The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-10-11
LABOR FOR MILLS,
OPERATORS EXPERIMENT WITH
ENGLISH MILL HANDS,
May Mean Solution Of the Labor CUES.
ton In the Cotton Mills Of the
SOuth-EnEland said 20 Have
q Surplus Of Skilled Cot.
ton Mill Labor.


Charlotte, n. C. Special to New Orleans
Times Democrat.
Several cotton mills in this city and
nearby towns have in a small and quiet
wav been experimenting with English
operatives during the past six months
and the results are being carefully
watched by manufacturers who have
learned Of this attempt to solve the
labor problem. which has long helped
to retard the industrial development of
the South.
The experiments ore not very COM
| mnnicative on the subject. but it is GER
| tain that about one hundred English
operatives. who have arrived here IN
small parties during the past six
months have found ready employ ment
at the mills. The mill owners are not
| a unit as to the adaptability IF the
| English operatives to conditions ex-
listing in this section. Two or three
of them in this city are Gratified with
| ther experiment. and believe that In
the English immigrant the South Will
| find immediate labor to fully equip the
| many mills that are now running on
short hours owing to the scarcity OF
| operatives.
| Others. inclined to take n lessopti-
mistic view OF the matter. say that the
| English are slow, and that there Is
| considerable friction between them and
the American operatives. who. in some
cases. resent the Introduction of for
cign labor on the ground that Its
more extensive employment will have A
tendency to lower wages and eventual
ly deprive the native workers OF their
mans of obtaining a livelihood
This feeling recently found forcibla
expression in an occurance at Gaffney,
g. G.. A few weeks ago the manage
ment Of the Leray' Mills brought to that
place colony of English girls. who
were under a twelve months. contract
to work in the mills. and who were in
| turn pledged for that time the full
protection of the company. Ever since
| their arrival they have been annoyed
by crowd of boys and young men.
who congregated at night about the
quarters which they occupied. In re-
sponse to complaints the managers
caused the arrest and Imprisonment of
the leader of these disturbances and the
girls have been spared further annoy
| ance. At no other place has there
been any active resentment Of the prs
ace of the foreignrs. bany Of whom. af-
ter overcoming the first feeling Of
prejudice against them. have made good
friends and neighbors IN the settle
ments where they live.
Within a radius of one hundred miles
from Charlotte are located more than
entire South. Recent electrical deve-
lopment has given to this section cheap
and almost Unlimited power The ell
mate Is mild and healthful. the cost OF
living low. shipping facilities are good
and the raw material Is here. Labor
Is the only thing needed to fully de-
velop the wonderful possibilities of this
favored section. England has more
laborers than she can employ. They
are, In the main. intelligent and in
dustrious, and make good citizens.
Many are skilled workmen and mechan-
les. Their language. religion and Gus
toms are identical with those of this
country and they are in harmony with
the laws and so allied to their new as
sociates by ties of kinship that they
need scarcely be regarded as foreign
crs.
IL the experiments now being trieo
here show that they may be adapted
to work In the cotton mills Of the
South. a partial solution Of one OF the
most perplexing problems now con.
fronting the south will have been FOUND
and England will be relieved or large
army of idle men and women she can
not utilize at present.