[Moby Grape]

I do not totally discount your point about jobs leaving New England to the South, but, MOST of the mills in the South were built in the late 1800's through the early 1900's....to say the jobs left the north to move the cheaper labor in the South is not really acurate...the companies downsized and concentrated to the South where there was a strong work ethic that had not been ruined by the unions that cared more about the number DUES PAYING members that the survival of the companies...however the labor costs WERE less, as you have pointed to, but also the cost of living was less, the TAXES were less that those areas in the north controlled by tax happy democrats....(pay per hour was not the only reason for the migration south...and it is not the only reason for the migration off-shore.

[metesky]

Here's an interesting history of one of todays top mills formed by combining J.P Stevens & Co., Pepperell Manufacturing Company both New England companies and West Point Manufacturing Company.

And this story on why WestPoint Stevens has problems.

[metesky]

I meant to add that West Point Manufacturing was a Southern company.

:O(