Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-01-28
DEMANDING CONSIDERATION

Conditions with respect to the
manufacture Of cotton in the South
are insisting upon attention. The
report that the Biddeford cotton
manufacturers will require 400 less
operatives when they have their mill
established in the South indicates
these are receiving attention right
here at home.
Proponents of what they are pleas
ed to term Child labor"-up to is
years of age-would have us believe
that the northern manufacturer is
going South so that he may employ
the poor little children. There are
others. who ought to know. willing
to put their names to denial of
that.
In the Herald Tribune of New
York, paper, which endorses the
"child labor" amendment. there re-
Gently were two communications. one
from the general industrial agent of
the Seaboard Air Line Railway Com
pany and another from a citizen of
North Carolina. who says he does
not have a dollar invested in south
ern mill property but is getting
somewhat resentful of misrepresen-
tations." Now. even after making
due allowances. there are in these
letters statements which would bet
ter not pass unnoticed.
Here. for instance. from the letter
Of the former:
"The real reason for the increase
in the cotton milling industry in the
South is due to an ideal combination
OF labor. hydro-electric power and
ployed in Southern mills is all white.
English speaking. of Anglo-Saxon
extraction, possessing high degree
of native intelligence that no other
labor on the North American CONT
nent possesses, which. because Of in
herited technical traits. makes ideal
mill hands"
The writer then quotes from sta
fistics respecting the employment of
those under 16 in thirteen of the
states OF the South, including West
Virginia, and finds that out of the
million and twenty-nine thousand
operatives in those States less than
one per cent are under sixteen years
old. and declares that one New Eng
land state alone has so per cent more
child labor than all the southern
states combined.
Why not tell the truth he asks
and goes on to say that nowhere else
in the country may labor be found
rs contented. we'll provided for and
highly considered as in Southern
textile mill. that the seat of labor
trouble is in the home. The other
communication supplements the first.
1t declares the operatives are Amer
Jeans and not afraid to give 100 cents
worth Of work for every dollar they
receive, that they are steady work.
ers. that on lower wage they main
tain a higher standard of living than
does similarly employed labor in the
North. that their living costs are
lower than in the North.
~>OWs WAiAc lucIe undoubtedly Is
another side to all this-that may
usually be safely assumed-and
while these writer's make no mention
Of malaria or hookworm. and much of
this labor is from among the noun
tain whites who were retarded dur
ing the days of slave labor and who
perhaps are fifty years behind the
times. do not appreciate a high
standard Of living. and all that. there
is nothing so far as we can learn
that indicates they are not as con-
tented and as well nourished as labor
anywhere. though probably fewer of
them are owners of automobiles and
radios. Neither can we learn that
this labor wishes to be interfered
with by the labor union.
And very important point in the
view of the manufacturer is that OF
production. Now it is evident the
South has productive labor. however
It came by it or however long it may
be able to retain it. 1t is not handi-
capped by labor devoted rather to
lessening than to increasing produc-
ton. That this state of affairs is to
BE- of long duration is doubtful. but
meanwhile it must be met and "child
labor" amendments cannot, we be-
lieve, materially change it.