The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1900-12-18
REFORM Is DEMANDED
The Methods of Reform Will Require
Serious Consideration.
NO INJURY SHOULD BE DONE TO MILLS
But in the Loag Fun it viii. Help Manufac'w'
ing to EsllIds Children. Interests of
Humanity Demand That it
be Done.

IL i'Pt WHY -
there appeared a number Of letters
from officers and owners of cotton
mills IN the State onFthe subject OF
child labor in cotton mills. These let
ters were written IN answer to an m
quiry Of the editor asking their oplH-
ion upon the child labor bill intro
duced in the Georgia Legislature. We
take pleasure in publishing additional
letters below:
To the Editor: Ordinarily / think no
legislation at all is the best thing, but
at every session of the Legislature for
the past eight years this labor bill has
been fought, and those mills, which have
been working their help over eleven hours
per day promised to get III line, but they
have never done so, and | for one will
not fight against legislation on the sub
iect at this session, as such 4 bill i%neyita-
bly, must come, and the sooner sensible
people get their heads together and frame
a just and equitable bill for both mill
owners and operatives the better II viii
be for all concerned, as a poorly framed
and "botched-up" bill will work hardship
to both.
Will state in this connection, that our
selves and the Hollis have been running
Our luilIS Ou llc -Ito0i ~
since 1856, We Formerly ran our mills 10
hours per week. never - hours. as some
are now doing, and we gave our help this
reduction of hours. without their asking
or demanding it, and we have so FAR found
it satisfactory, and will be for IA ten-hour
day, when all conditions are ripe for it,
but hardly think just now is the time
though if the majority say ten hours we
are right with them.
However, l think the shortening OF
hours must not be a sudden thing, but
come about by a gradual change, a sud
den change might cripple some of our
best mills, and would work a correspond
ing hardship to the help. as about IS per
cent OF the help in cotton mills work on
piece work any way, and a reduction OF
hours would decrease their pay, unless
they could learn to be expert enough to
produce as much work in ten hours as
they formerly did in eleven hours, this
of course could not be done suddenly, but
would have to be a gradual process.
Another thing, while cotton mill work
is combining, it is not laborious, aad the
new mills being constructed are from a
sanitary standpoint. very healthy, and the
help on eleven-hour run are generally a
healthy looking lot, as you Will see h"
looking at the majority of our hep, or
at that Of any mill on this schedule.
l have read Mr.. Tompkins' bill with
a great deal Of interest, and in some
respects it is a good bill. Whatever bill
is enacted should be short, concise, clear
to the point and not confusing, and with
out too many conditions TO complicate.
l believe any practical mill man or OPP
erative Will tell YOU that il would not
be at all practical to operate under the
Georgia law, Per copy sent me, and
neither would it be practical to work
children, say ten to twelve years old, a
certain number of hours, and the other
help other hours, all should be governed
alike. Hands who are employed at all
should work in August as we'll as in May.
You can readily see that we would not
employ ten-year-old help if we have to
let them go in August, as it might leave
us short handed. If a condition of that
kind should be inserted in the bill ten
year-old children would be barred from
work altogether. as no mill would want
them, and why not as well bar them at
the start, and say no child under the age
of twelve years old can work in the mills.
except in cases of children of widows
or Of INDECENT parents. when the labor
of the child Or children is essential to the
maintenance of the family? In such cases
it should be by all means provided that
such child or children between the ages
of ten and twelve years should be al
lowed to work by parents making appli-
cation to either the clerk of the county
court or the register of deeds. and getting
q properly signed permit for the child or
children.
If constitutional. a clause should be in
serted in the bill to get at the indolent
parents who loaf around, and live off the
labor of their small children, but / have
my serious doubts, if such a clause would
be legal.
The idea of a reliable and honorable
factory inspector appointed by the COVER
nor is a good one. and better than the
Georgia law of having the county ply
stefan to inspect the mills.
You are of course aware, that the mills
as a rule do not want to employ children.
but in many cases the head of a family
will make application to put small chill
dren in the mill. and if refused will
threaten to leave and go elsewhere, and
II the family is a valuable one, we are
sometimes forced TO work children much
younger than We desire to. If an age
limit was prescribed by law this could be
overcome, as we would simply inform the
parents in such cases, that there is a
law against working children so young.
| am heartily in favor of educating the
children, but think the educational clause
should apply to every child in the State,
those of mechanics, and farmers as well.
and if any legislation on this subject. it
should affect all alike.
Now to sum up, | believe:
First: An eleyen-hour law should be
enacted now, and later when the time
is ripe, it should be made say 63 hours
per week, and then work down to ten
hours, but do not think the time is rjpe
for that. as it might cripple some of our
best mills and work a corresponding ha I'd
ship to the help. especially those on piece
work, as about 70 per cent of the mill