The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1897-02-23
THE z HOUR LAW.

Correspondence Of the Progressive Farmer.
Please allow me space in your col
umns for a few remarks in connection
with the bill which was recently intro
duced in the Legislature to limit the
hours to ten.
No bill has been, or will be, intro
duced at this session of greater moment
to humanity than this, and yet we
find the Committee on Propositions
and Grievances, upon motion of a mem
Der, unanimously agree to report the
bill unfavorably."
Regularly every two years a bill of
this character is introduced, and just
as regularly you will see such an
nouncements as Col. So And So, one
of the largest mill owners in the State,
is in the city" And these announce
ments are made just about the time
the committee is ready to act on the
bill, and equally as regularly that is
the last ever heard of the bill.
Before the committee last Thursday,
a member opposing the bill, said:
"It was an important matter to the
factories OF the State, and there was
q great many of the mill men present
from all over North Carolina"
Most assuredly. When you begin to
legislate in the interest of labor, you
can bet your money that the mill men
will be there, and stay there until the
bill is killed, sin the interest of pro
gress."
Again he says:
''There were great numbers of petit
tions presented from the operatives all
over the State, opposing the enactment
of this law, and the member who intro
duced the bill had only a few names
favorable to the passage Of the bill"
There you are. "Great numbers of
petitions from operatives all over the
State, opposing the enactment of this
law" These petitions are natural re-
suits. These people do not desire their
hours reduced!
Well, it their present municifcent
weekly stipends should be cut in half
to meet the cut in hours, it would be a
little tough. As it is, some are com
PEELED to put the whole family in the
factory in order to keep meal in the
gum"
This member believed ''that New
England manufacturers we're endeav.
ing to place a stumbling block in the
way Of the rapid progress, and develop
ment being made in North Carolina
and throughout the South; it was the
writing upon the wall"
That's it. Rapid progress and de-
velopment." But is it not rather a
progress Of retrogression7 Is it pro-
gress to work men, women and children
in factories from IL to Is hours per
day, thus placing a stumbling block"
in the way Of progressing heavenward,
or in any other direction save degen-
eration9
can conceive of no true progress
under such circumstances and condi-
tions. No really progressive State is
now without such laws. 1t is true
that operatives will sign petitions ask
ing the State not to interfere-probablv
they r requested so to do. If a few
do not want to be saved, in the name
of humanity and justice, let our law.
makers save them all from themselves
and thus contribute in elevating them
morally and socially.
Again he says:
"What u people need in North
Carolina is help to develop, to build I'D
the State" ~
True, we do need help, and need it
bad. But does no one need it other
than the mill owner3 Have the orera,
tlVes no claims to considerations Do
we need the help bad enough to allow
the mill men to work men, women and
children IL to Is hours per day, at star
walton wages, in order that the mill
men may build up their individual for
tunes at the expense Of humanityV