The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-06-13
SHORTER HOURS IN MILLS.
Mill Presidents, Representing More
Than Two-Thirds Of the Spindles in
This State, Resolve to Shorten Hours
Gradually to Ten Hours Day.

Gradually to Ten Hours Day.
Greenville, S. c., June 5.-A confer
ence most important in it's bearings
on the industrial progress Of South
Carolina was held today in Greenville
at the room of the board Of trade.
There were present 73 cotton mill
presidents. representing 2.335.0O0
spindles in operation in South Caro-
lima, or more than two-thirds Of the
spindles Of the state.
J. a. Brock, of Anderson. was made
chairman, and ]. I. Westervelt, Of
Greenville, secretary. Capt. E. A.
Snyth, of Greenville, introduced
series of resolutions, which were re-
ferred to a committee, consisting Of
Capt. E. A. Smyth, chairman, Messrs.
L. W. Parker, of Greenville; V. I.
Montgomery, Of Spartanburg; Thomas
Barrett Jr., Of Augusta, Ca, who is
president Of the Langley mill in South
Carolina, and q. T. Wright, Of New
berry. The conference then adjourned
for an hour, while a collation. was
served by the mill officials Of Green
vile and their lady friends.
At the second session Of the confer
ence this resolution was offered by the
committee and unanimously adopted,
and the committee was appointed:
That permanent organization be
effected, and a committee tc nominate
officers be appointed for that purpose
to report at meeting to be held on
June %, at some point to be decided
Upon later.
The following important resolutions
were also adopted without opposition:
Resolved, That it is the sense Of this
conference that the running time Of
the cotton mills in South Carolina be
voluntarily reduced by the mill man.
ayers on July /, 1906, to ga hours per
week, and on July /, 1910, to go hours
per week. The mill managers recog-
nize that for many reasons it is best
both for the employees and the corpo-
ration that this reduction to 60 hours
should be gradual and extended over a
period of years.
Resolved, That this conference urge
upon ali the cotton manufacturers in
South Carolina to continue to carefully
observe the age law limiting the en-
ploynent Of children to those Of IL
years Of age and older, and forbidding
the employment, except under lawful
conditions, of children under II years
Of age.
Resolved, That the conference of
mill manufacturers earnestly approve
the passage Of the compulsory school
law in South Carolina to apply to all
children under twelve years of age,
and also recommend the enactment Of
a law requiring the registration Of all
births in South Carolina, and also
law requiring marriage certificate be-
fore any ceremony can be performed
in South Carolina.
Resolved, That the chairman Of
this conference appoint committee
of seven, who shall prepare circular
letter to be printed and placed on the
desk of each senator and member oi
the house Of representatives Of the
South Carolina legislature, urging
upos. them the enactment Of these
laws.
Re-.lved, That it is the judgment Of
this meeting that there should be no
change made in the wages Of the en-
poyes at this time consequent upon
the change of hours so passed.
Enabling thereby such operatives as
work by the day to secure the same
amount Of wages for the shortened
day as they would have secured for
longer day, it being the belief Of the
manufacturers here assembled that
piece workers will be eble to secure.
through increased energy consequent
upon the shortened hours Of labor, the
same amount Ct wages during the
shorter time that they have previous
ly earned. The name Of the organ
ization is the Cotton Manufacturers
Association Of South Carolina.
A Thousand Dollars Worth Of Good.
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