Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1922-10-12
Value Cotton Mil Products Increase.


nual report Of the department With
this climb, North Carolina cotton
mills have maintained their suprem.
acy in the South and is now second
In the United States. In the state
ltself. the industry ranks first in the
humber Of wage earners, the amount
paid in salaries and wages, the value
of products and in value added BY
manufacturer.
"Cotton manufacturing" says Mr..
shipman, In the chapter Of his report
on cotton mills Just completed, has
experienced a steady growth through.
out the years for which statistics n
available, the value Of products ha~
ing increased during the past decade
from $52,Ses,sss in 1919 to $22Ss
S70,691 In 1922.
Capital employed and authorized
ten years ago WAS $53,l0S,250; fol-
1922, $14e,ss4,l71.
64,71o; number reported June 30, 1914
1872.
Approximate amount Of raw mate
rial used In 1919, 32S,407,S7S pounds;
in 1929, 531,7ss,1ls pounds. or L.
0ss,536 bales Of cotton weighing 500
lbs per bale. This percentage Of in
crease In the quantity Of raw mate
rails consumed by the industry ID
found to be relatively greater than
that Of any other state engaged in the
manufacture Of cotton goods.
"The cotton mill Industry Of the
state has also rapidly expanded IN
machinery equipment showing q re.
markable increase il both spindles
and looms during the ten.year period
Tor which these comparisons are made
The number Of spindles employed In
1s13 WAS s.331,426; in 1s2l.a3, 5,s06.
ho2. Looms in 1911. @5s,ss1; fol-
RS21.23, 74,740. Because Of their dit.
tsrsnt speeds and their use upon dif.
fsrent grades Of yarn, the number Of
sptnlles employed may not be strictly
- accurate index Of the cotton indus
~, yst II 10 one Of the best standards
available and is the most generally 40
ospted measure Of progress.
'"The total number Of employees en-
gaged In this industry in 1912 wat
"The spindle increase In North
Carolina has, for each succeeding
year since 1912, been greater than IN
any other state and establishes be
iyond question the claim that the state
has risen to position Of great i'm
!portance In the cotton manufacturing
industry. The increase for the last
bienial period is 376,S36. Rate Of in
Grease since 1915, being a total Of
i1,312,424, is 25 per cent. The output
Of North Carolina spindles consists OF
fine yarns in immense quantities, the
value. Of which,. in proportion to mum
Dor. exceeds that Of any other rival
In the value Of ticks and denims the
state leads the entire country.
IAN index to the industrial progress
OF the state the past two years ii
furnished by the continued growth o
the cotton mill industry. Industrially
North Carolina has rapidly advanced
to that position Of output and pros
,perity will be controlled only by ba
,sicS limitations. No fact relating t.
the advancement Of the state is NOR
interesting, more important, or NOR
significant to the student of social ant
economic conditions in North Caro-
lima than the vigor, the persistenc,
and the success that has followed tn
introduction of this branch Of manu-
facture. The last biennial period ha
witnessed the usual development b.
the textile industry.
"The number Of mills represente
In these compilations is 1888. OF thi
number 352 report $146,S94,172 ir
vested and authorized in plant OF
erations. The number Of spindles RI
perted is 5,6O5,102; looms, 74,740
cards, 14,725; and the number Of hors
power utilized at regular interval
was 2s1,759. The approximate amour
Of raw material used, b31, 1871
pounds. Estimated value Of yearl
output, 1928, 9,67O,691. Adult males en-
pioyed, 1924; females, 27,754; chi
dren; 1884. Total number Of emplo,
%, 1872. Eesimated number Of d
pendants intimately associated wit
The cotton mill industry in the capa'
Aty Of wage.earners and their familie
70 2eJ,o65.
"The extent to which an industl
gives employment and hte amour
which II pays In wages Is better tel
OF III Importance in many instance
than the capital It requires, the CO.
OF materials, the value Of products, (
even the added value through the pr
cess Of manufacture. The wage ear
'srs in all branches Of the textile indu
TRIP Of the state combined, present
formidable array Of men, women al
children. The number Of each ella
reported for the period covered
this report shows a healthy increa
ever the previous two years, but Il
wage level is lower, due in measu
70 the continued business depressi,
which appeared during the latter pa