The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-01-09
TRaurenS Advertiser
$I,5o Per Year in Advance.
THE MILL SCHOOL PROBLEM
The Children in the Factory
Schools---Lettcrs From Mill
Owners.


Superintendent McMahan'i is interested
in the matter OF educating the children
in the mill towns, ahd has made inquiry
Of the mill presidents and managers as
to what is being lone for the children
in their respective communities.
The following is the result Of his in.
Quirics as given in his annual report
EDUCATION AMONG II MILL CHILDREN.
The recent phenomenal development
here OF the cotton mill interest in
which South Carolina now leads all the
Southern States and is second only to
Massachusetts in the Union-has given
us before we fully realize it a very con
siderable population Of mill operatives
whose peculiar conditions and needs
arc necessarily little known and appre.
ciatcd by the majority Of our people, &C
cnstomed to the traditional thought Of
South Carolina as a purely agricultural
State. The figures Of the United States
census, not yet available, will doubtless
afford material for an instructive study
Of the relative illitcracy Of persons in
and out Of the mills and the relative
school opportunities of their children.
1t is within the province of the State Su,
pcrintcndcnt of Education to investigate
this, as well as all other phases and prob
lem OF education III the State, and to
pICbclJ INC luCLS LOT inc ln1OTllatlOn Oh
the Legislature and the people. To this
end ] have wished that | could find time
from the numerous other duties Of this
Office to make n personal inspection of
the schools attended by mill Chi drcn
to inquire into the education and gen
cral condition of the children employed
as ope rativcs in the mills and to learn,
through conversations, the opinions of
the employers respecting the adequate
IN ,,E Nf l,p 1I,ll.4, "
which she aid be given to training rather
than to mans work for bread.
In the fields, as well us in the mills,
there is Il dcplorablc tendency on the
part OF many parents TO Shift their own
immediate burdens and responsibilities
to the shoulders of their dependent
young, whom they seem to look upon
rather as servants than as children to
be nurturcd. Thus helpless children, in
violation Of the laws Of nature, are de
privcd Of the fruit Of orderly developed
minds and bodies and are sacrificed upon
the altar of parental t%houghtlcss sell
Lshncss love Of ease. But in the mills
there IS the greater temptation to The
parents because Of the greater remuncra
ton of the work, and there is the greater
harm to the children because Of the in
cvitablc hygicnic conditions. Thus it is
the evil of child labor " applies especi
"'g w NhS ihill JSoplSs ~ sllGlC "O' Il
each day in the open air and in Coptac,
with animate nature is beneficial to the
child At what age he can begin worl
Ill the mill without harm to his physica
well-bcing may be u difficult question
but he should certainly not be pcrmitte,
to be 50 employed before he has haC
time to attend school long enough t,
obtain the rudimcnts Of an education
Compulsory education, properly resort
de 10 Inv MANY cnnntrino orl ~, ,,n,
some of the American States, would b
Il farce with us, certainly until the direC
ton and supervision of our schools ar,
secured by better organization an
system.
Without q compulsory law teacher
and school officers, if thoroughly awak
and Jealous III their duty, can Undue
the parents to send the children t
school, provided there be not a stronge
argument "a money consideration
send the children to work The law ha
always fixed to parental discretion i
the control Of a child q legal limit t.
prevent cruelty. The greatest cruelty i
to dwarf n child's body and mind, and t.
prevent this there should be a statut
hxlng the age at which q child may b
employed in a cotton mill. How mucl
farther he law should go | an not pre-
pared to suggest. Judge that some O
the mill presidents would welcome sue
a law. Some Of them have told me hoy
they try to get the mill children into tn,
schools, and how they enforce a rule t,
employ no child under - years of ag,
unless it can read. There is a movement
among the mill managers to leach al
agreement making general %throughou
the State some Of these regulations. L
seems that a law would be the most eff
fectiye and satisfactory means.
AT the suggestion of the Hon. VIM. A
Courtcnay, president of the mill at New
ry, l sent to the mill presidents q circu
lar or inquiry, especially as to the money
contributions which some of the mill,
make to the cause of education in theil
villages. | was disappointed in receiv
ing so few replies. Some of these, how.
ever, are well worth reading and arc
gwen in this report. The statistics
though quite incOmplete-arc given in q
table. This is but a poor beginning
and yet will throw some light on the
situation and, | trust, prepare the way
Tor a very full report to the next Leg.
stature.
October 3, 1000.-To the Presidents of
Cotton Mills in South Carolina: | wish
TO give in my annual report a full state
ment of the educational conditions
among the mill people throughout the
State. | find from conversation with n
number Of mill officers that the mills
nave been giving largely to the support
or the the schools for the children of
their operatives. This hitherto has not
been reported. | think the mills should
receive full recognition OF what they are
DONG for the cause Of education.
Will confer a great favor by fill.
ing out the spaces below.
Very truly yours,
JOHN j. MCMAHAN,
State Sup't Of Education,