Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1921-06-15
Commissioner of Agriculture
Gets Reports From Inspec-
tors of Cotton Mills.

tors of the department of agricul-
ture, covering the period from Jan
s,ary 1 to June 1 the reports being
given out by Commissioner B. Harris.
The exact decrease is 2,152 from
1920 and the reports of the inspec-
tors show that one June that to-
tai of 1876 textile plants in the state
only Is were closed down.
ga majority of these Is have re-
sumed operation since Junt 1, the
date of the compilation of the sta
tistics." Commissioner Harris says
in statement about the condition of
the mills.
The statistics as compiled by H.
W. McCreight, chief clerk of the de-
partments of agriculture, show that
during the period from January to
June 1 total of 59,276 people were
employed by cotton mills against q
42s in 1920.
The statistics show that in the pc
riod covered 2s,O2O white men were
employed, a decrease of only 5S4
from 1920. The number of white wo-
men was 1906, a decrease of only
O39 from 1920. Negro men employed
number 1883, a decrease from 1920
of 512. Negro women numbered l.
29O "a decrease from last year of 552.
White boys from Ia to 16 number
ed 1920, decrease from 1920 OF
2s0 and the number of white girls
from IA to 16 was 1,272, a decrease
of 2O6.
FeI Plants Idle.
The following facts and statements
were given out in connection with
the statistics by Commissioner Har-
ris:
: sOf a total of 1876 textile plants
only Is were closed down on June
1 and a majority of these have since
resumed operation. Many mills re-
port that business conditions have
improved recently to the extent that
it is difficult to keep progress with or
ders and it is necessary for many to
fill orders from reserve stocks in stor-
AGE A superintendent of a mill told
an inspector that his mill does not ex-
pect to reduce wages as present con-
.ditions are satisfactory.
"On e inspector who has been in
close touch with cotton mills for 26
wears stated that he has never be-
fore known sanitary conditions to be
agreeable as at present. Many i'm
provements commenced and stopped
some time ago have been resumed
and optimism is now running in high
gear Sanitary drinking fountains
inside and outside, are being INSTALL
ed and other improvements for the
comfort and pleasure of the work.
ers are being made and planned.
"There is not much demand just
now for cheap grades of cloth but
orders for the finer qualities, print
cloths, etc., are constantly increasing.
A new plant, an addition to the
Winnsboro Cotton mills, Winnsboro,
is just about completed and is ex-
pected to start operating about July
1. This plant is as up-to-date as any
in existence, with modern machinery,
equipment and sanitary arrange
ments. The walls and floors of this
plant are of reinforced concrete. Also
modern carries system has been in
stalled.
Schools Improving.
"There is wonderful improve
ment in school facilities and interest
in mill towns and mill superintend-
ents give hearty support to the
schools. The Graniteville Manufac-
turing company has completed a
school building with equipment at a
cost of $175,OO0 with an enrolment
of 497, having only three delinquents.
These delinquents were denied SWIM
ming pool and other recreational priv
ileges by the mill superintendent and
no delinquents are expected next
term.
"The superintendent do not like
to employ children under 16 and do
so only in extreme cases when it is
necessary to the existence of per-
sons dependent on these children. The
foregoing statistics show decrease
of children employed from IA to 16
in 1921 as compared with 1920 as