The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-07-31
NEGROES AND MILL WORK.
ooL0RED LABOR IN THE OOTION
FACTORIES OF THE SOUTH.
NE Experiment. That 4. Reing Tried ana the
Erect u VIII Have ON Competition with
White Labor In This Couutry nnd' n se-
h..o-nImLultlna In the NEnH Elerotnrnrn.

rse Experiment. That Il being Tried ana tho
RGrct u will Have on Competition with
white labor In This Couutry nnd' E Sc
vhere-Dimcuities In the Way Herotorore.
EpoEFIELp, 8. G., July 27.-At Charleston,
a. c.. a largo cotton mill is beginning operations
with negro labor. The mill is not new. 1t has
failed twice with white labor. II this now OK.
pertinent with negro labor succeeds IL will mean
that labor for cotton manufacture In the South
Ii practically unlimited in quantity. 1t will
mean that the cheap labor Of China, Japan, and
India will have some competition In America.
Much has been said and written about the
cheaper cost OF manufacturing cotton goods In
the South. II negro labor can be used tho cost
will DO reduced to II smaller figure still.
Years ugo 1t was said by the Now England
manufacturer that the white Labor of the South
could not be made skilful tnough to make u sue
cess Of spinning and weaving. That opinion has
been proved to have been an error. The white
labor Of the South Is not only as good, but Is
much better than the rank and Ale Of the labor
In New England mills. The superintendents
and foremen In New England have some ad.
vantages Of education and training. This ad.
vantage Is rapidly disappearing from two
causes. The native Southern superinie ndcnt 10
rapidly acquiring knowledge and skill. Many
New England men are going South. In New
England mills French Canadians and other un.
skilled and uneducated foreigners have taken
the place Of the native.
Tho subject Of negro labor in cotton mills 10
attracting much attention in the South.
Negroes work in oil mills, in tobacco factories,
% carpenters, bricklayers, blacksmiths, SC.
Why con they not be made available as cotton
factory operativesi Some persons say their
fingers are too t~hick-that they have not tho
deftness. Yet they make good seamstresses
when properly trained and worked under direo.
others sly they will, DO found to want tenacity
much Uncertainty as to the availability Of the
negro for work In cotton mills; When the eY:
manufacturing interests Of the South. it viii
The Wsitee mill operatives viii obiec, because
Of the competition. The factory owner has no
S ssss : sou E sas s SsS of % nsYfFo o ,seSr' s1 Th' BEEN sy;
necessary. Indeed, many Of them for farm work
organized with white labor largely because the
New England methods, AS the subject becomes
more and moro familiar to the Southern man,
and more seriously TO his mind.
The preAcnt white operatives In Southern
Many Gi.Is o." Of t d,@eI in eSs'se England sHtlx arc Ge' Fr emas csnst
dams or other foreigners. The average South
ern operative 10 more amenable to reason thar
the average foreign-eorn New England oper
ative. The Southern native-born negro would
Be- even moro easily managed. The negro as
race has never shown any. disposition to form
The successful Southern man has no prejudic,
or other form Of opposition against the use o
negro labor. Many even prefer the negro as
worker. 1t 10 simply n question of profit. l
money can be made. the negro is good enough u
perform the labor.
White men and negro men work side by sid
In harmony. White girls and negro girls woul,
probably not work in the same harmony. Tn
organization Of the. labor Of n mill would hay
to be either all white or all colored as to tn
ordinary operative. The foremen would in a.
cases DO white. Occasionally a negro makes
good foreman or boss. As a rule. however, the
have not succeeded in such a capacity.
II asked q very Intelligent negro whether b
thought his race would make satisfactory opel
aeves In a cotton mill. He promptly answere
that there was not the slightest doubt that the
would DO perfectly satisfactory. He admitte
that the foremen and bosses would have to b
white people. but he was sure that the negroe
a. operators would DO all right.