to the establishment which L ave de-
scrlbed there are many others which
work day and night and which pro-
pose to increase their capacity and to
extend their trade throughout the far
east. They look upon China as their
especial market and say hat they
have the advantage Of all other peo-
Piles in understanding the writer
characters used in the languages Of
n two countries, and also in their
general knowledge Of the Chinese peo-
pie and their customs. There are
now japanese going Over China in
Vestigating the market for cotton;
and there are steamship lines which
connect Kobe with the big cities on
almost all the Chinese rivers. The
demand for cotton goods at home is
steadily increasing, and there a great
effort Will be made to push the trade
in Korea and Manchuria.
At present there are a hundred and
eighteen mills in the country devoted
to spinning alone; and these have
more than 1900, 900 %spindles. They
make almost a million bales of cot
ton yarn annually; and have q profit
therefrOm of nine or ten million dol
lars. I have before me figures show
ing some of the dividends paid. In
1905 every cotton mill in Japan paid
from 10 to 40 per cent. and in 1906
there were ten companies which paid
all the way from 16 to 40 per cent.
In 1907 there were two which paid
SO per cent; and the Toxic Grand
Yarn Company has paid as high as
20 per cent. Nearly all these com
panies are adding to their SURPRISES
and are charging off good amounts
to the depreciation of their buildings
and machinery.
Cotton Weaving.
SO far the Japanese have not done
q great deal in weaving cotton, but
they are now making enough sheet
ing every year to carpet a road as
W1Oo as fC1nSSlNa1l avenue, III
Washington. for q distance of sixty
thousand miles. Such q arpet would
| reach twice around the world at the
equator and leave more than enough
over to cover a similar pathway
through it's center. There are now
q number of large mills with some
thing. like ten thousand looms. They
grew rapidly during the Wal with Rus
STA, for he army then needed guam
titles of goods and the prices rose
The cost of blankets went up 100 per
cent, and Solne Of the mills were kept
busy making kahki. OF what the wal
required it is estimated that Japan
supplied 10 per. cent and only import
ed 80 per cent.
In addition to the work of the
weaving factories. an enormous
amount was done in the houses or
hand looms. Tier are now almost
| carried on, and there are hundreds
Of thousands Of people who WORK
/ these. The numbe was more thar
a million ten years ago.. but it is
gradually decreasing, and more anG
more of the work is being done in
the factories. It is this houseweavine
Industry which consumes a great par,
OF scottone yarn manufactured here
andeit is or hand looms that the most
of that. which, is exported to China