The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-07-14

machinery in the basement The floors are kept clean and dsinfectants are used freely. There is plenty of light and air. More than l find in some of the depart ment stores In the large cities.
 Every girl and child in the mill has stool on which they rest frequently during the day. In my heart I con- graduated them and felt pang of pity for many of the shop girls in Birming- ham.
 Girls Are Healthy. l did not find pale, consumptve face in the mill. Indeed, I was impressed with the rosy cheeks and smiling lips of many of the girls busy at the looms and spindles.
 I was informed that many of these girls make from $5 to ss per week. You will say immediately that tn is is poor pay, but listen: The manage ment furnished comfortable homes a the rate of sl room per month, free water, free sanitary service, good schools and churches. A handsome new church has just been completed in the mill village. Besides this the girls are allowing to sit down at inter- 1 vals during the day when their ma
 chimes do not require attention and l the work is not hard
 l Compare this with the employment
 of the shop girl in the city who is on
 her feet ten hours or more every day never allowed to sit down and work ing ten times harder than the mill i girl of the same age. Does the sh op l girl get any more for her services! 1 You can answer the question. Then 1t ] takes many times more money for the 1 shop girl to clothe herself and pay rent. She pays more for one cell of a room than the mill girl has to pay for
 six-room house with big garden and
 shade trees in the front yard. l These comparisons may not be en- 1 tirely pleasant but truth Is truth and
 we ought to know what our neigh
 bors are doing.
 There Are No Drones. I find that the only drones in the l Cordova mill town are the infirm and men who are unable to work from some 1 physical or mental disorder. No man
 Is allowed to bring his family here i who sits down and expects his chil- dren to support him.. Objectionable l characters are not allowed in the vil- lage. The moral tone Is kept high and l 1t Is very seldom that any disorder of any kind is reported.
 I The employees of the mill village have the utmost respect of the best | people in the town of Cordova proper and the intercourse Is general and of 1 the most friendly nature. There Is really no line of distinction between 1 the mill village and the town proper The employees of the Indian Head mills as a general rule have been here long time. They are not transtory
 
 mills. The management takes pains work pleasant and steady employ ment is thereby ged.
 PaternaI Care.
 To illustrate the paternal care that Is exhibited fin the interest of the em- ployes I will relate an incident that ,, was told me by one of the foremen: A new family moved into the village to get employment. There was widow and several average sized chill dren. They came from the mountains of North Carolina and had but few goods. These were old and not in good condition. When they were inspected they were condemned and burned The was then fitted out with everything make living comfortable and this fam fly was made happy and contented This was done not only for the com for and health of the immediate fam lilly but for others in the village New recruits from the mountains and back country are given lesson in civilization before they are put to work If they cannot be civilized they are not wanted. It can be said with all assurance that great majority of these people enjoy more of the com forts of life here than they ever knew in their former homes. And besides this the children are given educational advantages that they never would have had at home.
 Rent Is Suspended. During the recent panic when the work ing force was reduced the collection of rent was suspended. One of the strictest rules of the management is that all cases of illness and temporary need in the vil- lage must be reported to the office The officials do not wait for the individuals to report these things but men are out constantly looking after the needs of the employees.
 All cases of Restitution are cared for with the greatest care. This is counted as one of the business assets of the mill It is not only humanitarian but it brings the reward of faithful service and the loyalty of every employe in the mill
 I regret that there are not more cot ton mills in Alabama and the south with such a magnificent record.
 Plants in Alabama.
 There are 73 cotton mills in Alabama with a total of 95S, S66 spindles and 16,S70 looms. This number is being rapidly in.