The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-01-23

CHILD LABOR AT
THE COTTON MILLS,
The Mill Men Protest Against a
Law With Qualifications and
Favor COtuDulsOrv EIduCotipt,

PhSoS' w W tuc UcncTdl N>SctDbif
10 The Senators and Members OF iii
House Of Representatives OF 'h
State tt South Carolina
AT 1t meeting Of the TcXtI, Manu-
1acIurr!s Of South Carolina, held Il
Gre2nVlile, ). G., Oh Sept. 10, 1901
tbo inliowing resolution was adopted:
mat committee Of five shall b.
app ln'cd from this body who shal
add c's an open letter t, the Leylsla
lure atm 'h' c"ndt ons existing II
the mill villages, and explaining wha
the mill corporate have done ant
are doing for the advancement Of Tn,
cdurallon of their employees. They
sha also drprccntc any lcgisla'.o .ol
upon the question Ct child llbor, a>
unnecessary and shall appear bcfor,
thc l.ryl>llturc as representatives Of
th" mill interests of the State. The,
Shiui request, however, that il the leg
islaturc in its Judgment feels that il
must enact some child labor law, that
the age limit be fixed at ten years fol
day wrrk, and that the employment OF
minors under II years of aye a. night
after 10 O'Clock be prohibited.
"They shall urge most cmphatically
upon the Legislature the necessity of
compulsory education in this State"
The question OF the advisabil!ty Of
legislation affecting the employment Of
miners IN mills has been before the
Legislature CT this State for The pas /
several sessions and the question has
been very generally considered. In
view OF these facts, and Of the fact that
there is LO organic ttiOE amongst the
mill men of the STATE, SO that their
views could be made known, a meet.
ing Of tho textile manufacturers Of the
State was called on Sept. lOth, by Ger
tam manufacturers, that consideration
might be had Of the sub icct.
The question was care :ully consid-
cred in this meeting, and rs IL rcsul
the resolution above stated Was adopted.
No one can deny the unfortunate re-
suit Of the employment of children If
tender yeas in labor of any kind. Such
employment is nevertheless oftcn Il
necessary result Of poverty. The nyri
cultural interests of the State have not
in recent years afforded TO the ten.
ant classes living rrvc uc. The re-
suit Of this is that they are in many
sections in an impoverished col.dllirn,
and have sou 5ht the mills us Il niuJii>
OF ubtalDing d bette: living.
Coming to the mills without. respur-
ces, and yet unskillcd in mill lahnr,
til, sc people are often tor a lime forced
to put into employment within the mill
walls, those children whom they had
previously accustomed to work upon
their farms. Granting that such labor
on the farm Is not as continuous or
coEIinlng as that in he mills, it is yet
ncI crthclcss the case that the principal
cause why it has not previously attract
ed the same attention as has the en-
pioy mcnt of children in the mill vii
lagos is simply for the reason that the
Is more concentrated in the
latter, and attention j. more especially
directed to the fact Of the employment
of children.
The mills generally have rccogniz 4
the evil tendency of child labor, when
using this expression in the sense Of
cd to labor. They have and dc dis.
courage the employment of such child
rcn. They have established, and sup
polt schools for many months in the
year, az u very considerable expense to
lhcms elves, and encourage the alien
dance of children upon these schools.
They have aided in the establishment,
or have established and maintl aimed
churches and Sunday schools, as also
libraries and places Of entertainment
and anu emcn!. But whilst making
efforts to improve the condition OF the
mill populate II, the managclnrnts Of
the mill properties. being III a position
to be Cunvcrsant with the tacls attend
ing individual families, know that in
many cases the employ mcnt OF 'hlid.
rem Of a younger age than would Other
wise hc desired, is necessary.
Even before any agitation upon the
question Of child labor the mills in sue
ccssful operation had used their efforts
to encourage the withdrawal Of younger
children from the mills, and procure
their attendance upon schools.
We are pleased to say that the people
of tho m II communities had in mGS'
cases cooperatcd IN tins direction. The
proof Of this lies in the fact that un
qucstionahly The bcs' conditions in tht
mill villages rs to means 81 mantrn
ance Of family, the attendAncc OF
schools, ard general evidence OF more
prosperous condition is to be found II
the mill villages of several years cstab
lishmcnt as cOntraStcn with newly or
ganlzad communities.
The manufacturing interests GU
point with pride to the ben, iicicnt ci
forts Of many of the manufacturers t
improve the conditions Cf those il
their employ and they believe th'' Il
examination Of the mill villages wi
prove ibis interest on the part Of tn
manufacturers and the appreciate
of b,;h Ct ; necessity and drslrahIlt
Of improvl ( the condition of the en-
ployes.
With the facts above rrcitcd in vlcv
the textile manula IN crS OF the S,all
whilst fully IccognizinG Ihr InisfOT'ur
both to The Individual and to the con
mUnlty uf the 'mpIoymr.t ni chiIIrc
Of too you hful an age, hclirvc tha' !
records cf The mannfH"'u: shu" IA
these conditions ale n''n': imin"vc
and that he imp'"rvn, ut viii co
tinue. The mill crINmluii\ giving II