The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1900-11-20
Living issues.
MIL OPERATIVES.

comparing the cotton mills and mill
workers of New England and the
South, after a personal study of the
subject in each section. From this
article we compile the following con
illusions reached by the writer:
Nearly all the mill people of New
England r foreigners, OF of foreign
descent, and large proportion of the
bosses are English. In the South,
the operatives and bosses T native
born, except a few bosses from the
North and England.
Both in England and New England
the moral conditiono of the operatives
grew worse and worse until restric-
tive laws were passed, since which
there has been gradual improvement.
Mr.. Baldwin says he thinks it is a
matter beyond dispute that moral
conditions in the South are growing
worse under present conditions. He
thinks that restrictive legislation is
needed in North Carolina and that
under such there will be improve
ment in morals. He notes that
Massachusetts has excellent labor
laws. Children are not allowed to
work till they are IA years of age,
except during vacation of two
months, So hours constitutes a weeks
work; work is allowed only till 10
o'clock at night, but those who
worked in the day till 6 are not per-
mitted to work from 6 to TO- He
adds: when part of the family
work in the day and part at night
for long hours, including little chill
dren, it can be truly said that they
simply exist"
1t is noted that everybody in New
England has a pretty good educa-
ton. From 6 to IA years they are
compelled to go to school. After
speaking of the school facilities
afforded the children of the New
England mill operatives, Mr.. Bald
win says:
Il thought of our Southern mill
people. am satisfied that as a class
they have greater natural ability
than the workers of the North and a
great deal more of the American
spirit of personal Importance, if l
may so express it. Butmany cannot
read at all. Many can read just a
little, hardly enough to get much
real satisfaction from it. Was I dis
couraged at the thought? Not a bit.
I thought if rock bound Massachu-
sets can do this, North Carolina can
do it, and by the grace of God we
will do it. 1t is an suspicious era in
North Carolina, that the Governor
elect made better schools an issue of
the campaign, and by every token
we are going forward in this work.
Touching the relations between
employer and employee, Mr.. Bald
win says:
Here we find the greatest differ
ence between the mills North and
South. The owners are generally
Americans, the operatives foreign
ers; the owners Protestants, the
operatives Catholics; the owners
rich, the operatives poor. In the
South the owners and operatives are
of the same blood-in some cases close
kin and same religion; brought up
near together the owners in most
cases not being especially rich. They
often know each other personally,
and each class is anxious for the well
being of the other. In the North
they have almost absolutely nothing
to do with each other. It would
seem that the owners work them
Just for the money that their labor
will bring"
Referring to the question of legis,
lation in North Carolina, the writer
says, in part:
Il believe that the time has come
when remedial legislation should nc
longer be considered as a scheme to
hurt those who T making the South
great materially, but when the own
ers with the operatives and those
who have no personal interest ex-
cept the we'll being of both shall get
together and decide upon a bill that
will meet the demands of the time.
The limit of this paper will not per
NIT me to discuss ut length such a
bill. But there T some things that
should be said. Children should be
kept out of the mill. There has