Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1924-08-07
Transfer of New Eng
land Cotton Mills to
the South

The cotton mill industry is
rapidly increasing in the South
and almost as rapidly decreasing
in New England.
The dismantling Of some New
England mills for removal to the
South is now under way and is
the continuation Of a movement
started months ago. OF this
movement the Admission (Ala.)
Star says:
Cotton goods manufacturers in
The New England States are
seeking and acquiring mill sites
near the source of the cotton sup
ply in the South. Until now
there have been few mills dis
mantled and moved Instead,
owners of New England mills
merely have erected and equip
ped mills in the South before
abandoning their Northern plants,
Now however, big New England
mills are being Invested of their
equipment and their large build
ings left idle and vacant while the
machinery is moved to more adj
vantagous locations in the South.
Two Of the larger cotton mills
in Fall River, Mass, are now be-
ing dismantled for removal to
previously prepared mill plants
at Kingsport, Tenn. The dis
mantled plants are Mills 6 and z
of the Cotton Goods Division of
the American Printing company.
The company has been operating
seven large cotton mills, and an
extensive clothing printing diyis-
ion in Fall River, employing more
than 1900 skilled operatives in
its various plants. The transfer
of two of the company's mills to
Tennessee marks the beginning
of what is believed to be a move
ment by the company to later
transfer all Of its activities to
the South, where the mills can
be close to the sources of the cot
ton supply, where the climate is
favorable for all-the-time opera
ton, power is abundant and eff
ticient native labor easy to OBJ
tain.
The action of the American
Printing company is a part of
what is believed to be a general
movement among New England
cotton goods manufacturers to
transfer the bases of operation
from the remote New England
mill towns to the more con-
veniently situated manufacturing
towns of the South, as a means
of saving many millions of dol
lars in transportation charges on
raw materials and Of other mill
lions of uninterrupted operation
of plants under more favorable
climatic and labor conditions.
The American Printing compa-
ny is owned principally by the
firm Of M. c. D. Borden and Sons,
New York, and members of the
firm made extensive and exhaust
i've investigation of conditions in
the Southern cotton country be-
fore deciding upon the movement
to the South. Other Mill owners
IN the Northern and New Eng
land States have been making
similar Investigations. They
appear eager to find desirable To-
cations either for the transfer of
their northern plants or for
the erection of supplement-
airy plants in the South.
The movement means much
to the industrial South and
will have an especial value to
the cotton growing industry for it
Will mean the providing of an am
pie and regular market right at
hand for the South's cotton crop
The movement under way in
Helm to establish a cotton mill
at that point, which is meeting
with gratifying encouragement, is.
but one Of several efforts under
way IN various Alabama towns
to bring the cotton n.anufactur-
ing industry to the cotton-produc-
ing South. The movement is
well under way and the promise
IS that Alabama will get its full
snare of the benefit resulting to
the South from transfer Of New
England mills to Southern loca-
tons.
Many more of these textile
plants will be on the move, look.
ing for the most desirable loca
tons North and South Carolina
Tennessee and Alabama are get
ting them, Few are stopping il
Georgia. Why?
Lack of progress is the ans
wer. While other States builc
permanent roads, we remain il
y 1 he mud.
Georgia spends only tire
cents per capita to prevent al
diseases.
North Carolina spends /.