The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-01-06
LIFE OF A MILL WORKER

Ida M. Tarbel in the American Maga- zine for January.
 "HE average weekly earnings for 5s hours in cotton factories of Rhode x Island in that year were, according to this report: For the carding room, g. .S0; for mule spinners, $l2.92; for speed CTS, $10. .62; for weavers, $1o.3S. In the woolen industry the picker received s, the woman spinner s725. the man spinner S12. .91. the weavers. s15.S4.
 If a man could make these wages for 52 weeks. a year throughout his working life, if he had thrifty wife and healthy children, his lot, if not altogether rosy, would be far from hopeless-he might even be able to realize the dream of little home and garden of his own which turks in the mind of every normal man. There are few old men and women in tex tile factories By 55 they are unfit for the labor. The terrible strain on brain and nerve and muscle has so destroyed the agility and power of attention neces- sary that they must give up the factory, he drops out picking up thereafter any odd job he may.
 | It is this short working life of the father, with the declining wage for years before 1t actually ends, that makes child labor an essential factor in the solving of the problem of the textile family. With out their help the father cannot support the family and lay aside anything to in- sure his own and his wifes future.
 | If the children prove healthy, If they
 turn out well," if work is continuous, the little homo may be secured and the | modest little dream may come true. But suppose that a weaver, rushing into the cold air at the end of his 10-hour day, Is chilled and has pneumonia-it happens often enough. Suppose an uncovered gear or belt catches him in an uncautious moment, and crushes limb or takes his scalp. or a carelessly handled machine nips off f1nger-it happens all the time. Suppose that, standing through the hot
 summer in the poisoned air of dry l closet, he falls i'll of a fever. Of, if he I escapes all these things, suppose that | the factory goes on short time-thousands
 of operatives all over New England have
 had their weekly wages cut in half this
 last year by short time. Or. suppose that,
 which has happened repeatedly in Rhode
 Island, he is obliged by some intolerable
 condition to strike and have no wage
 what happens then? That happens which
 cannot but believe Is more disastrous
 to the family than even child labor-the
 wife must go into the factory. The
 mothers go into the factory and the
 homes gradually go to pieces. How they tmanage the housework at all 1t Is hard
 to see. They must be at the factory at
 6:3O o'clock a. m. sharp. They do not lleaye until 5:30 o'clock p. m. Before
 they 20 to work the breakfast must be
 prepared, and plans laid for the lunch
 which some child still in school brings l to the mill.
 After her 10 hours at spindle or loom the woman hurries to cold, unkempt
 house. which she must make comfort
 ab,e ana cheerful if 1t is to be so Is 1t | strange that the homes of the factory
 mothers are generally untidy, the food
 noor. the children neglected? How can i+ be otherwise? Her limit of endurance. of ambition, of Joy, even of desire of life. has been passed. More appalling. she
 sees her ability to work falling of. Al
 u,ost universally, should say, women
 who have worked 10 years in a factory have the patent medicine habit-they are
 .sso tired" they take something" h 1t surprising that few of them finally
 discover that they can get from bees ] CT whisky the same temporary strength