The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-01-30
| SEVERE BLOW At
SOUTHERN MILLS
Northern Competitors Take a
New Dodge.
4 P%ERCONCERIED PLAN
TO TAKE SKILLED LABOR FROM
THE SOUTH.
MnpTu CAROLINA HAS BEEN SELECTED
A ~PERCONCERIED PLA'
NORTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN SELECTED
As q Good Field on Which to Test the Plan.
Southern Operatives Also to be Organized.
ASet of For South's Lower Wages
and Longer Hours Of Work.

dIlO Wis
II will he recalled that about two weeks
400 - voavers were induced TO 80 from
EraanviUe, s. C.. TO Providence, f. L..
whore they were 10 take the places OF
wcayers who were on strike IN the Ions
dale mills. The agents OF the Lonsdale
mna were arrested and prosecutor
I'm South Carolina for p Mating a state
law which imposes a penalty fer ln1ertsf-
inc with Iaborers.
1t was supposed at the time that the
attemnt TO induce Southern mill opera
tivcs to 90 North Was merely an e1pe-
dent of n single northern mill to break
mn 4 strike. 1t has developed, however,
Tint il was part OF d well devised plan, to
which many Of the New England factory
owners are parties, TO aim a blow at
Southern mills by holding out induce
Yueute to Southern operatives to go North
and take employment in Northern mills.
The result Of this, it is hoped by North
ern manufacturers, will be such An exc
dus Of skilled operatives from the South
rs will seriously cripple Southern mills or
that to retain their help Southern mill
owners WEI be compelled to raise the
nrices paid 10 labor. Either result would
greatly lessen the advantage enjoyed At
present by Southern mills III the lower
wages paid and the longer hours Of labor.
IT is only Il few years since Northern
mill men attempted to have Congress
pass Il law regulating the hours OF labor
throlchout the United States in order 70
shorten hours in Southern mills. 1t is
we'll known that both North and South
the supply Of skilled cotton mill labor
is far below the demand. The plan of
Northern mill Men will operate to the
hurt Of Southern mill men in two ways
il Will take from the South skilled non
union labor and force Northern union
labor South and in Il few years the re-
suit viii probably be that b will be
organized in Southern mills and strikes
for shorter hours and higher wages will
begin.
MI. Alf A. Thompson, president of the
CaraIeish Mills. when asked yesterday
what the result Of this new scheme wOulJ
be said that he did not doubt that i
would induce many Southern operatives Il
go North. at least for a time. The wage:
paid in Northern mills" he continued
are apparently about 25 per cent highe
than in Southern mills. l say apparent
ly, for when the increased cost OF liv1n.
in the North, where the climate is NOR,
rigorous and the necessaries Of life ar
llgllpT IS taken IlIU cO1tSlutEdllo 1t W ii
be found that the operative viii not b.
able 10 save much. If II more in tn
North than III the South. When South
ern operatives find his out by expert
ence they are not likely to be better sat
isfied in the North than they We're in tn
South. Nevertheless operatives are NOR
ar less migratory and the alluremant 0
higher wages is likely to have it effec
upon them"
Mr.. j. 5. Nynne, Of Ink Raleigh Cot
Ton Mills. said in regard to the matter
The thing TO do with these fellows !
to put them in jail when they com
around. There is Il State law agains
enticing laborers from the service c
employers and it is only necessary
enforce it. I do not believe that the pla
will succeed because operatives will fir
that, all things considered. they will nC
better their condition by moving Ncrtl
The climate alone is a factor that the
will hot be able to ignore
Northern mill owners believe that W4le
the movement is once inaugurated it WI
go forward rapidly of its own momentum
In other words when a batch of oper'
lives have been induced to quit Il Soutl
ern mill and go North they will writ
back to their friends giving a CLOWN
account Of their superior advantages tn,
inducing others to migrate. In this Wa
they think it will only be necessary
employ agents to work among SOuthel
operatives for a short time.
AS yet there has been no reported a
tempt to get operatives from this Stat
but it is only q question Of time unit
our mill men must face that emergen(
for North Carolina and South CarOliT
are the States where the new plan is
be tested. A dispatch from Proyiden'
10 the New York Commercial says of II
strike there and of the importation
operatives:
This importation Of Southern lab
was Il hard blow to the strikers, N
may mark the opening OF 4 revolution
labor conditions in Northern and Sout
rrn cotton mills. Manufacturers Il
alive to the Importance Of the move, III
helicyc that the superior advantages
the North, aside from the higher wag
and shorter hours Of work. will attra
hundreds Of Southern operatives.
While it cannot be learned that a
definite movement with this end in vic
has been started by manufacturers, it
unlikely that it would be initiated with
blare of tru1npets. since the laws of Sou
and North Carolina, where much of t
skilled labor would have to be s0nGl
prohibit the employment Of operatives
work outside those States"