The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1901-03-13
THE BETTERMENT OF LABOR.
Pelzer an Example Of Improved Conditions
in Southern Cotton Mills.

manager OF the National Association
Of Manufacturers, has given in the
last issue Of the Manufacturers Re
cord the results Of his examination in
to the conditions Of the cotton mill
industry in the South and in look :
ing over the ground in its many
phases he has given fair review OF
:t;c situation. His deductions uIc as
follows:
/. Factory employees are almost cx
clusiycly native born, and chiefly Of
what arc commonly known as the
mountain people.
. The conditions under which they
live in factory villages show 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 trucr basis for such comparison,
namely, tho condition Of Southern
mill employees prior to their engage
ment III the mills, us contrasted with
the conditions which prevailed in
New England at a similar stage of the
development of the industry in that
section, is highly crcditable to the
South.
3. The relation of the employer to
the cmployc is more paternal in the
South than elsewhere, cvidcncing q
genuine desire to provide for the real
welfare Of the mill help.
4. Recent factory construction in
tho South cmbodics every recognized
requirement for the comfort, conven-
ience and sanitary welfare Of the en-
ployes.
5. The whole influence Of the cotton
mill in the South has been beneficial
to the population as whole. 1t is
distinctly u marked civilizing agency,
as it has given comfortable living and
an elevating influence to thousands Of
families who never before knew any
thing better than cabin in the back
woods.
Mr.. Sanborn has taken the town Of
Pelzcr as an example Of the highest
development in the improved condi-
tion of the men and womrn ut the
cotton mills in the South, and his
accurate description is herewith ap-
pended.
The town of Pelzer, in South Caro-
lima, where the great mills of the Pei
zer 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 Pelzer did not
exist. The first mill was built on the
banks of the Saluda river, when there
was not q house of any desert ption in
sight. There is now population of
about 5000 people, livingRin good hous-
es scattered about irregularly over a
very picturesque location. The some
what broken country, an abundance Of
shade trees and streets which follow
the irregularities of the country from
the usual arrangement of factory
towns, which are usually laid out upon
level sites with straight rows Of hous-
es and nothing to break the monotony
OF It's regularity.
The payroll of the Pelzer Manufac-
turing Co. numbers $500 names, al
though the actual average number of
operatives is oniy about 2i00. This
difference points to somcW hat COM
mon characteristic Of the Southern
mill help, as it is usually found that
the irregularities Of the operatives re-
quire the employment of considera-
bly, larger number than is actually re-
quired 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 TO excellent advantage,
as the conditions are quite typical.
While tho town is under the absolute
ownership and control Of the corpora
tion, there is no unreasonable or un-
necessary restriction Of the inhabi-
tants. The sale Of liquor is not per-
mitted within the town nor within a
radius Of three miles Of the town limits
While the absolute prevention Of the
use Of intoxicants has never been real
lied as yet in ary locality, this town
is about as free from this objcctiona-
bic feature as would be expected
where human nature has to be dealt
with. Liquor is occasionally obtained