San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-22
TEXTILE MAN
MUST LOWER
HIS OVERHEAD.
Southern and New England
Manufacturers Facing
Crisis.
USE BEST MACHINES
Only Hope Is in Reduction
Of Production
Costs.
USE BEST MACHINES
BY j. c. ROYLE.


Copyright by The San Antonio Light.
New York, March 22.-The textile
manufacturers, having seen their mar
gin Of profit curtailed at one end by
resistance to price advances, are turn
ing earnest attention to broadening
those margins at the other by reduc-
ti0n of production costs. This is
especially true among makers of cot
ton cloths who are facing a critical
situation both in the South and New
England at present.
"Uncertainty of the future in pro-
duction and price Quotations of raw
cotton together with the development
OF competition and specialization in.
manufacture has made it absolutely
essential that cotton mills develop
and maintain the highest efficiency,
both in machinery and labor" ID. W.
Holland of the executive board of
the Textile Operating Executive of
Georgia, Alabama and Florida said
today. Executives from those states
have spent large part of this week
in discussion of factory price and
methods.
They agree that in both machinery
and labor the best is the cheapest and
most economical in the long run. As
result, many plants in the South
and New England are being remod-
eled on a more efficient basis. This
has been noticeable recently in Vir-
ginia and North Carolina, where new
and improved machinery is being in
stalled while mills are on a curtailed
production schedule.
The great Amoskeag mills of New
England are adding wooden machin-
cry in order to take full advantage
Of the trained personnel on their pay
rolls. Consultations which would
tend to eliminate overhead charges
also have been put into effect and
other mergers are in prospect. 1t is
Arkwright mills and the Bernard
Manufacturing company will be COM
bined.
Welfare Work . Benefit.
The South, according to Mr.. Hol
land, now is reaping the benefit of
money spent in welfare work in the
past. sMoney So spent and that de-
voted TO churches, schools and amuse-
ments," he added, "has kept Ameri-
can born labor contented and efficient
and is now bearing fruit in increased
individual efficiency in Southern
mills. I consider this factor one of
the greatest in bringing this section
to the front rank in the textile in
dustry."
His attitude is supported by ]. j.
Trego, secretary-treasurer of the Ma
tional Association of Credit Men, who
is in close touch with conditions in
all sections of the country. "Stu-
dents of industrial relations" Mr..
Trego said, "strongly advocate a
closer getting together of executives
and employees. Personally j have felt
that this idea was not only human,
but exceedingly practical
IL have noticed in my recent travels
several large enterprises where the
chief executives know their men well
and it was interesting to note that in
businesses governed by this direct in
tercourse, trouble seldom arose. A
mutual understanding will help trem-
endously in solving problems and es-
tablishing closer cooperation for
production on the lowest basis of
cost"
Moving in Light Volume.
At present cotton goods are NOV
ing in unusually light volume, prices
are not satisfactory TO manufacturers
, and mill curtailment is more marked.
Experts attribute this not so much
to lack of demand by ultimate con-
sumers, although these seem keenly
resentful of attempts to raise prices,
but to caution and conservatism on
the part of retail distributors. How
ever, stocks in the hands of retailers
and jobbers are not large and must
be replenished. They look for i'm
proved business as June approaches.
Conditions in Mexico and Central
America, which absorb fair volume
of American cotton goods as well as
other products, have been most UNI
favorable recently. 1t is true that the
Obregon troops in Mexico are rapidly
scattering the rebel forces, but
period of unrest with frequent inter-
ruption of communication is TO be
expected for some time to come. Scat
tered bands from both sides, unde-
sirous of returning to work in the
fields, often cause considerable dis
ruption of trade and communication
following Mexican political disturb
ances. A similar condition is af-
fecting trade with Honduras, while
weather conditions in some of the
other Latin-American countries have
not been such as to lead to extensive
tuying.