The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-07-21
CHILD LABOR EVILS.
Conditions in Cotton Mill Reigon of
 the Southern States.

Conditions in Cotton Mill Reigon of
 the Southern States.
 For the purpose of learning what manufacturers of cotton goods in the Southe have done to ameliorate the conditions under which their employees work and live, Miss Gertrude Beehs, secretary of the welfare department of the National Civic Federation, recent ly visited fourteen cotton mill towns In South Carolina, Alabama and Geor- gia. Children being employed, the question of child labor was naturally involved In the inquiry. While her re- port, which is to appear in fThe Ma tional Civic Federation Review" shows that there are issolated cases of very young children at work, as well as too many under twelve years, the legal age in South Carolina and Alabama, credit has to be given the employers for their efforts to educate the children and to secure proper legislation which will laid in abolishing the evil of child la bor The question has been handled as broad economic problem-clearly recognizing the industrial revolution of the South since the destitution left by the Civil War.
 Much literature has been published on this subject, frequently emanating from a source interested in creating socialistic propaganda rather than de- pieting facts, Miss Beeks not only frankly criticises where the employers are at fault, but also tells of their beneficent efforts. In her report she states that the mills themselves have been made as comfortable as possi- ble by the owners, Extensive cooling apparatus has been introduced general ly, and in every way the health of the operatives has been safeguarded. Nor have the efforts of the employers been confined to the mills themselves. Far from checking the spread of free public education, they not only pay the taxes which support the state schools for their regular term of five months, but not infrequently support the same schools for an additional four months out of their private purses.
 It must be remembered, says Miss Beeks, that before going into the cot- ton mill communities these people, ale though of old American stock, were practically untouched, by any eivilizmg agency. Living isolated lives on small and unfertile farms, their diet con- sisted of side meat and corn bread-a mere mixture of cornmeal and water baked-and, as luxury, now and then molasses. Their diversion was indulg ing in corn whiskey, After few gen. erations of such a life the pale com plexion which all mill operators have cannot be attributed entirely to work in the mills. As farmers they did well l if they had $20 in cash in course of the year for expenditures. Although their incomes increased fabulously upon go- | ing to the mills, the mother as well as other members of the family who could work, did so. With no one to care for the home the family subsisted mostly upon cold canned foods. As one employer said: "Our people need some system for teaching them how to live, more than anything else' As a matter of fact, domestic science teachers are employed by many of the mill men now to instruct the people how properly to prepare their food. When the mother entered the mil, so did the children. It was a mere exchange of mill work for farm work. It is true, also, that reme- dial legislation in the South has not kept pace ith industrial progress. Nor has public sentiment educated the par ents (who have lacked opportunity for seducation thensa1vas ana- tharafare.