Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-11-03

sou5n sunsnine ana seasons, soil ana
labor adapted to the growing of cotton
Our people have but taken advantage of
these God given forces to make the
great crops which go to clothe the
world. Can our New England friends
say as much for the cotton manufacture
ers of Massachusetts and Maine? You
must learn the lesson Of diversification
of labor, my friends.
You must not forget that one ideaed
cotton manufacturers are no better than
one ideaed cotton growers; that too
many cotton mills stand as immovabIy
in the path of New England progress as
do too many cotton bales in the path of
southern progress.
In the sunny south.
Other gentlemen, while claiming a
disadvantage to New England mills in
the lower wages of the south, admit that
the southern mills have in addition ad-
vantages from cheaper coal and cheaper
cotton. Mr.. Chace names as the advan.
tages enjoyed by the southland in this
order" proximity of cotton, free water
power, cheap fuel, lower taxes. low
wages, old fashioned laws, new ma
ohinery, night work and submissive en-
ployees "
It costs, Mr.. Speaker, about cent a
pound to carry cotton from the interior
market town of the south to the factory
town of New England. If the southern
manufacturer pays cents pound for
his cotton. it must then cost the New
England manufacturer cents pound,
an advance of 20 per cent in the cost of
the raw material, the raw cotton used
in the manufacture Of coarse goods being
about 80 per cent of the total cost. This
would make difference of about 10 per
cent in the cost of the finished product,
a fair margin of profit itself.
1t is claimed that this advantage is
apparent only and that it is lost by the
southern manufacturer when he ships
his finished product to New York and
other commercial centers for distribu-
ton. The finished product is not ship
ped to New York or other cities for dis
tribution. 1t is distributed from the
mills. The selling agent in New York
or Chicago sends the orders received by
him to the mills and the finished product
is shipped direct to the purchaser by the
shortest available route from the fac
tory.
If the difference in labor cost is DO
per cent, as claimed by the Arkwright
club, ard the other admitted advantages
are advantages at all-and have shown
decided advantage in the proximity Of
the raw material TO the mills-then,
Mr.. Chairman, with perfect equality in
labor conditions, the New Englander is
still at disadvantage which will for
ever preclude him from competing sue
cessfully with his more fortunate brother
of the southern states.
On the question Of difference in wages
in New England and the south have
another witness, one who speaks from
sad experience, one who has drunk tC
the dregs the bitter cup Of industrial
slavery in New England. Mrs Picker
ing, long laborer in the mills of New
Bedford, says:
It is all farce TO say that they reduce wage:
because of southern competition, because
have letters from the south which show thai
they get about as good wages there as we d.
here, and, as one letter from Greenwood, s
G.. says, I'VE get what we work for and ar
robbed Of none of it under the name o
fines. .
How Wages Are Cut Down.
When wages are once fixed, the manufactur
ers resort to timing to scale the total earned
down to their own figuIes. 1t is the only eff
fective scheme they have and they work i
for all it is worth People have no idea t,
what an extent the fning is carried. Tn,
weaver no sooner gets an advance by an in
crease of plice han the boss commences tx
modify his pay by fning.
Any one WHO studies the fning system cal
see that it is only robbery and is used only
when the overseer thinks it is safe TO do it
They fine women much more thar they dt
men, and when help is scarce the fines ar,
much lighter than they are when the applica
tions are pouring in for work. 1t all rests witt
the overseer, and he can do as he pleases whel
he gets down on any one. If that is not yok,
of slavery, l would like to know what it is.
In confederation Of this witness l cal
your attention to the Massachusetts
statute regulating fining in cotton mills
The gentleman from Massachusetts, Mr.
Moody failed to name this statute il
his very excellent speech few day.
ago, in which he called the attention o.
the house to the almost maternal inter
est of that great state in her laborine
men and women.
Mr. Chairman, the question of higt
or low wages is comparative one
That which would suffice for comfort
able living in one place would not sup
ply bare necessities in another I agree
with the gentleman that the laborer il
worthy of his hire, north and south,
east and west, whether in tho field OIL
in the factory.
Cost of Living.
Mr.. Tompkins says the average north
ern operative would probably not be
satisfied with the southern wages and
conditions Of life, but northern wages
and conditions would probably be equal
ly as unsatisfactory to southern oper.
atives.
Why, Mr.. Chairman, the average
southerner would not feed his worst
energy on the stale bread and beans
which are the staple food of the New
Englasd workingman.
In most Of the factory towns of the
south--in fact, in all outside the larger
oities-choice beef, mutton and pork
can be bought the year round at from 3
to 10 cents pound, chickens at from 10
to 30 cents apiece and eggs at from 8 to
10 cents dozen. Contrast these prices
with your beef and mutton at from 12
10 25 cents a pound, chickens at from
80 to 40 cents apiece and eggs at from
15 to 40 cents dozen.
Except for a'few months in the year
vegetables do not grow in New Eng
land, and they are luxuries then. In the
south the gardens bloom from Christ
mas to Christmas and are necessary ad-
juncts to every home, high or low. In
them grows everything that can appease
hunger or tickle the palate. Lower
standard of living in the south, Mr..
Chairman! / would not exchange the
dinner to which many of my constitu-
ents are sitting today while | address
this house for any dinner that the skill
and ingenuity of the chief of Washing
ton chefs could devise. would not in
cite my friends on this side of the house
to riot. but must say that a dinner Of
HOG ioxu1 and sweat Coorcia oalIards M