CHILD LABOR.

Gisborne Times, Volume VIII, Issue 538, 4 October 1902, Page 4

CHILD LABOR.

United State 3 papers received by the last mail tell a shocking story of brutal exploitation of children in the cotton factories of the Southern States. These factories, which are said to be owned mostly by northerners, have in many instances been removed from the Northern States to the south in order to escape the operation of laws passed by the former to prevent young children being worked for indefinite periods at the will of their employers. All the States but five in the south have protective laws of the kind, and it is that fact which has led the capitalists of the north, and particularly thoto of the State of Massachusetts, to remove their mills. The majority of them have been shifted to South Carolina. According to the Argonaut, one of the most reliable and least sensational journals published in America, tho ages of the children employed range from twelve to six years. Tbis'goneralisation is supported by the Dry Goods Economist, by the secretary of the Southern Educational Society, and by many others of admitted probity who are working in the cause of reform. Some twenty thousand children between six and twelve years of age are employed in the mills, and these are run night and day in most instances. The children on the day shift work from six o’clock in the morning till seven at night, and have one interval of half an hour for dinner, Tho children on the night shift work from half-past six in the evening till that time the following morning, and these also have a half-hour intermission. Only white children are employed, partly because negro parents will not permit their offspring to be so exploited, and partly because tho white children are “ more docile.” It may be stated, too, that it is not only in cotton mills children of tender years are employed for long daily periods. These are the things conveniently forgotten by some of tho people who seek to stimulate Britishers by telling them of the “ growing industrial supremacy ” of the United States. The price being paid for this growing industrial supremacy needs to be taken into account. According to some United States authorities it is the

physical and mental degeneracy of the people, and the only thing that prevents this being generally recognised is tho almost constant influx of immigrants. Tho State of South Carolina is the greatest offender in regard to mills of all kinds. There is no State inspection of mills, and its legislators have hitherto been elected to maintain this condition of things, being pledged not to do anything to hurt South Carolina’s “ growing industries.” The first blow at this infamous system has been struck. In the face of strenuous opposition from avowed representatives of the Stated “ material interests,” the South Carolina Democratic Convention, recently held, resolved that “it is the sense of this meeting that the ■ General Assembly of this Stato should, and ought to, pass ail appropriate law, prohibiting the employment of children , under twelve in tho manufacturing es- . tablishments of this State.” Thi3 l’psolution is by no means conclusive. Thu mill owners, in the past, have controlled all legislation and they boast that they will continue to control it. During the last session of the legislature, a bill providing ,hat children under twelve should not be employed in the mills, but which would not have gone into effect until June, 1903, was thrown out, The statement is made I that “ within sight of the capital building . . mills were running employing, for more than twelve hours every day, fully four hundred children under twelve £ “in this comyoars of age, ana inunity, having a population of six thousand, the total enrolment in school was less than one hundred for the term. Telegraph.