The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-09-22
TEXTILE WORKERS
Unions Are Strong In New Eng
land States.
HAVE STRONG OPPOSITION.
Southern Manufacturers Bitter In
Their Attitude Toward Organization.
Fear Abolition Of Child Labor and
Hiqher WAGES.

1t Is generally known In all In
dustries where child labor is employed
that owners of factories are bitterly
opposed to association of workmen and
workwomen, for it inevitably follows
that where the organization of labor
the labor of children is eliminated to a
great extent. In the south much child
labor is employed, and hence there Is
to be found the greatest opposition to
the unions. However. the southern
manufacturers, realizing what must of
necessity follow, have in many places
instituted welfare work with the view
of prolonging the custom of child la
Dor as long as possible. There are no
textile unions in the south at this time
worthy of mention, but there is rest
lessness which forebodes in the not
distant future an effort to establish
them. When that time comes this rest
lessness will crystalline into action and
sweep the southern country like prai-
rie fire.
The day of child labor is rapidly
drawing to close. The citizens of our
country as whole are in entire ac-
cord with present day ideals to cease
this inhuman practice, and it is but the
question of how long the popular senti-
ment will be held in leash. The his
tory Of the textile workers organiza-
ton is interesting, and it is still fight
ing for better days.
The United Textile Workers, which
has headquarters in Fall River. Mass.
was organized in 1901 by an amalga-
nation Of various unions of textile
workers, comprising card room hands,
mule spinners. slasher tenders, weav-
ers and loom fixers. Included among
the organized card room hands are
carders, combers, draw frame tenders,
slubber tenders and speeder tenders.
This organization is affiliated with the
American Federation Of Labor In
New England some of these unions are
strong. they being composed for the
most part of English speaking opera
tives, but include considerable num-
Der of French Canadians and few
of other races. The strong unions are
those of the mule spinners and loom
fXers, being composed entirely of men.
AS is usual. the unions made up Of
lively weak. The operatives Of for
eign birth or parentage, who consti-
tute such large proportion of the to-
tai number Of operatives, have not as
yet fully realized the benefits which
may accrue to labor from being organ
lied. this being especially true of wo
men and young people.
These unions are generally opposed
by the textile manufacturers. although
a few manufacturers favor the unions
on the ground that it is an advantage
to deal with an organized body rather
than with operatives individually, and
such manufacturers hold the opinion
that they secure better class of EN-
ployees by employing members Of I'M
ions than by employing those who are
not organized. The principal reason
offered by manufacturers for opposing
unions is that the unions interfere with
the mill management. that they insist
where possible on the union shop and
that they cause strikes and resort to
picketing and boycotts. The textile
unions maintain in justification Of their
existence that their object is to i'm.
prove labor conditions among the
workers and that a knowledge of their
power has caused mill owners to treat
the rights of operatives with greater
respect than formerly and that in
many cases they have been able to Sc
cure higher wages or prevented threat
ened reductions.
The unions through their influence
have reduced the hours of labor by leg
islative enactment, and they have Sc
cured the passage of other labor laws
providing for the restriction Of child
labor, for safety appliances. for i'm
proved sanitary conditions and for fac
tory inspection. They have Also by
their vigilance. increased the efficiency
of factory inspection.
In the south the cotton manufacture
ers are more strongly opposed to tex
tile unions than are those in New Eng
land Southern manufacturers object
to any influence which would inter
fere with the management of their
business in their own way. These
southern manufacturers regard labor
unions AS menace to the prosperity
of the cotton manufacturing industry.
and most of them are uneQuivocally
opposed to the organization of labor In
the southern mills. One reason why
the manufacturers have opposed unions
Is that they realize that unions have
exerted their combined strength to Sc
cure the enactment and enforcement
of child labor laws and factory In
spection laws. The southern cotton
manufacturers are and have been VIC
lently opposed to state factory inspec-
ton. They have held that even the
state has no right to regulate their
business. Factory inspection is consid'
cred to be inquisitorial and therefore
an interference with the rights OF pri'
vate employers or the chartered rights
of corporations. Their strong opposi
ton to anything savoring of state SUI
pervision or regulation is the explana'
ton of the slowness of southern state
legislatures in establishing factory In
spection.
There are practically no textile
unions In the south.