The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1911-08-30
JOS. II. JOHNSON
ON COTTON INDUSTRY
Points Out the Reason of Poor Condi.
ton of Cotton Industry I'm the South.

tiOn OF Cotton Industry In the South.
Washington Aug. 23.-Joseph Tray
is Johnson represents the Fourth
South Carolina district in the lower
house of congress. Tfe has been in
harness since the Fifty seventh con
gress and he has learned great deal
since he came here. He is now a
memebr of the committee on appro-
priationS
If there is one thing that the South
Carolina representative knows more
about than anything else, it is the
question of cotton production and it's
manufaucture. From the Piedmont
district of South Carolina where the
fieecy staple is not only grown lux
uriantly. but where the smoke from
hundred mills may be easily seen.
he is thoroughly familiar with all
that pertains to the welfare of the
grower and the manufactures.
Must Break Away.
In few words, Mr.. Johnson be-
lieves that the cotton people will
never secure entire independence un-
til they break away from the strong
grasp of the trusts which now hold
them.
What our people need" Mr.. John
son said today, lis not change in
the present tariff laws or. in fact. a
change in laws of any kind; but a
more businessiike insight into the
whole question. There are few sim
pie propositions which strongly ap-
peal to me. Take, for instance, the
building of cotton mills i'm the South
What do we find? The New England
machinery makers subscribe for a
certain proportion of the capital stock
of the mills. Then what? They do not
pay money. They put in their ma
chinery at big profit, take so many
shares in payment therefor, and then,
because they have already made tre-
mendouS profit on their machinery
they are able to unload their stock at
less than par. Any one with thin
bleful of sense can sec what the effect
of this is to the owners of the stock
who have paid real money for it. That
is one thing. Now, what else? I'm
doubtedly the manufacturers of cotton
goods in the South are losing thous-
ands of dollors every year because they
Will submit to blindly follow the old
Al
the middlemen In the large cities of
the East. What is the effect of this :?
Simply this: The maker of the goods
pays enormous amounts in the form of
commissions to the concern in Boston
or New York for selling his goods.
while he has absolutely no idea where
MS products go. Is this good bust
ness? Is it good business policy for
any man, whether he is farmer. mer-
chant, manufacturer, or one engaged
in any other line of business, to have
only one customer? That is exactly
the situation which confronts our cot
ton manufacturers today.
Cut Out Middlcman.
such men as Parker. Smyth,
August w. Smith, and other wen
known in the cotton trade of South
Carolina. would undoubtedly largely
increase both their sales and profits
If they would agree to cut out the
Eastern middleman and find custom
ers among the people who actually
use the goods. | know it to be n
fact today that many large concerns
nave no idea whore the stuff they
buy and sell comes from Now. if
one of these gentlemen would simply
ma out who their customers are and
go TO them and show what they
make what an enormous amount OF
money would be saved There are
concerns in the East which today are
not manufacturing goods but buying
those made in the South and fnishine
them at their plant because they can
buy our products cheaper than they
can manufacture them. And Vet our
Southern mills are not prosperous
there not a lesson i'm this We do no.
need a tariff readiusmcnt W. me-
Ia liberal application OF common
sense" p H. McG. in The STAT.
state of Ohio, City of Toledo.
Lucas County ss
Frank j. Cheney makes oath na.