Evening star., 1924-11-23
Weather Changes Govern Number
Of Suits in Each Chinese Costume


ton mill in Massachusetts. AT that
time the were only nine cotton mills in
China: four at Shangtung, one at
Soochow, one at Hangchow, two al
WuChang and another at HongkonG.
In ali, less than 100000 spindles were
running.
Today China has more than 90 cot
ton mills scattered all over the coun-
try, and mills are being built in Man
churia as well. They are operating
between 100000 and 100000 spin
dies and upward of $4,000 looms. and
producing more than 1000. 600 pieces
of cotton goods and ] 1000 900 bales OF
yarn every year The center of this
cotton manufacture is Shanghai. More
than half of all the mills and about
two-thirds of the spindles are located
here. The mills belong to the Chinese.
the Japanese and the British. There
are ) British mills, 23 Chinese mills
and II that are Japanese in capital
and management. Some Of the Chi
nese mills employ American advisers
and use efficient American methods.
Perhaps the most up-to-date of all
these cotton factories is the Wing-On.
situated on the west bank of the
Whangpoo River about miles from
the heart of Shanghai. I went through
it with Mr.. Frank Lowell, the selling
Boston. The mill was designed and
equipped by the American firm, An
dersen Meyer G. Co. which Mr. Lowell
represents. and he tells me that there
is not a more modern mill anywhere
in the world. Mr.. Lowell has equip
ped 80 new mills within the past
years and every bit of the machinery
put in has been of American make.
When l was here before most of the
.,t,S
chimes have proved so superior that
the new mills are now being entirely
equipped with American machines.
The WingOn mill has just started.
1t has S acres of buildings, but these
are for spinning cotton yarn only.
1t has erected an additional plant of
the same size for weaving piece goods.
and that will be in operation by the
time this letter is published. The mill
now employs 100 hands. 1t works
day and night in two 12-hour shifts
and never stops for Sundays or holi-
days all the year through.
= x x
I AM told that the labor conditions
are better than in any of the other
mills except the Japanese know
that, as far is the material and equip
ment are concerned, they are eX-
cellent.
Indeed, the Wing-On mill would be
considered modern mill in New Eng
land or in any of our Southern States
Its buildings are of reinforced con-
crete. with great walls of glass and
transparent roofs. All the interior
woodwork and iron is painted white,
and hundreds of incandescent lamps
make the mill as light at midnight
as at midday. The ventilation is ex-
cellent. The machinery is we'll equip
ped with safeguards against acci-
dents to the workers. and the floors
are of hardwood. The mill is run by
electricity furnished by the Shanghai
municipal power plant, with overhead
motors for each two or three ma
chimes. as"f
In fact, as far as the materials and
equipment are concerned, this mill
might be dropped down into Spartan
burg, s. c.. OF Fall River. Mass, and
not be out of pIace-the only differ
ence is in the people that work in IT.
So much for brick. wood, stone and
steel. Now let US look at the human
element of this modern industrial.
establishment. First the workwomen.
for of the 100 hands now Amp:oy:d,
fully 1,600 are women and girls. They
work for what is equal to 13 to: q
cents of our money per day. Each
day is IL hours long, or rather Il Z,
for they are now allowing as a great
favor half hour off for lunch. This
makes the average earning less than
9 cents per hour.