The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-01-27
A PERCONCER ED PLAN
TO TAKE SKILLED LABOR FROM
THE SOUTH.
NORTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN SELECTED
As Good Field on Which to Test the Pan
Southern Operatives Also to be Organized
A Set Off For South's Lower Wages
and Longer Hours of Work,

1t will be recalled that about two weeks
ago % weavers We're induced to go from
Greenville, S. G. to Providence, r. l.,
where they were to take the places of
weavers who were on strike in the Ions
dale mills. The agents Of the Lonsdale
Company were arrested and prosecuted
in South Carolina for Mating a State
law which imposes a penalty for interfer-
ING with Iaborers.
1t was supposed at the time that the
attempt to induce Southern mill opera
tives to go North was merely an eXpe-
dent of a single northern mill to break
up strike. 1t has developed, however,
that it was part of a 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
ments 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 eXo-
dus of skilled operatives from the South
as will seriously cripple Southern mills or
that to retain their help Southern mill
owners will be compelled to raise the
prices paid to labor. Either result would
greatly lessen the advantage enjoyed at
present by Southern mills in the lower
wages paid and the longer hours of labor
1t is only a few years since Northern
mill men attempted to have Congress
pass law regulating the hours of labor
throughout the United States in order TO
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
it will take from the South skilled nom
union labor and force Northern union
labor South and in a few years the re-
suit will probably be that labor viii be
organized in Southern mills and strikes
for shorter hours and higher wages will
begin.
Mr. ALI 4. Thompson, president OF the
Caraleigh Mills, when asked yesterday
what the result OF this new scheme would
be said that he did not doubt that it
would induce many Southern operatives to
go North, at least for n time. THE wages
paid in Northern mills he continued
ARE apparently about % per cent higher
than in Southern mills. / say apparent
ly, for when the increased cost of living
in the North, where the climate is more
rigorous and the neccssaries OF life are
higher is taken into consideration it will
be found that the operative will not be
able to save much, il any, more in the
North than in the South. When South
ern operatives find this out by expert
ence they are not likely to be better sat
isfed in the North than they were in the
South. Nevertheless operatives are more
or less migratory and the allurement Of
higher wages is likely to have it effect
mon them"
Mr.. ]. S. Wynne, of the Raleigh Cot
ron Mills. said in regard to the matter:
THE thing to do with these fellows is
to put them in Jail when they come
around There is a State law against
enticng laborers from the service of
employers and it is only necessary to
enforce it. do not believe that the plan
will succeed because operatives will find
that, all things considered, they will not
better their condition by moving North
The climate alone is factor that they
will not be able to ignore"
Northern mill owners believe that when
the movement is once inaugurated it will
go forward rapidly of its own momentum.
In other words when a batch of opera
tives have been induced to quit South
ern mill and 60 North they will write
back to their friends giving glowing
account of their superior advantages thus
inducing others to migrate. In this way
they think it will only be necessary to
employ agents to work among Southern
operatives for a short time.
AS yet there has been no reported at
tempt to get operatives from this State,
but it is only a question of time until
our mill men must face that emergency
for North Carolina and South Carolina
are the States where the new plan is to
be tested. A dispatch from Providence
to the New York Commercial says of the
strike there and of the importation of
operatives:
This Importation of Southern labor
was a hard blow to the strikers, and
may mark the opening of a revolution i'll
Ill h