Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-07-02
Mill Owners Show
Movie as Testimony
Against Wage Plan
Textile Workers Depicted
Deep Seq Fishing
And Riding Horseback
BY the Associated Press,

ATLANTA, July IA moving pic
ture Of Alabama cotton mill workers
going happily about their jobs and
enjoying such diversion as deep-sea
fishing, horseback riding, style show
modelling and tending flower gar
dens was exhibited to Wage-Hour
Administrator Elmer F. Andrews
today.
Entitled Destiny of Dixie" the
movie was intended to counterfeit
| testimony before Mr.. Andrews that
many Southern workers live under
conditions that demand a minimum
wage of 32la cents an hour be set
for the industry.
The administrator saw the exhibit
after recessing until Wednesday a
hearing on the wage minimum. The
movie reel pictured life at the Avon
dale Mills Of Sylacauga, Ala, headed
by Donald Conner.
Outing at Seash0re.
1t depicted Negro as we'll as white
workers, the former following the
latter on weeks outing at COM
pany expense at ocean resorts in
Florida. The picture was made in
1888, but Mr. Conner said that if
there had been any change in the
working and living conditions of his
workers it had been for the better.
1t carried the workers through
most of the stages of cotton manu-
featuring. Muscular Negro laborers
singing Justify as they brought bales
of cotton to the opening room con-
trasted with quickly moving girls
tending spinning frames and other
machines.
After work, or on holidays, the
girls were shown wearing summery
fabrics and participating in folk
dances, group singing and other
mass activities. School bands, glee
clubs and other groups also were
pictured.
A mill hospital was portrayed as
having furnished S165 900 worth of
medical services for $4,000. Another
company project aided the workers
in buying and settling on small
farms.
Says Mills Threatened.
Mr.. Andrews heard J. E. Shrine of
Greenville, S. c., and L. c. Jennings
OF Eufala. Ala, testify that the 3212-
cent minimum would threaten the
existence of some Southern mills
and aggravate unemployment.
Mr.. Shrine, head of an engineering
firm and an official of % mills, said
the minimum would force textile
plants to weed out and discharge
thousands of old. slow, less efficient
or unskilled workers.
Mr.. Shrine asserted the minimum
wage should not be considered as a
fight between the North and the
South, but as menace to employ
ment. He estimated that the 321.
cent inquire might throw between TO-
900 and 10000 out of jobs, and urged
that. instead of approving it, the
general minimums under the wage
law be tried out for a year at least
Inc general minimum. now 25
cents an hour, will automatically rise
to 30 cents October "a.
Forecasts Drastic Action.
Mr.. Jennings said he thought he
could get along all right under the
general minimum at his four plants
but that If higher figure were set
we don't think we can stand it,"
Asked if he would have to close,
he replied:
I'VE would have to do something
drastic
Next week. J, H. Ballew of Nash
vile, Tenn, representing the South
ern States Industrial Council, is
scheduled to offer three or four wit
nesses to testify of the effect of the
textile wage minimum on other in
dustries.
w. Gordon McKelvey, also of
Nashville, expects, he said to present
20 or Is additional sopkesmen of
small Southern textile mills. Tyre
Taylor, counsel for the American
Cotton Manufacturers Associa ton,
said he still had approximately so
witnesses but had not decided
whether he would introduce them.
Any sessions required after July 8
will be held in WASHINGTON