The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1902-01-22
CHILD LABOR AT
THE COTTON MILLS,
The Mill Men Protest Against a
Law With Qualifications and
Favor ComDulsorS Education,

The Mill Men Protest Against
Law With Qualifications an
Favor CompuisorS Education'
The following memorial has bee
presented 10 the General Assembly
TO the Senators and Members of tb
House of Representatives oil lii
Stitu IL South Carolina
At "a meeting If the Text /, Manu-
facturels tf South Carolina, held q
Greenvillc, S. c., on Sept. 40, 1901
the following resolution was adopted:
aThaL "a committee of five shall b
appointed from this body who shal
address an open letter to the Legisla
ture s,nt,ny ,hu condit ons existing il
the mill villages, and explaining wha
the mill curpuralio 8 have done ant
are doing for the advancement of th,
education If their employees. They
shal also deprecate any LEGISLATION
upon the question of child labor, as
unnecessary aud shall appear before
the Legi ltture as representatives OF
the mill interests of the State. They
shall request, however, that if the Leg
islatule in it's Judgment feels that il
must enact some child labor law, that
the age limit he fixed at ten years FOR
day work, and that the employment OF
mIuors under IL years 0f aye at night
after 10 o'clock be prohibited.
"They shall urge most emphatically
upon the Legislature the necessity OF
compulsory education in this State"
The question of the advisability of
legislation affecting the employment OF
minors In mills has been before the
Legislature OF this State for the past
sever.I sessions AMI the question has
been very generally considered. In
view of these facts, and OF the fact that
there is no organization amongst the
mill men Of the State, so that theiI
views could be made known, armeet.
ing of the textile manufacturers OF the
State was called on Sept. 10Th, by GER
tain manufacturers, that consideration
might be had of the subject.
The question was care 'ul'y consld-
cred i'm this meeting, aud as result
the resolution above stated was adopted.
No one can deny the unfortunate re-
suit of tho employment of children of
tender years in labor of any kind. Such
employment is nevertheless often
necessary result of poverty. The agri
cultural interests of the state have not
in recent years afforded to the ten
ant classes living reye ue. The re.
suit of this is that they are in many
sections in an impoverished condition,
and have sou ght the mills as means
of obtaining better living.
Coming to the mills without resOur-
ces. and vet nnskilled in mill labor,
these people are often for time forced
to put into employment within the mill
walls, those children whom they had
previously accustomed tn work upon
their farms. Granting that such labor
on the farm is not as continuous or
combining as that in the mills, it is yet
nevertheless the case .hat the principal
cause why it has not previously attract
ed the same attentjan as has the en-
ployment of childbt in the mill viii
lages is simply for the son that the
population ls more concentrated in the
latter, and attention is more especially
directed to the fact of the employment
of children.
The mills generally have recognized
the evil tendency of child labor, when
using this expression in the sense of
employment of children of age insult
ed TO labor. They have and do dis
courage the employment of such child
rem. SC1'hey have established, and sup.
port schools for many months in the
year, at very considerable expense to
thems elves, and encourage the atten-
dance of children upon these schools.
They have aided in the establishment,
or have established and maintained
churches and Sunday schools, as also
libraries and places of entertainment
and amusement. But whilst making
efforts to improve the condition of the
mill population,y the mandgeinents of
the mill properties, being III u position
to be conversant with the facts attend
ing individual families, know that in
many cases the employment of child
rem of a younger age than would other
wise be desired, is necessary.
Even before any agitation upon the
question of child labor the mills in sue
cessful 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 the mill communities had in most
cases eooperated IN this direction. The
proof of this lies in the fact that ul-
questienably the best conditions in the
mill Villages -as to means, Of mainten-
ance of family, the attendance on
schools, ard general evidence of more
prosperous condition is to, be found in
the mill villages of several years estab-
lishment as cOntrasied with newly or
ganized communities.
The manufacturing interests can
point with pride TO the bencfcient eff
forts of many of the manufacturers to
improve the conditions ef those il,
their employ and they believe that an
examination OF the mill villages will
prove this interest on the part of the
manufacturers, and the appreciation
Of both the necessity and desirabilitJ
OF Improving the condition of the EN-
ployes.
With the factsabpye recited IN view
thestex,iIe manufactu ers OF the State
Whilst fully yiecogniziDg the mafortuu,
both so the individual and 10 the com
munity Of the employment OF childre,
of too youlhfulan age, believe that lh
TreGofds OF the manufacturers show iha