Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-07-15

aid in abolishing the evil of child labor.
The question has been handled as a broad,
economic problem-clearly recognizing the
Industrial evolution of the south since the
restitution left by the civil war.
Mills Well Lighted and Ventilated.
In the course of her report Miss Beeks
says:
I'm general it may be said that the mills
are unusually well lighted and ventilated,
heated in winter and cooled in summer.
The saw-tooth roof is used to give a per-
fectly lighted, modern weave room. and
the monitor roof. which insures better ven-
tilation than the fiat roof. Is found quite
often. The employers have been quick to
utilize modern devices, such as the exhaust
system for the removal of the lint; the cold
water spray instead of the hot-water spray
in summer. to humidity the atmosphere for
manufacturing purposes: and the blower
system for heating in winter and cooling
the air in summer Some, who heat with
hot ar, use the cold-water spray both win
ter and summer and have proved by its use
that heat is not essential to the successful
manufacture of cotton goods The aim is
to keep the temperature at 30 to Is de-
grees. That is probably feasible, excepting
in few old mills in the lowlands. But
there and in the uplands in exceedingly
warm weather some progressive employers
have cold water sprayed on the roofs or
sides of the mills exposed to the sun. The
custom at one place visited is to put ice
in the chamber through which the fresh
air is drawn into the mill. while In another
the air is passed through cool water. The
claim that the operatives more COM
Portable in the mills during the summer
than they were when engaged in the hot
sun on the farms is iustifable. The intro
duction of electric motors In many mills
to take the place of overhead shafting and
betting has aided In reducing the amount
OF dust in the atmosphere. The custom
of having pure, cool drinking water easily
accessible in the work rooms. is general.
One employer was having the ribbed win
dows replaced with clear glass, to please
the employees because they like to look out
He supplemented the statement with I
would, too. In two mills there are splen-
did emergency hospital rooms, with operat-
Ing tables. and even stretchers. Another
mill man goes SO far to provide the
trained nurse to visit all families where
there is illness in the village. which ma
terially aids in preventing the spread of
contagious diseases: and one has an isola-
ton hospital for use during epidemics
Medical attendance. at a nominal fee is
provided quite generally through special
arrangements with physicians.
Only Points of Criticism.
1.-THE only points of criticism relative to
negligence in providing for the comfort
of the employees in the mills are bad ven
tilation and poor ianitor service in con-
nection with the toilet arrangements, and
lack of elevator service
Some of the toilet rooms are in the ends
OF the mills and are well ventilated by
windows and the exhaust system, but
others are in the centers of the mills with
no provision for ventilation. To explain
their unclean condition it was claimed
that the operatives being migratory and
moving constantly from one village to an
other, only remain in one mill long enough
to learn the first lesson in cleanliness. The
feeling of acknowledgment relative to the
difficulty to educating what the mill men
term that trough class of people" to the
proper use of such conveniences would be
amusing to the employer who has, had to
solve the problem with immigrant labor
1t should be comparatively easy to so
educate the native English-speaking opera
tives in the southern cotton mills. But
the question of janitor service is left to
superintendents and foremen. Elsewhere
1t has been proven that when the expense
of janitor service is charged to the vari-
GUS departments the foremen who are
quired to keep down the cost of manufac-
turing neglect their housekeeping duties;
and that employees i'll not make proper use
of unclean, insaintary arrangements. When
the unclean condition of the toilet rooms,
which with one exception was inexcusably
bad, was called to their attention. several
of the mill presidents Immediately under
took to improve the method OF caring for
them The system in force in the ex-
cepted mill at Lndaie Is thorough. JAM
tors clean the arrangements twice day,
using an antiseptic and a liberal supply
of hot soap suds. In one mill the opera
tives have supplied their own individual
wash basins, which are In rows on the
window slls In the work rooms. In an
other, although the employer has been
thoughtful In supplying soap. as usual
towels are not furnished and the operatives
were observed using the manufactured
product in lieu Of them.
Elevators Needed
While the use of elevators to conserve
the energy of employees has not become
general in this country. Its need is greater
In the cotton mills than elsewhere. The
reason is that the. spinning rooms, where