The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1901-03-06
THE BETTERMENT oFLABoR
Pelzer an Exam lie of Improved
Conditions in Southern Cotton

Conditions in Southern Cotto,
Mills
Mr.. Edward III. Sanborn, genera
manager Of the Natlc nal Association
OF Manufacturers, has given in the las
issue Of the Manufacturers Ifecort
the results of his examination into til,
conditions Of the cotton mill industry
Ill the South, and in looking over tht
ground in its many phases he has givel
a fair review of the situation. His
deductions are as follows:
l. Factory employees are almost ex
clusively native-born, and chiefly OF
what are commonly known as the
mountain people.
2. The conditions under which they
live in factory villages show a very
marked improvement over the sur
roundings of the homes from which
they came. "A comparison between
the North and the South in the items
OF wages, hours OF labor and the en-
ployment of child labor is apparently
TO the disadvantage of the South, but
the truer basis for such a comparison,
namely, the condition of Southern mill
employees prior to their engagement in
the mills, rs conlrasted with The condi-
tions which prevailed in New England
at similar stage of the development
or the industry Ill that section, is highly
creditable to the South.
| 3. The relation of the employer to
the empioye is more paternal in the
South than elsewhere, evidencing Il
! genuine desire to provide for the real
welfare pf the mill help.
a. Recent factory construction in
the South embodies every recognized
requirement for the comfort, Conve-
nience and sanitary welfare of the en-
ployes.
8. The whole influence of the cotton
mill in the South has been beneficial
to the population as whole. 1t is dis
tlnctly marked clviliZing agency, as
1T has given comfortable living and an
elevating influence to thousands of
families who never before knew any
thing better than a cabin in the back
woods.
Mr.. Sanborn has taken the town of
Pclzer as an example of the highest
development in the improved condition
of the men and women al the cotton
mills in the South, and his accurate
description is herewith appended.
The town of Pelzer, in South Caro-
lina, where the great mills of the Pclzer
Manufacturing Co. are located, is
very interesting illustration, and is
very instructive to anyone who wishes
to study factory conditions in the
South. Prior to the building of the first
mill the town of Pelzcr did not exist.
The first mill was built on the banks
of the Saluda river, when there was
not house OF any description in sight
There is now population Of about
5000 people, living in good houses
scattered about irreguiarlY over very
picturesque location. The somewhat
broken country, an abundance of shade
trees and streets which follow the ire
gularities of the country form rather a
radical departure from the usual ar
rangement of factory towns, Which
are usually laid out upon level sites
with straight rows of houses and moth
ing to break the monOtony of its re-
gularity.
The payroll of the Pclzcr Manu-
featuring Co. numbers $500 names, al
though the actual average number of
operatives is only about 240O. This
difference points to a somewhat COM
mon characteristic of the Southern mill
help, as it is usually found that the
irregularities of the operatives require
the employment of considerably
larger number han 10 actual, required
for the operation of the plant
Nearly all of the help employed in
Pelzer is from the mountain districts,
and this class of operatives can be
studied here 10 excellent advantage, as
the conditions are quite typical. While
the town is under the absolute owner
ship and control of the corporation,
there is no unreasonable or unneccs-
sary restriction of The inhabitants.
The sale of liquor is not permitted
within the town nor within radius of
three miles of the town limits While
the absolute prevention of the use of
intOXicants has never been realized rs
yet i'll any locality, this town is about
az free from this Objectionable feature
as would be expected where human
nature has to be dealt with. Liquor is
occasionally obtained surreptitiously
beyond the prescribed limits, and is
smugglcd into the town, but evidences
OF its use are so rare that it might al
most be said to be All unknown element
in the village.
When family is employed in tie
mills and takes up its residence in the
town contract must be signed, by
which the parents bind themselves to
send their children under twelve years
of age to The school which the company
provides, and it is similarly agreed
that children above the age of twelve
years shall work in the mills. This
compulsory educational requirement
is supplemented by the offer of bonus
of ten cents per month to each child
regularly attending school during the
month. How effective this system has
proved to be is shown by the attendance
at the school, which averages about
700 out of the total population of about
5000. Under these requirements the
minimum age for employees in the mills
is twelve years, and no children are
permitted to work who have not reach
cd that age.
Although the houses are owned by
the corporation, their rental is not q