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Story
May 12, 1915
Americus Times Recorder
Americus, Sumter County, Georgia
What is this article about?
Dr. A. J. McKelway testifies in Washington on May 10 about dire child labor conditions in Southern cotton mills, highlighting alarming illiteracy rates among Georgia textile children and mill owners' opposition to reforms.
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DIXIE COTTON MILLS
CHILD'S ENEMY
COTTON MILLS PANNED BY EMINENT AUTHORITY ON CHILD LABOR QUESTION—ILLITERACY—IS ALARMING AMONG TEXTILE OPERATIVES IN GEORGIA
(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, D. C., May 10.—
Dr. A. J. McKelway, Southern secretary of the Child Labor Committee, today testified before the Industrial Relations Commission here regarding conditions in Southern cotton mills. He panned the mill owners for permitting certain conditions to exist, and then declared that the chief opponents of child labor legislation are owners of cotton mills and textile interests. He gave as his opinion that North Carolina is the most backward of all the states in adopting legislation calculated to assist in the emancipation of children of cotton mill operatives and the poorer classes generally.
The witness stated that in 1910 the percentage of illiteracy among all the children of Georgia between the ages of ten and fourteen years had been brought to his attention. These showed twelve out of every hundred children between the ages named were illiterate, but further investigation revealed the startling intelligence that forty-four out of every hundred children employed in the textile industry could neither read nor write. This ratio of illiteracy, while not so general among adult operatives in cotton mills, is sufficiently high to be a matter of grave concern.
CHILD'S ENEMY
COTTON MILLS PANNED BY EMINENT AUTHORITY ON CHILD LABOR QUESTION—ILLITERACY—IS ALARMING AMONG TEXTILE OPERATIVES IN GEORGIA
(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, D. C., May 10.—
Dr. A. J. McKelway, Southern secretary of the Child Labor Committee, today testified before the Industrial Relations Commission here regarding conditions in Southern cotton mills. He panned the mill owners for permitting certain conditions to exist, and then declared that the chief opponents of child labor legislation are owners of cotton mills and textile interests. He gave as his opinion that North Carolina is the most backward of all the states in adopting legislation calculated to assist in the emancipation of children of cotton mill operatives and the poorer classes generally.
The witness stated that in 1910 the percentage of illiteracy among all the children of Georgia between the ages of ten and fourteen years had been brought to his attention. These showed twelve out of every hundred children between the ages named were illiterate, but further investigation revealed the startling intelligence that forty-four out of every hundred children employed in the textile industry could neither read nor write. This ratio of illiteracy, while not so general among adult operatives in cotton mills, is sufficiently high to be a matter of grave concern.
What sub-type of article is it?
Historical Event
What themes does it cover?
Misfortune
Justice
What keywords are associated?
Child Labor
Cotton Mills
Illiteracy
Georgia
Textile Operatives
What entities or persons were involved?
Dr. A. J. Mckelway
Where did it happen?
Southern Cotton Mills, Georgia
Story Details
Key Persons
Dr. A. J. Mckelway
Location
Southern Cotton Mills, Georgia
Event Date
May 10
Story Details
Dr. A. J. McKelway testified before the Industrial Relations Commission on child labor conditions in Southern cotton mills, criticizing mill owners for high illiteracy rates among child textile workers in Georgia, where 44% of children aged 10-14 in the industry were illiterate, and noting opposition from mill owners to legislation.