' „. • u a...
500 North Tryon Street
• Phone 5437
Is New England's Leadership in
Cotton to Go to the South?
— RY CARL H. GETZ ' ' -" =
1, —-—
Is the-South going to become the
cotton textile center of America? Is
ft going to succeed in its effoi’ts to
wrest supremacy from the New Eng
land States, which now have the larg
est number of cotton mills and plants?
Ask those questions in the South
of most any business nien and you
will be looked at with amazement.
Your sanity will be questioned if
you even intimate that there is any
possibility that New England will be
able to retain its leadership.
Seek the same information in New
England and you will be greeted with
a confident smile and a shake of the
head which means:
“Don’t worry about New Englanc|.
Masaschusetts, Connecticut and
Rhode Island will come through.
They always have in the past. They
will this time. Don’t take this pro
posal to move mills from New Eng
land to the South too seriously.’’
A Leader in the Industry.
The man best qualified to answer
these questions is Frederick K. Rup
precht, who is to the cotton textile
Industry what Gary and Schwab are
to steel and what Wood is to wool.
Mr. Rupprecht is President of Con
verse & Co., one of the largest dis
tributers of cotton fabric in America.
He is chairman of the executive com
mittee of the B. B. & R. Knight, Inc.,
which is composed of owners and op
erators of Rhode Island mills. He is
also chairman of the executive com
mittee of the Consolidated Textile
corporation, a holding company which
owns B. B. & R. Knight, Inc., and
which owns in its own name nine
Southern mills. Converse & Co. is
owned by B. B. & R. Knight, Inc.
Mt. Rupprecht is the man who effect
ed an arrangement with the Ameri
can Woolen company which placed
certain executives of that company
on the Board of Directors of the Con
NOTICE SERVED BY PUBLI
CATION.
H. L. Banks, Plaintiff, vs. Estella
M. Banks, Defendant.
The defendant above named will
take notice that an action entitled as
above has been commenced in the
Superior Court of Mecklenburg
County for an absolute divorce. And
the defendant will further take no
tice that he is required to appear be
fore the Clerk of the Superior Court
of said County on the 24th day of
December 1923, at the Court House
of said county in Charlotte, North
Carolina, and answer or demur to the
complaint in said action, or thp plain
tiff will apply to the court for the
relief demanded in said complaint.
This the 14th day of November,
1923.
[a j. A, RUSSELL,
& V ■ Asst. Clerk Superior Court.
G. A. Smith, Attorney for Plaintiff.
N16-23-30-D7
For Sale
HOT DOG STAND
— Best Location in Good Section —
Also Handles Cigars,
Cigarettes, Fruits
and Candies
Good money in this proposition^
Best of reasons for selling.
For full details, address
Opportunity, Care Charlotte
Herald, Box 163, Charlotte,
N, C.
NOTE:—This is not same place
advertised two weeks ago. That
one has been sold.
USED FORDS AND CHEVROLETS
All models; all prices; easy terms.
Open evenings until 9 o’clock.
HIPP CHEVROLET CO.
North Tryon St., Corner Eighth
Queen City
Chinese Hand Laundry
We do all First Class Work
at the right prices. Prompt
service, too, is a boast of ours
and a pleasure to our pat
rons.
14 South Popular Street
solidated Textile corporation. This
means no exchange of stock or any
transfer of money. It is no inter
locking directorate. But it does
make available to Mr. Rupprecht the
administrative genius of the mill
managers of the American Woolen
Company, who, Mr. Rupprecht be
lieves, are unexcelled in either the
cotton or woolen industries. Effect
ing such arrangement means that the
Consolidate*!1 Textile company and
the other companies with which Mr.
Rupprecht is associated have a com
petitive advantage which gives them
a position of leadership in the-indus
tTy which is unchallenged.
Original Mills in the South.
I repeated my question to Mr.
Hupprecht. He smiled and shook
his head.
“At first glance one might think
that the obstacles which the New
England mills have to overcome in
meeting the competition of the
Southern mills are insurmountable.
Look at the facts: Originally the mills
were established in the South simply
to be near the source of supply of
raw materiaL Then it was discover
ed that atmospheric conditions in the
South were not suitable for the weav
ing of cotton products. So the mills
moved into the New England States,
where the humidic conditions were
satisfactory and at a time when
wages and hours of labor were at
tractive to the mill operators.
“But in recent years a method has
been perfected whereby moisture
can be artificially injected into the
atmosphere of a cotton mill and con
ditions created identical to what is
found naturally in New England. In
other wordk, the condition which in
duced the mills to leave the South
originally have been overcome. So
there you have the first reason why
the mills should return to the South
ern States and why new plants should
be constructed there.
Conditions Which Favor There.
