The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-12-13

r
four mills and 120 900 spindics, is per.
haps the best exponent this side the
island OF Guam Of q "bencvolcnt des-
potlsm.' His great interest in the wei.
fare OF the community over which he
prestdes aud his minute attention to
lts needs must impress every ono who
makes the rounds Of the institutions OF
| Felzer There is inc new graded
school building, spacious and admir-
able arranged, lyccum, open all the
week, with its "esding room, game
room aud facilities for wholesome
social intercourse, Il kindergarten and
several churches which would be cred
liable to q largo city. That Capt.
Smyth fully recognizes the Importance
OF educating the children OF the mill
communities and Of prohibiting their
employment in tho factories until they
have acquired tho bases Of o good com.
mon school education is shown by the
/ following form of contract which he
requires to have signed by the heads
OF all families taking employment with
the company and occupying its dwell
ings. There Is q book full of signature es
to this agreements:
| WHEREAS, |, with my family intend to or
cuPy one OF he dwelling houS' trlouping to
| the Pclzcr Manufacturing Company in the
Town OF PclZcr, =. :, and intend to enter int o
: thc pml!oS ol said company: and whereas IN
, uolilS SO IT Is desired to eNplr. = the agree
/ mcnt be wrcn myself and the said COMPANY.
I NOW, therefore, do agree upon the follow
. my
!. hat all children. members of NV family.
between thc ages OF , and l. years. shall cnt CT
inr school maintained by said company at
! PcIIcr, ana shall attend cry school tluy
! during the scaool session. u, less prevented
| 10y SICK css orothcr unavoidable causes.
above twelve years old shall work rcgu urly
III tnc mn, ana shall not be excused from
| services therein with ut the consent OF the
! superintendent. for good cause.
! s. Thai neither |. nor any member of my
family, thali quit the employment OF the said
! company without = wing two weeks notice
/ nor shall said company bc at liberty to trrlni-
! nate said employment without giving two
! weeks notice, except FOR ouuSc.
:. In case | receive notice 10 Quit ! agree
tHrlNr u y my dwelling house at the end OF
| two weeks; but in case am discharged fol
cause agree to surrender il witt in three
days.
-. j. "grcc to comply with all the rules OF
! the PETER manufacturing company.
| Ihc foregoing agr cmcnt has been lcud tU
! or by me and fully understand it,
-, 1000 .....................
| PclHcr =. ...............l9......
a similar agreement is required OF
all employees OF the Bolton mills, OF
which Capt. Smyth is also the prcsi
dcnt--thc only difference being that
the children are required to attend the
"public school at Belton," which is
said to be graded and excellent one.
Capt. Smyth's progrcssivcness in
these matters is emulated by Mr..
| Lewis w. Parker, president Of the
Victor cotton mill at Grcers and the
new Monaghan mill Just built in the
suburbs OF Grcenvillc. This latter mill
Is one o! the finest in the State, but Is
not yet in operation. Its. village and
surroundings are laid out with excel
lent taste and already form an attrac-
tive picture. n fine school building Is
! about to bc erected on The property
at Grcers Mr.. Parkcr's company has
built for the mill operatives graded
| school building which would be an Or
nament to any town. 1t Is handsome
and tasteful within and without, and
Is equipped with special features en-
| bodyiDg the most advanced ideas. a
well appointed kindergarten Is con-
! Quoted III connection with the school,
q pretty church is attached to it, and
there is large hall overhead which
will be used for free lectures OF an in
structive nature for The benefit Of the
| operativcs-a feature, by the way,
which has been provided for at PclZor
as well.
~ number OF other mills were seen,
but these were the most advanced in
J the matters here under consideration
| AZ the Anderson cotton mill President
/ Brock took special pride in the quality
and appearance Of his operatives,
which were indeed exceptionally good.
The ages OF children seen at work
varied in the different mills some
managers were by no means as careful
! as others in excluding tho small ones
and In supplying them with ample
educational facilitics--but everywhere
1 hnn al
the labor Of tender children In the
mills WIS an evil to be deprecated and
remedicd and that u moral obligation
lay upon mill owners to provide facili.
ties Tor their education and II possible
to enforce the use OF these facilities
We have reason to believe that when
the Legislature shall meet it will be
! l0und that progressive manufacturers
viii meet halfway those who are anx-
ious to abolish child--0r rather, infant
labor in the cotton mills and TO COM
pei the Attendance Of mill children on
the public schools. In truth, it is no
less for their interest than that Of the
operatives themselves that there shall
be q law on this subj :ct; for the hu-
name and public spirited manufacturer
| who carries out at considerable cost n Is
| plans for the bettcrment OF mill condi-
ed with those who neglect such DrOvis.
| ions. What Old mills and new mills in
the Greenvillc district can do OF their
own volitiOn, believing that it is right
and cXpedicnt to do, old mills and new
mills elsewhere can fairly be required
! to DO. We are convinced that some
compul3ion OF law should be put upon
operatives to send their little child
rem to the schools provided for them
Many OF these children arc from the
mountain districts Of this and other
! States, where educational facilities
have been lacking, and they do not
realize as the majority do the value Of
| this instruction TO their children.
! 1t is best for all Interested that the
! State should establish as nearly rs it
can some uniformity OF obligation and
| OF opportunity, so that those who are
unworthy shall not profit to the detrl-
/ mcnt of the worthy. Let the question
be considered without pre- judicc or
, heat, and the solution, we are sure,
will be to the permanent advantage OF
! South Carolina.
------a-4El,~ D |sSBzEsEvss~
! . ToIu ont T..