The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-10-21
TEXTILE ASSOCIATION.


Cotton MIL Man Speaks of Children.
Raleigh, N. c., Oct 20-The South
ern Textile Association with men,
bership of some 900 met here today.
BY unanimous vote the association de-
cided hereafter to meet three times q
year instead of four. during February.
July and October. As the place OF
meeting in February. Columbia. 8. c.,
was chosen. The care Of the operatives
health was the subject OF a paper by
Superintendent A. 8. Wanslow, of Ciin-
ton, s. c., who told OF diseases and pre-
tentative steps, declaring IL prefer
able for a child to be In q factory than
at home.
That the health of child laborers
and In fact, all employees Of the cot
ton mills OF the South has been In
nniteiy Improved through the safe
guards thrown around them by the
mill owners was maintained by A s.
lWinsIow. superintendent OF cotton
mills In Clinton, s. c., In an address
before the Southern Textile Associ-
alton here today, In view of the wide
spread interest taken in the labor
problem in Southern factories. and es-
pecially cotton mills. the address was
OF more than local importance.
Mr.. Winslow's position was that
the health and morals OF the employ
es were greatly bettered through
their employment In the mills, He
commended that the first thought of
the mill owners was the safeguarding
OF the health and well being of their
workers. This, Mr.. Winslow frankly
acknowledged. was not prompted SOLE
ly by philanthropy. He acknowl-
edged the good health of the employ
es was of the greatest Importance to
the owner Of the mill.
Good Health An Asset.
Good health among the operatives
turer,fs he said. 1T means more and
better work. The knowledge of this
fact explains the increasing oversight
of the operative. both in and out OF
the mill. The physical. moral and
spiritual health are being considered
so carefully today that the oid-time
prejudice against employment in the
mill is fading from the public mind.
The cotton mill as place for employ
ment has passed the stage of expert
ment and has outlived the spirit of
prejudice so manifest in other days"
In support of his defense Of the cot
ton mill as place OF employment
for Juveniles. Mr.. Winslow quoted
from a letter written by Dr. c. W.
Stiles, of the United States Public
Health and Marine Hospital Service,
this letter DR.. Stiles defends the en-
pioyment of children in the mills,
holding such employment Infinitely
better than existence IN the insan-
itary dwellings, of the people in the
sand lands and Appalachian regions
of the South.
Mr.. Winslow quoted Dr. Stiles as
saying he would much rather place
his ten-year-old daughter in the
spinning room than send her to the
insanitary surroundings to be found
on the average tenant farm in those
Gives Medical Data.
Mr.. Winslow proceeded to quote the
testimony of a physician who Is en-.
gagged In making q. careful study of
sanitary conditions In the South. This
physician, he declared. stated that
and that he should not have con-
farms. The homes OF many Of ht the
planters, Mr.. winslow said the ply
stefan declared. were not above se-
we're criticism from sanitary point
OF view.
"rhe fact is. and we have a right
to be proud of it," continued Mr..
the South are better suited to the OPP
eratives than many places where the
world has been taught to look for
health. The mills may not be per-
feet. for human as well as local lin
itations will not permit US to attain
unto perfection, but we may boldly
proclaim that the mills are safe
places of occupation from a health
point of view. and that the mill off,
Gals are interested in and intent up-
on the maintenance of sound health
among the operatives. And we are
not only justified in this. hut we may
safely challenge the world to- dis
prove our statements
Mr. Winslow credited the advance
in the health of Southern workers to
the fact that new factories now are
constructed and old ones remodeled
with the phyical welfare of the
workers in view. This fact. together
with the personal interest taken by
owners of their employees health, he
said has worked wonders among the
0nAra twas