“There is less restrictive legisla
tion in the South. The New England
States have been somewhat severe
in passing laws affecting the cotton
textile industry. In the South quite
a different situation exists. That is
your second reason
“Third, wages are lower in the
South, and of course the factory pay
roll plays a large part in determin
ing a plant’s earning capacity.
“Fourth, the hours of labor in the
South are longer than in the North.
“Fifth, the South has not been i
subjected to,the activities of the labor'
leader and his followers like the New |
England States have.
“Sixth, the Southern mills can ef
fect real economies because of their
On Time
A million workers make
the trip to and from
work a pleasure and re
creation by Riding a
Bicycle.
Do you?
They live in' the clean,
quiet suburbs where liv
ing costs are less, and
let their wheels save
their car fare. They ar
rive On Time.
Do you?
They earn more money
because t he healthful
exercise of riding ena
bles them to do better
work and more of it.
Do you? j
RIDE A BICYCLE
QUEEN CITY CYCLE
COMPANY
42 NORTH COLLEGE STREET
proximity to the source of raw cot
ton. These are days of high freight
rates, and it can readily be seen what
an advantage the Southern mills ob
tain in being able to reduce freight
■costs, wild* constitute an important
item in cotton textile manufacture.
“Seventh, there is plenty of cheap
power in the South.
Ana nnauy, tne oouxnern ciwes
are -offering every inducement and
incentive to the Northern mill owner
to move his plant. Free sites are
being offered him. He is assured of
low taxes for a long period of time.
He is promised cheap help and plenty
of it. He is told th$t he need not
fear interference from an unfriendly
Legislature. And this is not all.
“Various communities are prom
ising to raise whatever capital is
necessary to finance new mills. Sev
eral cities have offered to match dol
lar for dollar raised by Northern
owners. And yet, despite all these
inducements, the actual moving of
plants is negligible. Why? Let us
sum up: •
“In addition to the community in
centives, such as help in raising cap
ital, free sites, low taxation, cheap
power and adequate shipping facili
ties, there are also less restrictive
laws to contend with, lower wages
and longer hours. What has New
England to offer.
‘‘‘At first glance it looks hopeless.
But it is far from that.
“The fact is that the one obstacle
that the South cannot evercome is
climate.
“The South will never be able to
produce the finer qualities of cotton
fabric simply because of conditions
over which it has no control.
“The entire tendency in the indus
try today is toward imj^ovement of
product.
“New England is rich in tradition.
It is the home of a class of skilled
artisans who have built for them
selves a real reputation for expert
work. Such a class of workmen can
not be developed in a day. They rep
resent the knowledge and training
of a century.
“Grant for the moment that it
would be possible to.transport all of
these highly) trained workmen to the'
South. The moment they arrived
there the quality of their work would
suffer. This isn’t conjecture. Every
Northern mill owner who also owns
mills in the South knows this to be
true. The highly trained Northern
worker when subjected to the cli
matic conditions of states like South
Carolina, Georgia and Alabama loses
that skill which makes him a master
in his trade.
Lack of Skilled Labor.
“The South today not- only does
not possess the skilled labor neces
sary to the production of the finer
fabrics but there is also little chance
of its being able to train such help.
The expert from the Northern mill
is a failure as an instructor in the
Southern mill.
jfijs a SpWlilC UAttlHpiC Ui. luv UUCI
inability of th- South to wrest the
supremacy of the cotton textile in
dustry from New England, just re
member that there are but 300 cloth
printers in the United StateS. They
are in New England; and they are
going to stay there, because that,is
where they were born and that is
where their fathers were shorn and
that is where their children will be
born. And this union of 300 men is
one of the most powerful in Amer
Demands of the Consuming Public,,
ica.
“The consuming public is demand
ing better grades from the cotton
textile industry. And the public must
look to the New England States to
get those fiber fabrics. Today the
cotton mills of New England are
turning out cotton cloths which com
pare most favorably with the finest
fabrics which the T’*,<rlish and French
mills are capable of producing. All
this progress has been made because
of the demands of the cotton cloth
buying public.
“The South is going to learn that
conditions equalize themselves. Just
as rapidly as the mills spring up in
the South the dabor agitator will fol
low, and -with him will come the de
mand for higher wages, shorter hours
and changed conditions of labor. And
the Southern mills will find themsel
ves harassed by the same demands
that are made on the New England
mills. ,
“The economic advantages which
the Southern mills enjoy today are
more or less temporary. Time wiU
prove this.”
“Is it the industry’s only hope that
the advantages gained by the South
ern mills are temporary and that the
Southern mills will be unable to pro
duce the higher errades of cotton fab
rics?” I asked Mr. Rupprecht.
“No,” he said. “In addition we
have a gradually changing point of
view in the New England States.
There is slowly being created in New
England a public appreciation of the
economic importance of the cotton ■
textile industry. In the years past
there was never any question as to
whether the industry would always
be there. That was taken for grants
ed. But the moving of a few mills
and the building of new plants in i
the South have resulted in the prob
lems of the industry getting into the
consciousness of the New England
public.
