The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-08-13
LET A COMMENTED
PEOPLE ALONE.
Columbia Record.

In these days when in places of
large population many are hunting
for work, we feel that it is little
short of criminal for meddlers to be
going around interfering with labor
that is contented.
The world at large has distorted
idea of the condition of the people who
work in the mills. Mill workers are
about the healthiest, happiest, best
conditioned people in the South.
The man who would disturb their
contentment is an enemy to them and
a destroyer of their happiness
If the people had wrongs or
grievances, it would not be right to
let them be imposed on. But what
wrongs have been inflicted upon
them? They are better paid than
clerks in stores and some of the
young women get higher wages than
stenographers, have lighter work, art
not subject to so many mortifica-
tions in going and coming from work
and are able to dress neatly and, in
fact, prettily. The mill girl of today
is type of Southern womanhood that
will compare we'll in appearenct,in
education, in mind and in character
with the best classes anywhere.
The mill people have but little rent
to pay; in some communities get wa
ter and lights free; have free schools,
and church buildings and lodge rooms
given to them; have their delightful
flower yards and prolific vegetable
gardens. These are our mill people
of oday. Sober, honorable, honest,
ambitious, neighborly, charitable like
able people-and contented. People
of whom we may be poud
Some mills for stipend of 81 per
month let their operators have COM
Portable homes and furnished the mule
power to plow the garden; and fur
nish the fertilizer at cost-and the
tive may have good garden all the
year round.
In some communities we have
known mill operatives to save enough
to buy their little farms. In Column
bia the workers have their own coop
erative store, operated by mill work
ers, and we are informed that in the
first year of operation dividend of
25 per cent was declared-for the
mill workers.
We do not believe in expressing
such virtuous race of people. We
believe in giving them opportunity,
and all of these things they have
freedom opportunity and fair
wage. On the other hand, consider
the mill manager.
These men come in for all sorts Of
criticism and abuse and it is unde-
served. We know that the mill man
ayers have a hard time of it. They
have problems that are vexing and
full of worry and responsibility. Like
good soldiers, they put on bold front
ever in the midst of the ever wearing
cares. The mill managers year ago
were confronted with the most Sc
rious problems that has effeted the
South. ~,
The world must eat, but the world
can wear little of clothes. 1t is the
case of great international contrOv-
ersies.
The situation was evolved to the
full credit of the nation, and the man
ufacturing enterprises of the South
have pulled through the crisis, bue it
was a great battle for the valiant and
the strong hearted men who are en-
deavoring to handle the financial re-
sponsibility of the industry
Every man in the world has his
burdens, cares and sorrows, his re-
sponsibilities. The humane mill own
er has his own and the cares of many
others. We here lay down one broad
proposition-To whom should the mill
people stick in case of disaster? To
the office hunter who comes around
every year or so with the most guile
full and at the same time, most plausi-
BILE lot of talk? Or to the mill man
ager who viii stand by his people, or
at least those of them who are de-
serving?
We hope that the issue may never
come, that the great war Will never
cause the mills to suspend, for even
one day; but if the day should come,
agement will lin every community
spare no pains to see that the opera
tives are cared for in the best manner
possible until the time for resuming
operations.
Suppose all of the mills should be
blotted out of existence tomorrow?
Then, what suffering would there be.
The unthinking people of today do
not appreciate the great boon of the
cotton mills. They have given en-
ployment, education, preaching and
in fact, burial aid to many Industrious,
people, who, if they had been left as
hired labors upon the farms might
have been living in drudgery and un
happiness.
In case of the mills being forced to
suspend operations temporarily we
believe that the operatives could go
on living in their homes at no ex-
pense and to some of them right here
in Columbia one spot has been home