The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-08-16
SOUTHERN FACTORY LABOR.
Composed Principally Of Native Whites,
and Very Efficient.
New York Evening Post.7

RALEIGH, N. c., July Cit is a
common impression in the North. es-
pecially among Northern laborers, that
the factory labor of the South is COM
posed largely or exclusively Of negroes.
This is q very erroneous impression.
With the exception of the tobacco fac
tories, where, aside from the foremen
snd "bossss Of sections" receivers"
ETC., negroes are exclusively employed,
the black man or woman is an excep-
ton in the Southern factory. And
where negroes are employed there are
no white "hands" except those in au-
thority over them.
Take the cotton factories, for IT,
stance. The operatives are exclusively
white natives, mostly women and
children, and they are expert and
most excellent operatives, too. Manu-
facturers say they would not exchange
them for any class of labor in the
world. The continued growth OF man.
ufactures in the South reveals the fact
that the material for the production
of skilled white labor is abundant in
the native population.
North Carolina, while it invites i'm
migration of the desirable kind, boasts
that it has long been the most homo
genous State in the Union. Nowhere
in the United States is labor more con-
tented or more competent than that
now employed in the production OF
course cotton goods in the factories Of
this State-hence the rapid growth of
cotton factories numerically, and the
increased and increasing output Of the
old ones. The success of esch effort to
make finer goods than had before been
made in the South attests the fact
that the Southern laborer is quick to
acquire both the knowledge and skill
to make progress in the art Of cotton
manufacturing.
In speaking about this matter Mr.
JOS. P. Caldwell, one of the best-in-
formed men in the State, said: "It is
reasonable that this should be so. In
the early part of this century this sec
tion led in manufactures in the United
States. In 1910 the manufactured
products Of Virginia, the Carolinas
and Georgia exceeded in quality and
in value those of all the New England
States. These people who are now
learning to spin and to weave are the
descendants of the mechanics of those
days, and there is naturally an inher-
tied capacity to acquire skill as me-
chanics. This was once the gold-pro-
ducing region of the United States.
It was also an important iron-pro-
ducing region, and the day was whea
iron was made at no great distance
from Charlotte, n. g., that found
market in Boston. We are acquiring
again something Of the thrift of our
grandfathers, and we have about
reached the point where We can again
find in Boston market for products
made in this section by the skill of
native labor and with native raw ma
terials."
The situation and the outlook in the
South are very encouraging, There
can be no reasonable doubt that the
labor Of this section will continue to
advance and improve. Manufacturers
already prefer it to any other, and this
means that investments made here
Will continue as in the past to make
good returns, and as to cotton spinning
and weaving, to make better returns
than any other section. Notwith-
standing the 'hard times" the cotton
factories Of Raleigh and in other Sec
tions of the State this week declared
the usual semi-annual dividend-this
time ranging from 4 to 8 per cent.