The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-01-21
SOUTH'S SP |NDLES .6O PER GENT AHEAD IF NEW ENGLAND'S 5
Boston Banker Refers to Ad- vantageS the South Has Over It's Northern
 Competitors

It is common knowledge that the cot ton mills of the south have been much more active than those of the north during the past year, but the proba- bilities are that few in the trade realize how wide has been the spread between the two sections of the cot ton manufacturing industry in the extent of their operations, writes Aston H. Garside, industrial service manager of the Merchants National bank of Boston, in the Journal of Commerce..
 An analysis of government statis- tics shows that in the first ten months of the year the cotton spin dles of the south ran on an average 60 per cent more time than the spin dles of the north. The southern spin dles operated an average of 2,615 hours, while the northern spindles ran only 1,617 hours.
 The southern mills, with a normal working day averaging 102 hours, ran on an average at 110 per cent of normal, while the northern mills, with a normal day of only nine hours. ran at only " per cent of normal The average for the country as whole was about 94 per cent
 In other words, the southern mills not only ran their longer regular working day but supplement it with a great amount of night work, while the northern mills averaged to run only about three-fourths of their shorter day schedule.
 Further. Comparisons
 The extraordinary difference be- tween mill activity In the south and in the north is further brought out by a comparison of the total number of spindle hours that the two sec tions of the country operated. In the first ten months of the year the southern mills operated about 42,000,- 900, 900 spindle hours. while the north ern mills ran only 34,000, 100000, a1- though the southern mills have only about 16,000,000 spindles while the northern mills have approximately 21,000,000 In other words, the south ern mills. with "A per cent less spin dies than the north, ran "A per cent more spindle hours.
 The differences between the two StCllOHS Ol lIc lHuuSliy do h0AS shown are not open to question, as monthly to the bureau of census by every mill in the country. These reports of active and idle spindle hours, originated by the census bu- reau in September, 1921. now give line of statistical information that was greatly missed for many years.
 It is no longer necessary for the trade to base it's ideas of mill ac- tivity on the more or less unsatis- factory index furnished by consump- ton of the raw material. The figures os spindle hours show accurately the flucturations in mill operations, not only in the industry as whole, but also in the various states.
 The Contributing Factors
 A number of factors have con- tributed to produce the difference between the north and south. It has been partly the result of labor diff faculties in New England mills, arts- ing from the efforts of manufac- turers to reduce manufacturing costs by lowering wage rates and ih- creasing working hours. This, how ever, has not been the major factor in the situation, as is shown by the fact that the same condition pre-
  closing months of 1921, before the labor difficulties in New England began.
 In November of 1921 the southern spindles ran, on an average, 252 hours against only TIT for the northern spindles, and in December 2S9 against 1SS. Moreover in October of this year when most of the labor difficulties had been cleared up, the Southern spindles averaged 284 hours, against 177 for the northern mills.
 The curtailment of mill operations in the north, coincident with over time in the south, has been primarily due to the higher operating costs in the north, these in turn being the re- suit of higher wage rates, higher fuel and transportation costs, heavier taxation, shorter working hours and legislative restrictions of many kinds.
 As to legislative restrictions, it may be pointed out, for example. that the practice of some southern mills to operate day and night is not generally practicable in Massa- chuset.s because of laws in that state which prohibit the employment of women and minors on the night shift.
 There Is doubtless room for diff ference of opinion as to the relative importance of the various factors that have produced this unbalanced state in the industry. but there can be no denying the fact that all the factors taken together have constt- tuted a great handicap to the north ern mills.
 Difficult for Northern Mills
 It is obvious that the conditions with which the northern manufac- turers have had to deal have been far more difficult than those con- fronting the southern manufacturers The facts seem to indicate that in times when there is not enough bus mess to keep all the cotton mills Of the country fully engaged the south ern mills, with their lower costs, are in a position to take by far the greater part of the business offered and the northern mills get what Is left.
 The northern mills, it would ap- pear, are in somewhat the same po- sition as a copper mine whose cost of production is IA or Is cents, compet- ing with mine which can produce the metal for 10 or II cents with the market at 14 cents. If the high cost mine is needed to supply the worlds needs in normal times it is bound to stay in business, but it suffers first and most in times of depression and it does not enjoy as great prosperity in times of business activity as its competitor.
 The northern cotton mills are need ed to supply nearly half this coun- try's supply of cotton goods in nor. nal times. Consequently they will not stop running for good. And they will stay in the north. if for no other reason. because 1t is physically inn