The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1909-09-04
COMPARISONS SHOW BRITISH
COTTON MILL WORKERS
WAGES GO MUCH FARTHER
Live in Better Houses, Wear Better
Clothes Than New England Oper-
teresting Figures.
BY Tavenner.

MANCHESTER. England, Sep:
3.-While the average working man
Tree trade England receives less
in wages than the American worker
the Briton's wages 60 farther than
the American when il comes to
purchasing iood>tuffs. clothing, shoes
and paying rent
At the end of the year the cmploye
OF the British cotton mill, receiving
s44S a week. Cthe average wage
when the earnings of women. boys
and men are irciudcd) is better whe1
the employc OF the New England
mills who has received S5S5 a week,
which i. the average weekly wage
in the cotton industry in the United
States
a comparison OF living conditions,
of mill workers in Manchester, Eng
land or any OF tht surrounding mill
towns. with those OF Lowell. Mass,
shows beyond question that the Ems
lish workers under free trade live ~
better houses. wear better clothing
and cat more wholesome food than
the mill workers in the New England
states under protection
In New England more than half
OF the cotton mill workers are for
eigRers The mill owners have for
many years have been Systematically
crowding Americans out Of their fac
tories and making places for foreign
res, who live under conditions that
the average American could not toll
crate
a foreigner Is seldom seen in the
British cotton mill More than 90
per cent of the cotton mill employee
are British
why is it Southern Europeans do
not come here to work." | inquired
OF British manufacturer.
The principal reason Is that VIC
would not dare employ cheap foreign
labor. was the reply. even II i
where profitable to do so. which it is
not. If il became known a mill was
orowding out British TO make room
for the foreigners ! have no doubt
in the world the British consume
would refuse to buy the output OF
that mill
In Massachusetts. Connecticut and
Rhode Island it is different Just
how different can be best shown with
the words OF Representative Angus
tus p. Gardner. of Mass. who has
made a thorough investigation of
New Fneand mill owners
Mr.. Gardner, speaking on the floor
OF the House one day on the sub
ject of immigration. gave a graphic
description OF how the highly pro
tectcd New England cotton mills i'm
port large numbers of the cheapest
,lass Of foreigners,
For example, said Mr.. Gardner
suppose | am a Syrian conducting
a Syrian boarding house in the city
of Lowell Mass Perhaps some mill
sends down to me for hands. | fur
nish at somewhat lower rate OF
wages than Is expected by ordinary
citizen help american help),
find recurrent opportunities 10 sup
ply the cotton mills with Syrian>
Soon | hear that another mill j.
about TO make an extension, so
| say to myself Back there in Syri,
is quite a profitable mine for me-
Perhaps | go to the mill treasurer.
and get an advance OF money Per
haps | have the money myself.
return 10 Syria or send sofne trust
ed agent very likely Syrian resi-
dent OF the United States. In Syria
a number OF tho emigrantS are
gathered together and they come 10
America. and either by direct route
or indirect route. hually arrive at my
boarding house in the city of Lowell
tell them that ii they do not pa.
me back the money advanced | Will
have them arrested. that they must
hand over the full wages that thes
get in the mill on penalty OF imprison-
ment Everyone knows how easy it
is for stranger TO break the laws Or
ordinances III a land where he does
not understand the language. sa.l
they are held III terrier oi the police
---s meanwhile | take all their usfge-. !.
while | feed them ard keep them
alive just as | would feed and keep