The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1900-12-13
MILL MEN AND CHILD LABOR
IMPAEEIhh VIEW OF n AFFAIISS.

The ODst rvations OF an Intelligent
| Visitor Among the Cotton Mills Of
| the Piedmont Section.
MIR. n. G. Gonzales, the editor OF The
State, has given his impressions OF the
management and policy OF the cotton
mills in Grcenville and Anderson coun-
ties as obtained in recent visit to
some Of the largest mills, where every
| facility was given him TO form q Just
conclusion and obtain fair insight as
to the problem Of child labor and as to
the facilities for educating the child.
rcn OF suitable age. His statement Of
the situation is as follows
In this State there are not lacking
cotton manufacturers Of broad views
and progressive spirit who realize that
the time has come for the regulation
by law OF the labor Of minors and the
prohibition Of child labor in our mills.
They not only perceive that the issue
presented must be solved but they are
willing to contribute to the solution of
it and they realize the fact that great
public interests require the education
Of the generation which in Il few years
more is to control the dcstinics OF South
Carolina.
Last week the editor OF The State re-
turned from visit to the Greenville and
Anderson mill districts where be was
given the opportunity to see what had
been done for the bettermcnt OF con-
ditions in the mill villages and the
education Of the children and to learn
tnat whatever might be the abuses
elsewhere there was at least one group
OF coGton mills in South Carolina W here
the duty Of employers TO the employed
81 "a pS = n IN
manufacturers for the future OF the
children OF the factories were fully
realized.
1t is not possible to go into great
d dctail ia an article like this, but it can
be said that the revelation OF interest
in the children on the part Of these
manufacturers was gratifying.
At the Piedmont mills, community
Of some 5000 people, the property OF
which Is owned and controlled absO-
Iutelv by the manufacturing company,
Col. James l.. Orr, the president cx-
hibitcd with justiiiable pride the two
graded schools established and main
tanned by the corporation for the chill.
drcn Of the operatives. The practical
everyday work for the schools as seen
showed that the children were well
taught as we'll rs well housed and That
Vic GtvcHG&nCc un 10 the II year O!uS
WAS large. COL Orr said that it was
his earnest cndeavor to keep children
under ~ out OF the mills, but that his
efforts had not been fully successful by
reason OF MISREPRESENTATION as to age
made by the parents Of some children.
In the mills few cNildren who seemed
TO DC under age were encountered. The
Piedmont company maintains for it's
mill operatives q free circulating lib
rary containing thousands Of volumes
OF wholesome reading matter, varying
from the instructive to the entertain.
ing, which Is freely patronizcd by the
help, who are encouraged to take books
to their homes and are permitted to
keep them there a fortnight at time.
The registration at this library shows
an average Of 5000 volumes read an.
nualiy. or the ample church facilities
Of Piedmont 1t Is not necessary to speak.
The property OF the Pclzcr Manufac-
, turing company constitutes vcritable
principality. The completeness of tho
/ town Of PclZor, every acre and build.
ing OF which is owned by the corpora
ton, has been written OF so often OF
late that every newspaper reader in
! South Carolina must know what a
unique and remarkable place It Is.
There are over COCO people at pelZcr,