The Columbus weekly dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1902-1905, 1903-04-30
THE COTTON MILL MOVEMENT.


England Cotton Manufacturers
Association in Boston a few days
| ago Lieut.. Gov. Lee IN reviewing
the industrial situation IL the
New England States made the
following significant statements
He declared that in spite of
competition New England he'd
the Sceptre of cotton manufac-
turers in this country and called
attention to the facts which he
said indicated one grave cause of
unrest in this particular indus
try. He quoted figures showing
| the increase in active cotton
spindles in the country sfrom
1890 to 1900, and said it was idle
to deny the fact that the rate of
increase IN the sou uthswas much
swifter than in New England.
He gave further figures showing
that the south, in comparison
with New England pays five
eighthS as many operatives, a
little over a third as much wages
for operating about third as
many spindles and said: Not
proximity to cotton fields, not
climate, but cheaper labor, long
hours, together with utter alb
Sence of excitement, of extreme
moderation of taxation explained |
the growth of the south.
By the substitution of fine
goods for the coarse goods in
our factories Massachusetts has
managed to put off the delay of
settlement even to show an in
crease, but ultimately the day of
settlement must come and we
must face and deal with condi- |
tions that have reduced the spin
dies in some of our northern
states. Massachusetts, with the
shortest time limit and the old |
est age limit of any state in the
union, has to face the competi- |
tion of states that limit neither !
age nor time. The solution of
the problem is not in admitting
little children in the Massachu- |
setts mills, nor in lengthening
the hours of Massachusetts,, but |
here and now to begin a crusade |
that the demands of humanity, |
enforced by law in Massachu-
setts, shall be enforced by law
in all the states.
Let US not drag Massachu-
setts down to the level of Ala
bama, let US lift Alabama to the |
level of Massachusetts,; let US
have uniformity of laws through
out the United States. It is idle I
for Massachusetts to stand alone |
with wise restrictions when Ala |
bama and South Carolina com
pete with the toll of infant fingers
against the labor of men and |
women.
The South wants no Industrial
ism at the expense of her socie-
ty nor one which will lower the |
standard of intelligence in the |
masses. In the benevolent work |
of protecting the child the next |
few years will see this section |
show a proper appreciation of
the magnitude and impor tance
of this question in the enactment
of laws which will elevate Mis-
sissippi to the humanitarian
plane of Massachusetts,. But
even with this advantage of la
Dor eliminated the South is iu-
evitably to be the home of the
greatest cotton manufacturing
industry IN the world. The ad-
vantages of adequate capital, or
ganization and capable manage
ment which have conspired to
sustain the industrial suprema-
cy of the East have followed the
| trend of the movement southwark
and the eastern spinner has been
driven to the manufacture of
fine goods exclusively in the hope
of sustaining his position. That
inevitable doom awaits the cot
ton manufacturing industry in
the East is shown by the activity
in the southern movement now, a
movement which will bring mil
lions of capital to this section
within the next few years.