Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1907-04-25

make up our mOdeSt sum OF oV,VVV'
and in consideration of his assumed
concession on this point we will not
take into account double shifts for
night work, which, we are afraid,
would rwell our sorrowful total.
Figures and reports of conditions
that are as accessible to Captain
smyth as to myself would indicate
the employment of at least 10000
children under 16 in southern mill q,
and an estimate showing 10000 of
these to be under IA is conservative.
I might add that the census bulletin
estimates that 997 children from five
to nine years of age were actually
reported as employed in the south
ern states, and this number should
he at least trebled. In fact, the con
ditions both as to age and hours OF
work in the Southern manufacturing
states in particular as paralleled only
i'm that period of England's indus
trial history when the poorhouses
emptied their little waits into the
nav OF the cotton mills. Captain
Smyth also denies emphatically and
excitedly that spinning frame with
adjustable legs for small help was
lever made, even seen, or ever at
tempted" He is referring to another
statement of mine that a spooler
had recently been put on the market
with adjustable legs for small help.
If the captain will turn to Draper's
Textile Texts he will find the afore-
said spooler advertised thus: "An-
other important feature of our con-
struction is the use of adjustable
legs in the frame, so that the height
of the machine may be suited to the
operative. Small help Is used in
some mills, and full-grown help in
others. The motions required In
spooling are very fatiguing II the
spindles are not at n proper height
for easy manipulation, and this
height necessarily varies with the
height of the attendant" / recog-
nized the technical dierence between
n spooler and spinning frame in
my statement. Yet as children OF
six years have been found climbing
upon the spinning frame to mend the
broken threads IL would be perhaps
an act of humanity to invent also a
spinning frame with adjustable legs
for small help.
Captain smyth, referring to Mr.
statement that there are
southern cotton mills In which par
ents sign contracts to send their
children to work upon reaching a
certain age" confessed that this ap-
piled to him individually, but com
planned that the whole truth waS
not told with regard TO the contract;
wherefor this remarkable contract u
vivid illustration of the peculiar
point OF view OF the mill owner, is
quoted In full at the top of this ar
ticle as given by the captain. Read
the contract and answer the ques.
tion: Gould you conceive yourself
signing such a document to bind
your own children" That is, after !
all, the real test
Now we gladly admit that the
first part of this contract has done
much for the training of the children |
of the Pelzer mills. II has given
the mills so good a reputation that. !
| am told, the statement that one
has worked there is in itself a rec
ommendation, and the present super
intendents OF other mills obtained
their education In the schools re
ferred TO. In fact, We know of moth
ing else that shows more conclusive
ly the fatwittedness of those min
owners who drain the schools of chill
dren who have attained the mature
are OF eight or nine years. Yet Cap.
tain Smyth should really under
stand that even this part of the
contract hardly appeals to the large
body of American citizens, who are
accustomed TO the idea of compul-
sorry free education supported by the
tax PAYERS; while the second part ot
the contract, binding whole families
to the mill, is simply unspeakable.
We have known a widowed mother
20 leave another mill making such
requirements simply because she did
not choose TO bind her 12-year-old
child 10 drudgery.
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