Room for Roth in Textiles.
“And New England, like every
other section of the country, is fair.
If the demands of the workmen are
unreasonable they immediately lose
public support. And public support
is necessary to the achievement of
their wants.
“Northern mill owners are confi
dent that public opinion will support
them in their effbrts to retain 'lead
ership in the cotton textile industry.
This of course is not to be done by
cut+y1" wages unreasonably and by
making conditions of fabor impos
sible but rather is to be done by a
compromise of demands by both the
employee and the operator. Both
must make certain concessions. And
New England communities today rea
lize that the textile industry is some
thing to be fostered, not penalized.
“But rest assured that the cotton
textile industry is secure in New Eng
land. Climatic conditions, lack of
skilled workers, lack of mechanical
eguipmht—these are the reasons
why the South must be content for
many years to manufacture grades
that it can make more cheaply, leav
ing to New England her present su
premacy in fine goods. I do not want
to belittle the Souths’ position. It is
of growing importance, but I do
want to point; out that there is room
for both North and South in their
respective fields; > The real leader
ship in the industry will continue to
be held by Njew England—at least
/during our lives.”—New York
World, Sunday, November 11, 1923.
HELPFUL SPIRIT.
The Father—r“~Young man,, you
couldn’t buy my 'daughter’s clothes.”
The Suitor—“I could help.”—The
Passing Show <LondoB).
SENATOR SHIPSTEAD HALTS
GOUGE OF THE RAILROADS
A high-handed effort on the part
of a. number of railroads to place coal
consumers of Minnesota at the mercy
of eastern coal operators through an
extraordinary increase of freight
rates on lignite has been temporarily
halted by the Interstate Commerce'
Commission after a protest was made
by Senator Henrik Shipstead, of Min
nesota. ’ \ i
The new rates were declared by
Senator Shipstead to be confiscatory
and would prevent the consumers of
fuel from obtaining lignite coal, a
cheap and efficient substitute for high
cost eastern coal.
He further charged that the pro
posed rates were a part of a campaign
to destroy the mining industry that
has been built up in North Dakota
and would if permitted to stand,
throw thousands of workers out of
employment, with no means of sub
sistence during the severe winter
months.
The rates proposed by the rail
roads, according to Senator Ship
stead, are higher than the cost of
lignite on board cars at the mines.
High freight rates have made the
cost of coal to consumers in Minne
sota almost prohibitive.
RAILROADS SET RECORD.
NEW YORK, Nov. 28.—The na
tion’s railroads carried a greater ton
inileage during, the first nine months
this year than in any corresponding
period in their history, according to
figures complied by the bureau of
railway economics. While this record
was being made the railroad execu
tives were making another record by
.their poverty pleas that “government
interference” makes the operation of
railroads impossible.
A deep sense of economy is almost
as effective as the “still small voice.”
Take time to think.,
Memory systems would be all right
if you could only remember to use
them.
i . *
NOTICE OF SPECIAL CALL- '
ED MEETING CARPENTERS
UNION NO. 2146
Members of Carpenter*’ Local
Uaios, No. 2146 wilt take no
tice that s special meeting has
been called for Monday even,
mg, December 10, at the hall
in East Charlotte, Belmont.
This call is issued upon author
ity of the Carpenters’ District
Council, and matters' of impor
tance are to be acted upon. Alt
aaembers requested to be pres
ent.
HL A. S TIL WELL,
Secretary. j
,1 /
Only upe rich have time to walk
these daj|s—the rest of us have to
hustle around ift our automobiles to
make enough money to buy tires and
gasoline. I , ' r
■ ,;.... —L.—...-j>.
CARPENTERS
f AND
FARMERS
i
eet regularly at our store—
because (the Tools they want
are here]
Far meteHardware € a
48 NortV College Street j)
v
FILL THIS OUT, MAIL IT IN, AND B£ INFORMED
EACH WEEK ABOUT THE WORKERS
V
The Charlotte Herald,
P. O. Box 163,
Charlotte, N. C.
Dear Sirs V |
Please find enclosed one dollar. Send The Herald V
six months to ^
_____i_St.
P. 0.1- J-Y ,-T - - r-7'r.T - T Tsi --
3
“Y&B” Ice and Goal Co.
PHONES: 210-211
Introducing West Va. Special at
$8.00 Per Ton
West Virginia special is a lugn grade grate and stove coal—has been tested out by us
and is very satisfactory.
“Y & B” QUALITY BLUE GEM......,.:..... ..$10.00 Per Tpn
“Y&B” QUALITY POCA. EGG AND LUMP . . . ...... .$12.00 Per To*
PHONES: 210-211
WEST VIRGINIA SPECIAL.. . $8.00 Per Ton
“Y& ET Ice and Coal Go.
PHONES 210*211
i(~