The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-03
NEW ENGLAND LABOR AND
SOUTHERN MANUFAC-
TURING.

We were interested in an article in
the Chattanooga Tradesman on the
sources of labor in New England, and
so far as manufacturing is concerned
in the south also. There has been a
considerable change in farming in New
England. 1t a been often reported
in the northern newspapers that parts
of that section had been abandoned,
that there was decay in villages and
IN farms. We have seen il mentioned
often that you would see houses ten
antless and fields abandoned. But there
is a change for the better, it is report
ed, even in that section. Some of the
abandoned farms are now successfully
titled. The Tradesman states that
twenty or thirty years g a hill farm
in any New England state could not
be given away, to any man who would
try to live on it. Now, since science
has taught people how they can put
the bleak hills to profitable use, the
abandoned New England farms are
being reoccupied, many of the new oc-
cupants are Canadians, with here n
there a Swede or Norwegian family
Numbers of the old hill places have
been purchased by rich city men. The
new owners build summer houses on
these farms, n shooting boxes. They
are covered by second growth small
timber, that makes fine cover for quail,
grouse, pheasants, rabbits, squirrels,
and other small game. providing excel
lent shooting for the owners" The
manufacturers to a considerable ex-
tent have worked Irishmen and Cana
dams in the factories. 1t is stated that
comparatively there are very few men
and women in the textile establish
ments. THE mule and frame spinners,
the weavers, the workers among the
machinery as a whole, are Irish and
Canadian French" Tha seems Curl
Gus to us of the south for most people
think eastern mills are worked entirely
with home labor. The Tradesman says
that long 6 men and women worked
in the mills who were of education and
refinement. But that is all gone now.
Now 80 per cent are foreigners. The
great war, and railroads and the vast
opening west nav changed conditions.
In contrast the southern mills are
nearly all worked by home whites, men
and women and children. The Trades
man notes that so far the southern
mills have not drawn MAN. hands from
the farms. Some of the tenan farm
ers have gone to the mills, but gener-
ally speaking the mill help a come
from the hill ountry The largest, and
the greater number of the mills -,
located along the eastern foot of the
Appalachian range" This Ices not hold
good as to North Carolina or much of
it. Whites near the mills are obtained
and there is not much if any difficulty
in obtaining the needed labor. The
Tradesman says that "the mills have
been a prime source Of a vast i'm
provement in the social and moral con-
ditfon of hundreds OF poor rural fani-
lies. They, as cotton mill help, do not
live in palaces and fare sumptuously;
but they live in much better houses
than they did on their alleged farms.
They fare better at table; and they
dress better. At few or none of the
mill towns are good schools wanting;
some of the mill companies maintain
night schools for the operatives and
their youngsters, one result being a
decided decrease of illiteracy among
them, and another a higher plane of
morality"
We may suppose hat as cotton man.
ufacturing enlarges the labor will in
crease too and all will prosper togeth-
er. AT present the prices of manufac-
tured goods are so good that large div
idends. are made. and this offers the
opportunity Of good a to operatives.