The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-07
CHILLI LABOR PERPETUATES
POVERTY AND IGNORANCE,
A Review OF Address of Andrew E. Moore, of Gastonia
Before Ninth Annual Convention Cotton Manufac-
turers' Association of North Carolina, at Charlotte
June Ninth.
lBy w. II. SWIFT,

Manufacturer Of June 18th reports in
full the address delivered by Mr.. An
drew T.. Moore of Gastonia, y. c., -
fore the ninth annual convention OF
the Cotton Manufacturers AZ Ciat:ol
of North Carolina, and says Amen
to the same.
MI. Moore in speaking of conditions
said The world is today undergoiL .
changes. These changes come through
radicals who usually go too tsr. LiE.
the surgeon who sinks the knif too
deep-we may have TO suffer-
Most men agree tha, these chan 3
are good. The Democrats are proud
of the Wilson changes. In some cases
the knife must cut deep, but that is
W. hat surgeons are for-to cut.
The changes must come, even
though Mr.. Moore and his fellow cot
ton manufacturers do suffer. What
matter their little suffering, if the
state regain health by the cutting?
Blessed >be the radical who cut
tunors away. No danger that ne will
cut too deep. There is always "a no !;
at even Il scratch.
Il want us not to become politicians.
but to warn them that we are not
without influence. and that we pro. sc
to stand together"
records he will find a refusal OIL the
part Of certain .GeSSive manufac-
turers to stand gains child labor ie-
"orms. He Will find a very mark =
division IN the ranks Of the manufac-
turers. Some will work no child un-
der 13. Most, however, require chill
dren to be but u.
influence If Manufacturer 5.
But we know their influence. We
have felt it. 1t is great. More pow
erful, | think, than any other or
ganiZed influence in North Carolina.
In Raleigh in 1913 it was so powerful
that ii made me think of that like
wise very powerful, but now discredit-
ed influence which Woodrow Wilson
was forced to handle Il little roughly
We recognize this infu-- &c. but great
as it is we do not fear it. No or
ganization can stand long against
rig. IT is wrong to work little chill
dren. As the wrong is felt i viii be
cured.
Of course, these men will fight
They think that it is necessary tC
fight in order to preserve their inter
est. They have been fighting for more
than 10 years. But in every fight they
have been made to lose "A little ground
and they have lost it because people
are more and more coming to rec.e-.
nize not only the rights Of h child
but the rights of the State il. the child
They are low losing ground yer,
ldpIViS. Il VII OBlIlOI 10
10 condemn the working of children
for long hours.
The thing that frightens me hap
pened in Raleigh the other day whel
1t was proposed hat a thing mimi a
To W. be put in the DemOcr: tic lit
form"
May Well Be Frighte: Il.
While there is no necessity for 1t
still. l am quite sure that the MFR
proposal of the thing, as he calls it
did frighten him. For the mere pro
poSal means that many Of us have de
cided that the State should do tn
right thing without considering VIII
opposes. Honestly, l think that MI
Moore may we'll be frightened, if h
is going to undertake to have his as
ISOLATION continue to employ youni
children as wage earners.
The proposition proposed was a de
mand that children be IA years of ag
before they be employed in mills Q
factories, and that no girls or Wome
be worked at night. That is all, 10
IT is now unlawful to work either boy
or girls under 16 years Of age at n Sh
mica means u~nfriendly. Let U
now see how this proposition would b
u~nfriendly to the manufacturer VIII
II running the mill.
How "Unfriendiy:?"
First: BY forbidding the emplo.
Hheht or girls ana women dt HlSH
My own work does not reach any ea
cept children. On this point. how
ever, let me say that the NIGHT prop
sition would have been settled Ion
ago if only the simple rule Of labt
had been know. and observed. Ira
rule is that night work is paid for O
the basis of time and a half; that is
a day hand gets $1.O0 a day, d MI
hand for the same work should 8
$3.50. This is the rule Of worker
both organized and inorganic
throughout this country. If this ru
had prevailed many cotton mill oper;
tves would have received hundred
or thousands of dollars that they hay
not received. In other words II
manufacturers have kept back W
In other trades is considered ia
wages for night work. They ha'
violated the well recognized rule
labor. They could and they did. Al
money thus kept back would ha