Year: 1875

PROVIDENCE, X. l., Oct IL, 1910


The real difficulty which besets the manufac-
turing industry in New England just now is the want
of organized foreign for their fabrics Unfor
tunately the greater number of the mill
fully alive to this They would like to foreign de-
mand for their goods Of course but they simply
manufacturers They nrust the sale Of their produce
to other men-commission merchants-and leave to
these the enterprise Of discovering markets. But
this they turn slow to do because requires
knowledge and activity Of kind which often they
do not possess, and to which their interest does not
actually compel them Meantime If you ask
facturer why he does not command foreign market,
his stereoyped answer is that 'abor dear this
country


Now, even II this correct it would STILL think
be an ungracous thing say 1t puts the mill owner
in false relation his people, who apt to retort
their side, that II is not dear labor much as waste
Ia the general management-high salaries OF agents
and other officers expensive Offices and other leaks
tho general administration OF the business-whch
crpples the industry When men who ought TO work
together thus that each opposes the others IN
terests, there is hard feeling, which does not help
either and there likely to be Misrepresentation
both sides. The manufacturers, being of educa-
ton and also business men, cannot help thinking that
they more to blame than the operatives when they
fall back readily upon the really unounded assertion





simply because '1abor is too high"


M THE REMEDY FOR EVILS


The imitation ofprices which followed upon the Legal
Tender and the large profits which ensued during
the did not great relative increase in
cotton spindles in wooen hence the cotton manu-
facturers surmounted the difficulties consequent upon
the great decline in prices of cotton with remarkable
success; but, as full supply of cotton became more
and more assured they have added unduly TO their
capacity for supplying the home market under a
limited demand, and during the past year a very mod
crate accumulation of goods their hands has embar
rassed Them because being unsalabe it stood in their
way as much as though it had been very great
stock The real for this, however is because
they have consented TO be shut in upon market too
small for them. The aggregate accumulation of cot
ton goods at any time during the last year has
probably exceeded ten weeks production. AS
can ascertain from the best informed sources tho
stock on hand surplus does more than equal
about six weeks production Of all the mills that are
running. 1t is admitted that about ten per cent are
stopped


THE PROSPECT GOOD.


think it may be said, therefore, that the increased
consumption which seems to have set in, and which
perhaps is stimulated by the very low price OF goods
will have its effect upon the market presently and will
give better prospects after months those man
ufacturers who able to maintain themselves for the
present There is moreover encouraging revival of
export trade in cotton goods to China Japan Africa
and South America This trade is slowly increasing
mainly because American goods OF this und
are SO greatly superior to English. 1t could
be more rapidly increased at this time,
II American trade with foreign countries
had not been many years crippled that the ablcst
houses and engaged it have either died or turned
to other pursuits We have to begin at the bottom
again. and there are at present no merchants ready
with capital and experience, to take advantage Of low
prices and push our prouucts abroad Yet SO impor-
this that if to-day export of cotton
goods were, proporonaely to the quantity made equal
that OF 1s6o which about tenth one-eev-
enh the whole product the whole cotton manufacture
would DO reestablished a sound basis; for,
have remarked in previous letter the actual
plus product with the present diminished
homo market does exceed tenth Of the whole
production.


SUPERIORITY MANUFACTURER


American drills and heavy shoetings gaining in
favor in foreign markets. for the that they
honestly made than the English product made for
export Drills and heavy sheetngs made in this
try from American cotton have used in their fabrication
only such amount OF starch upon the warp Is alb
soutely necessary for weaving The product OF cloth
is only from eighty two TO eighty pounds for
II
conclusively proved that they clay four starch
other heavy substances In combination with salt
TO keep them soft in such quantities to tho
weight OF cloth produced to exceed considerably tho
weight of cotton used and the cotton used is itself In
ferior to Adroit and INSCRIPTIONS English
traders have attempted to keep American goods out Of
the China and South American markets by copying
tho styles and the names, marks and tickets
used by our manufacturers, and applying these
TO goods OF English manufacture which shrink
thirty per weight upon the first washing
/ have been SHOWN some samples OF such English tex
porti cotton shooting which have shrunk more than
thirty three per the first washing But these
goods losing their popularity abroad For instance
II known that German houses in London engaged in
the African trade have lately received letters from
their correspondents asking them to procure American
goods because their superior quality gives them the
preference in their market


Nor is this all Goods made In England for home uso
are honestly made and Of good quality But such goods
are selling at retail in England at considerably
higher prices than the class Of goods bring here
muslin OF the same kind as the Wamsutta, no nner
no heavier and not well bleached Is worth now in
England, am assured, and sells there at eight
pence per yard or sixteen cents currency while the
Wamsuta will not bring here thirteen cents at
retail Finally manufacturer will deny that
the greater number OF the mills can easily be used 10
make precisely the goods which Afford to export
TO foreign markets. and which could just make
at such prices to loss command those mar
keta Why, then, Is not this doneS


WHY WE HAvB NO TRADE.


One reason have given above. Tho merchants who,
in 1s59-6O exported our cotton goods and who were
then driving the English goods out Of many markets,
arc mostly Of business and the OF trade has
since then greatly changed. / remember meeting
Captain Burton, the English traveller, In 1859, and
being told by him that the coast OF Africa
American cottoA very rapidly and TO great
extent replacing English goods and he admired the
energy and enterprise Of the American traders whose
vessels and posts found everywhere. But now
they are found scarcely anywhere,


But reason even more potent than this why
mill owners cannot secure large export demand is
found In tho currency. This forms an almost lnsur.