The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1903-02-12
OUR RALEIGHLETTER
POLITICAL AND OTHER NEWS FROM
THE STATE CAPITAL.

Anti-Child Labor Law Meets With
Unexpected Opposition at the First
Hearing-The Liquor Question Not
Yet Stakeholder State Matters of
Interest.
RALEIGH, n. Feb. 9th. 1903.
The movement to secure the enactment
of an anti-child labor law met with much
unexpected opposition at the first hear
ing before the Legislative joint committee
on Manufactures last Thursday, and,
without taking any definite action, the
hearing was continued, the next meeting
OF the committee to be held on Wednes-
day evening of this week, at which time
there is expected to be a much larger
array of advocates and opponents of the
measure.
As all of us have observed from time to
time, it is often the unexpected that hap
pens The writer had been led to believe
and many members of the Legislature
had been so impressed-that the better
class of cotton mill owners and officials
did not object to the passage of fair
and reasonable law to regulatr the en-
ployment of children in textile and other
manufacturing establishments. We We're
misinformed, to some extent at least, as
was indicated by the presence of such
men as Moses Cone, OF Greensboro; j. Nj.
Odell, of Concord; d. Y. Cooper, of Hen
derson; J. H. McAden, of Charlotte; ALI.
A. Thompson, of Raleigh; Thomas II.
Battle, Of Rocky Mount; W. l.. London,
of PittsborO; Isaac Murchison. Of Fay
etteville; all of whom addressed the COM
mittee in opposition to the passage OF
any law on the subject, or the enactment
OF any other proposed measure affecting
the operation of cotton mills or the cot
ton manufacturing business. All OF these
certainly are numbered among the bet
ter class" of mill owners, and it was
made evident that very little OF the abuses
ployment of child-labor is attributable
to the operation or management OF their
mills Mr.. Cone, for instance, stated that
no child under twelve years was en-
plOyed in his mills, and it is already
matter of record that the Cone mills re-
Gently reduced the hours of labor in their
plants to ten per day, or sixty hours per
week. So far so good. But here comes
the rub.
1t is not the mills operated and man
aged by such men as those above named
that the law would be designed to reach,
but that other class land it is in exist
ence) which does abuse, or permits the
| abuse growing out of long hours, and
especially of night work. and demOraliz-
ing effects of the employment of child
labor, some of the children being very
young.
If the officials and superintendent and
| Overseers of some of the last named class
of mills would come here and appear be-
| fore the committee, under oath, there
would not be much doubt of the passage
OF more stringent law than that now
| proposed. But they are not coming
you couldn't haul them here with a block
and tackle-the fellows who are growing
fat financially on the blood-money exact
| ed of the puny arms and sallOw brows OF
| these little Juveniles, some of them hardly
weaned from the cradle.
| No! But the humane gentlemen who
also own mills, and who can show a
clean bill of health in the matter of child
labor-they come or are delegated and
sent here and put up a first-class argu-
ment, by simply stating facts as they
exist in their mills And then they ask
that no legislation be passed; that it is
unnecessary. They say it is not SO
much the provisions of a reasonable
and just child-labor law that they object
| to, but it is the precedent it's passage
would set-and they fear some future
Legislature would be Influenced by it to
pass other mill and labor laws that
would be more Objectionable
| 1t does seem that no member of the
| committee can be so dense as not to see
| this The enactment of child-labor law
might be omitted, after proper and
binding understanding, if the ''better
class of mill owners alone were con-
cerned. But the fact that these did not
| and cannot influence a considerable num-
Der of Others, of less humanity and more
| greatness, to conform to their ideas and
plans (as witness the failure of this class
to sign and abide by the agreement got
ten up and adhered to by the ''better
class two years ago. makes it necessary
that the strong arm of the law must be
utilized to compel them to do it.
| The South Carolina Senate has passed
a child-labOr bill, the marshall BILL, by
a wore of % to 13, and it is understood
that it will pass the House as soon as
reached. The mill men of that State have
made no opposition to it, concerted or
otherwise, and it is practically unOp-
posed. Why should it be different here?
| None of the mill families will move to
South Carolina on it's account, because
| they will find the same law in existence
there.
| THE LIQUOR QUESTION.
The ''liquor question: is not settled
yet Uord! will it be settled this side OF
the blast of Gabriers trump?) although
the Watts bill, which was prepared by if
not exactly drawn by Senator Simmons
and Governor Aycock, has been reported
favorably to the House, after being slight
ly changed by amendments AS amended
the bill prohibits the manufacture or sale
of any spirituOus, vinOus or malt liquors
or Intoxicating bitters'' anywhere in
North Carolina, except in incorporated
cities and towns" etc, lit does no stipu.
late the minimum number of inhabitants
so that if there are only fifty people OF
less at settlement" and they have il
incorporated, liquor can be made and
sold there); exempts druggists selling or
physicians prescriptions; does not apply
to the manufacture of wine or cider made
from grapes, berries or fruits grown by
manufacturer or purchased by him O
other growers thereof; nor shall it apply
to the manufacture of brandy made from
the same, but the latter must not be sold
wine not to be sold in quantities less
than five gallons; licenses to be secured
as at present for all the above. Nothing
said about the sale of cider. The bill i.
not entirely satisfactory to many TEN
perance advocates, especially the Anti
Saloon League (author of the London
bilD and a fight will probably be made
in the House and Senate to add that pro
; vision of the London bill which requires
the seller (bar-keepers especially to secur,
the recommendation of majority of tn,
, voters in applying for license. Senator
Simmons has been here several day.
looking after the passage of the Watts
bill. Representative Murphy on Frida,
introduced lengthy compromise bill
to regulate the whiskey traffic
The absolute prohibition of the manu-
, facture or sale of liquors in the leading
whiskey distilling county of the Stat
| lMilkeSl is nrnrided for in q hill ro1ortol