THE COTTON INDUSTRY.

A fair sized audience gathered in Sever 11 last evening to hear Mr. Thomas Pray speak on the "Cotton Industry." The lecturer opened with an account of the early history of this manufacture. In 1787 the first cotton mill was started in Beverly. At that time to separate the lint from the seeds was the hardest work. This difficulty was removed by the invention of the cotton gin in 1793. About 1810 power looms were put into general use. The speaker then continued to briefly trace the history of the industry down to the present time. During the war of the Rebellion the status of the cotton manufacture was upset. The raw material increased from 10 1-2 cents in 1861 to $1.90, and then dropped to about 20 cents in 1865. The wages had risen almost in proportion, and from that time up to 1873, the demand was far greater than the supply. Prices were high and much money was made, but after that time the demand fell off and many men were forced out of the business.

It was a question of the survival of the worthiest. The number of mills had decreased in the last decade, but the amount of capital employed had increased. The reason is that the mills today are much larger and a result of their competion is that the little mills have had to stop. The men educated in the mills and those who have only bought material as wanted, have survived the fall of those who went into the business in good times without special qualifications.

We cannot, he said, hope to compete with the English until we are as thorough as they. They have been brought up to the trade for generations and know all the details. This familiarity enables them to manufacture and sell cheaper than we can. Teehnical schools, he said, were not as good educators for such work as long service at the machines. What is also wanted is that the Americans should cater a little more to foreign peculiarities when manufacturing for export. Moreover, New England should try and take the place of the fine English goods which would not then have to be imported. The coarser work should be relegated to the southern mills now springing up. In this way there would be no internal competition between the sections and the money for imports would be saved.