Evening star., 1924-02-02
Business in Ne,U England
Declared Sound by Babson
Water Po,cer Expansion Sure to Near,
Greater Deuelopment-Workers More
Wiling to Act for Common Good.

more expensive, due to Increased
freight rates and increased laoor
costs at the mines. but the constantly
occurring labor disturbances are
continual menace to steam-operated
plants. This means that those who
are dependent wholly upon steam not
only are handicapped Ivy constantly
are always subject to shutdowns due
to- tabor disturbances. Sections OF
the country which are blessed with
water power. however. are largely
free from these two handicaps. There
is no reason why hydraulic horse
power should cost any more nfty
years from today than it costs today.
Moreover. water powers do not
strike" for higher wages or changed
working conditions.
New England not only has some very
large water powers, but has very
great number of small. embarrassed
streams. These small powers are now
being developed in most interesting
way AS New England was the first
to put in operation the 'one-man car"
on its street railways. so it is now de-
veloping norman water powers. De-
vices haye been invented whereby
water power stations and SubstationS
are being automatically operated with
out any man in the station. These sta
tions need only Il visit for inspection
purposes once in while. Certainly
this is inexpensive power. and there is
available in New England today for de-
velopment by this automatic method.
Products Gain in Value.
The following figures should interest
those who are investors in New Eng
land enterprises. The total value OF
products manufactured in the United
States increased 157 per cent between
1914 and 1919. During this period the
products of southern New England
alone increased approximately $50 per
cent. The value to raw material added
by manufacture for the entire United
this same period while the increase In
southern New England was 157 per
cent. During this period the capital In
vested for. the entire United States
increased 96 per cent and in southern
New England the increase was 1926 per
cent. Taking the number of wage
workers Iii the country as whole. the
increase for this period was 81 per cent.
with an increase in southern New Eng
land Of about "a per cent.
The most remarkable figures are in
connection with the cotton industry, in
which New England has over one-half
billion dollars invested and 250.000
people employed. who draw annual
, wages of nearly a quarter of billion
/, dollars. There has been much talk of
the cotton industry going south, and
investors therefore assume that New
England cotton mills are no longer a
safe investment. If a new mill could
be built in the south today at a cost
comparable with these New England
mills the future of the New England
mills might be questioned The fact is,
however. that the New England mills
are capitalized per spindle for only one
half, or perhaps one-third, of what a.
new southern mill must be capitalized
at if built and equipped today. More
| over. as New England can get her cot
ton by water. there is not much to fear
from exorbitant freight rates. AS a
matter of fact, New England should
more than hold her own-especially in
the manufacture Of the finer grades OF
cotton.
Labor Situation Uncertain.
Frankly. when surveying New Eng
land business conditions in a careful
and unbiased manner, the labor sit
uation is the one uncertain factor.
American labor in New England is
all right. 1t is earning good money,
giving efficient service. and enjoying
good living conditions. A larger
group OF the foreign element in New
England. however. fear neither God