The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-10-22
CHILD LABOR IN
COTTON MILLS
Georgian Stirs Up Indignation
Among Textile Workers
PROTEST AGAINST SYSTEM
Surprise Is Expressed That a Public
Official Should Defend Employ
ment of Child Labor in
Southern Mills.

Washington, October 21.-While critics.
ing DR.. c. A Stiles of the United States
public health and marine hospital ser
vice for defending before the Southern
Textile association at Raleigh, n. c., the
employment of children in the cotton mills
of the south, c. e. Roberts of Georgia,
chairman of a labor committee of the
Central Labor union of this city, today
stirred up strong Indignation among dele
gates to the United Textile Workers of
America. assembled in convention in this
city.
Mr.. Roberts declared his surprise that
a public officer paid from the public
revenues should appear before the COM
mittee of employers of labor and under
take to defend the system of child labor
in the southern states. Mr.. Roberts adYo-
Gated action by the convention in oppo-
sltion to any further attempt to extend
and to perpetuate the system of child
labor in southern cotton mills.
Il love the southland" said Mr. Rob
erts, land | would do almost anything in
my power to have the cotton of the south
manufactured in southern states. But
there are prices | would not pay for
commercial victory. ! would not give our
little children as the price of success
Mr.. Roberts spoke in favor of the more
general adoption of the union label on all
manufactured goods and declared 1t was
unreasonable for union men and women
to ask their employers TO patronize only
union labor when they themselves re-
fused to buy only goods marked with the
union label, and in that way patronize
only union labor
by refusing to purchase only goods
that bear our label" he declared, you
are putting money into the hands of men
who are attempting to place Gompers,
Morrison and Mitchell in jail"
Mr.. Roberts favored the breaking away
from all political parties in order to OBJ
tain the ends fought for by labor union
lists. What discipline should be melted out
to seeding unions was the subject of ami
mated debate among the delegates.
The employment of child labor in south
ern states was agaian the subject OF an
acrid discussion when Jonn L. Rodier
of this city warned delegates from the
New England states that II they looked
with Indifference on the policy OF work
ing children in the southern cotton mills
they would soon face a movement for
the repeal Of child labor laws in Massa-
chuseetts, Rhode Island and Connecticut
as the New England industry would find
it impossible to compete against such
cheap labor
II find said Mr.. Rodier. that men
who advocate putting children in the
cotton mills of the south do not put
their own children there but send them
to school,"
Mr.. Roder told of his experience In
Atlanta, Ca. during campaign against
the liquor traffic.
ministers of the gospel and women
got down on their knees" he said. and
prayed TO save big strong men from the
demon rum and against their own vices.
but these same ministers and women
were Indifferent when we attempted to
get legislation preventing the employ
ment of children under ten years OF
age"
After the speaker had left the as
sembly hall his reference to the ministers
and children brought Edwin Johnson of
New Bedford, Conn. to his feet, de-
claring that a gratuitous insult had been
offered to the ministers.
Secretary Albert Hilbert of Fall River.
Mass suggested that It was fact that
ministers did not take the same interest
in prohibiting child labor that they took
in the liquor traffic.
Delegate Samuel Ross, a state sena-
tor of Connecticut, called attention to the
prohibition by the constitution of the as
sociation against religious or palitical dis
cussions and President John Golden
brought the debate to a sudden close.