The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-08-01

lumbia, S. C.-Was enjomed from ask
ing questions of child operatives. In
one mill only three Of the twenty boys !
and girls who were asked whether they
could read and write claimed that they
could, and Of these two either could
not or would not prove the possession
of such ability, when handed paper and
pencil.
This condition, too, the mill owners
frankly admitted. But they attempt
to shirk all responsibility therefor.
They contend that the parents OF these
children, not having enjoyed such ad-
vantages themselves, are not alive to
the necessity of education, and though
excluded from the mills, these child
operatives would not be pat to school,
but roam the streets. And If there IS
one thing more than another which
thoroughly arouses the alarm of mill
owner it is this ineradicable propensity
of children to play ping pong with each
other and fate in the byways and high
ways. They're far better Oft IN the
MILL say the operators.
Every one is familiar with the hours
at the mills, but the following may be
read with interest:
1.-The child toilers, as we'll as adults,
are required to work Sc hours week.
In some mills work is stopped on Satur-
dav at noon; in others at 2 or 3 p. m.
| But this implies no curtailment of the
hours of labor. 1t is merely read
| justment.
''To make this half holiday possible,
IL 4o&
in the morning and continue thereat till
6.45 in the evening, with As minutes
intermission for lunch. In this way
they get in twelve hours for five con-
secutive days, leaving six hours on Sat-
urday to complete the stipulated 00
hours a week.
'This, of course, is too much for
adults, to say naught about children.
| The work, it is contended, is light. But
| it is not work that kills, but the unceas-
| inc monotony. The work at which
these children toll knows no variety.
They become automatons.
moreover, the deafening din of the
spindles and looms is, of itself, suffi-
| cient to rack nervous systems more ro-
bust than theirs. They become used
to it, say the superintents. They may,
but, be assured, at the expense of
numbed sensations and palsied nerves. y
The question naturally arises, who is
responsible for these children working
| in the mills? The writer of the article
from which we are quoting asks and
answers the question as follows:
"Who is responsible for this state of
affairs? The ''cracker'' or father of the
family? To certain extent, yes. But
| in last solution are not the real culprits
the mill operators themselves, who have
fought, and are pledged to continue to
fight, any and all efforts aimed at a
regulation of the evil by legal enact
| ment.
''It is true there are countless lnstan-
ce of ''crackers" or heads of families
who invert the normal order of things
by calling upon their progency to sup
port them in lieu of supporting their
offspring. have talked with several
such. The Philistine editor faithfully
portrayed the type. Not the slightest
exaggeration there. Such parent is
monster whom 'twere gross t1attery
to call man. He is generally to be
found hanging around a grocery store,
chatting by the hour with cattle SINH
larly situated. I have sjoined such a
group and ''butted into" the talk
This writer interviewed the parents as
we'll as the mill presidents, and here is
an answer he received from one:
Zone told me that he had S36 coming
in everv fortnight, the proceeds of four
children's and wife's earnings. Two
children each got 40 cents day, two
got so cents and the wife 81 day.
81 asked him why he didn't turn in
himself and allow the wife, at least, to
remain at home. 'EThat's my business,
sah," was the reply, accompanied by a
look and gesture which boded little good
to the questioner.'
The mill owners claim the conditions
are largely due to the parents them
selves and here is their side of the ques-
tion as given by the correspondent:
''There is another side.
1.-The mill operators whom l had the
pleasure of meeting are unquestionably
as high class of men as you will find
in any walk of life. Indeed, they are
men of superior mould fine breeding
and high culture.
''There is no reason to assume that
cupidity has hoplessly congealed the
cookies of their hearts. lido not believe
it. Though blinded by interest and
environment to a truth that is patent
and positive to others differently stu
ated, they are, at heart, as humane as
their Ouondam critics.
"Have the operators anything to say
in reply to recent structures? Have
thew This article would assume duo
decimo proportions did attempt full
report of such rejoinders.
''In the first place, they admit the il
literacy of child operatives. Little
credit, of course, in that, as the proof
thereof is obvious.
E'But while admittingit, they disclaim
responsibility therefor. They claim that
the parents, who mostly come from
farms, are themselves illiterate and do
not realize the necessity for their chill
dren'S education-a contention, by the
way, which my own observation fully
confirms.
This untoward condition which they,
in common with other good citizens,
genuinely deplore, is not of their own
creation. But, conceding the condition,
they claim to be doing everything in
their power to remedy it by the estab-
fishing of night and day schools in the
vicinity of their mills at their own eX
pense. If advantage be not taken of
such provision, the fault is not theirs. y