The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-09-18
TIE FALL RIVER STRIKE.
THE CAUSE or THE MILL OPERA
TIVES' LONG VdCdTI0N.
Protest agains, n Heavy Reduction Of
Wages Followed bv the Closing Of the Mills
The Orderly Conduct Of the Workmen.

The city Of Fall River, Mass, has since |
Aug. been the scene Of strike OF mill opera |
tives against mill owners. The principal cause |
of the strike was a notice from the mill owners, |
posted In all the mills, that ON and after such
date, a reduction OF 10 per cent. would be made
IN the scale then paid This notice OF course
led the operatives to protest In body
through their union, and declare that IL II was
enforced they would stop work. II was en-
forced, or would have been, had the mills con-
tlnucd to run. but finding that the operatives
were firm In their determination not to accept
the reduction, on Aug. g forty-two cotton mills,
the entire number in the city, shut down. The
workmen were all out, under the control Of
their union, and left to shift for themselves
with such help as the union could give thom.
and their situation was a very serious one, The
union had only about 1850 In it's treasury, which
was entirely Inadequate to the support Of 30
many, and they hoped for assistance from their
brethren Of the trade In other cities, but this
hope was not realized TO any great extent.
II might be supposed that so large body Of
workmcn, deprived OF occupation, would be-
come restless through idleness, and resort to
violent measures TO attain their ends that they
would endeavor to excite popular feeling in
their behalf by parades and mass meetings, and
indulge In like acts to sustain themselves;
but II Ia greatly to their credit that they refr,n
from all such exhibitions aud casual visitor to
the city, not knowing that strike was In pro-
| gress, would not discover II from any social
| disturbances. There are no more persons 10 the
| streets to-day than are usually there and this
| Is remarkable, for In factory towns the workmen
lead such an indoor lfe tied to tho loom the
year round. that It would be supposed they
would seize the nrst opportunity Tor relaxation.
| But whatever disposition they made Of them
| selves, there were no crowds OF stalwart men
| with moody looks at street corners; there were
no anxious faces In publlc, and no matter how
| dire the want at homo, OF how sharp the cry OF
| hungry children, not hageard woman's face OF
| Many OF the worgmen have found employ
ment In the public works OF the city, some have
gone to other places, pending the adjustment Of
difficulties, Others have sought farm iaoor but
for all there are still avast number who have
nothing to do, and nave done nothing for weeks
! past. How they live Is mystery to the towns
| people In general It Is mystery to themselves
also, fancy, for one Of their number interro-
| gated on this point said
| 81 can't tell YOU myself, sir. Some Of us has
one meal day, some two the women washes
| a bit here aud there at the kitchens but though
sore pressed we amt starved yet, and amt like
| to be-"
Neither do they live BY acts OF violence against
| person OF property; for tire Chief OF Police
| than before the strike Petty tbefts OF vege-
| tables and garden truck were complained OF,
| bu. otherwise tue criminal record had no in
| crease from the workmen. The women were
| industrious and chasto; no street walking or
taking to dissolu,o ways was perceplible, and
| they gave the hutho tiles no trouble whatever.
But though the social aspect OF the COM
| munty was unchanged, the business interests
| Of many classes suffered greatly 10y the strike
| The sum OF t45O,u0 monthly was paid In cash
| TO the workmen, To some by the week, to Others
| semi-weekly, and the Withdrawal OF such a sum
| as tnls. In actual cash, from the trade Of town
| Of 1850 Inhabitants, could not but cause much
| embarrassment and Inconvenience; and though
| this may not be immediately apparent, the
effects Of 1t will last longer than the strike itself
| Inquiry at the banks Of the city revealed that
I eh.4ra I.sR NaluN o. 10
source, the officers saying that their deposits
exceeded the drafts that though the oper tiyes
thrifty and saving. and had greater or less sums
on deposit, upon which they drew sparing-
ly. Tue retail dealers, however, feel the loss OF
their customers, having, in addition TO tue cur
| ilies that had always been good pay In prosper
Gus times, and would cancel their obligations
| when at work again. THIS 1oes not help them
| 10 Keep up their stocks, however, or Keep their
credits abroad and thus II Is that the stone OF
strike thrown into the current OF trade makes
Inc workmen are English. Irish. Scotch, and
French Canadians, and are mostly families and
househOlders. or lessees. The army Of single
women who labor In Lowell and Lawrence fac
tories are unknown here, and nnd nothing 10
attract them. American help VIII not work
here. II Is SAID, notwithstanding the pay IL bet
ierand the hours shorter than In other places.
l. al that i said about It..
But thrifty as these people are, they have
hard life Of H. and earn their hytng only through
the most afduous skwork. The superinten-
dents or overseers Impose a stint OF so many
Yards per week to Do woven, and " this amount,
five "cuts" Of fOrty-nve yards each, Is not
turned out, cross goes over the derelict's
name; II the cross comes too often, he is told
that his services are no longer neeued. and an
other Is hired In bis place. IL Is very severe
healthy men can do II week In ana week out.
This opinion Is given by ali who know ANYTHING
OF the work to be done. A couple without chil-
dren will work in the mill and earn fair wages,
but the woman must rise very early TO
perform her simple household duties be-
washing on Sundays, to keep her place
In it and In all ways task her body to the utter:
most to procure shelter rament and the usual
necessaries OIL life. Single women Uor there are
some such) live in" as II Is called that is they
hire rooms and the privilege OF cooking with the
landlords utensils, or they hire rooms, buy their
own food ana have the landlady cook ", and In
tins way they maintain a respectable social posi-
ton Tor their class but their earnings are IN no
case Large, and their wings IN proportion. They
| dressing, Dut with their good days and bad. loss
| may ne said to led a hard ilfe Food is ressona,
| bl In price. clothing the same, aud rent par
| ticularly low froiA metropolitan standard, but
| the operatives themselves aver that IL Is dear
| compared to other places. Iho greatest wee
among them Is drinking, and for the indulgence
of 1t the city affords hem the amplest facilities.
| In city OF 900 inhabitants there are upward
| II 400 | censed rum shops, which no doubt could
answer the question as To where portion Of the
hut the workmen struck for other causes than
| reduction OF wages, or that was not the sole
| caus". As was SAID by one OF their number that
| they also ielt afrOnted at the manner OF their
taking on They say that they nave no voice
| Whatever IN lHo ulrpOhltlpu Oi lutlf services,
| but that with little notice the mill owners pay
| them what they please, knowing that nothing
| short Of breaking up their homes and starting
| anew In lite elsewhere can prevent them from
| accepting" They say We have tho option Of
| going elsewhere to work, when we haven't.
Most Of us have lived here for years and got little
homes about us, aud II is hard ON u feel that
after all we have no more consideration or voice
In ourselves than 80 many slaves. Ihey say we
won't listen TO reason, and they can't
reason with us; but did they ever try TO
Their reason Is to take all they can Tor them
selves, and when we send our committee to talk
with them, they won't hear US at all. They
blame Us for making unions to prot ct our
selves, when they form union Of .reasuIers TO
hX tue wages on sucn a basis, without saying
anything or having anything to do with us any
way. There Ia no competition In our labor
Men won't come from other paces ana take our
bread out OF our mouths. lhe mill owners
know this, and don't try to hire help
out OF Town any more, but they Just say
tney can stand IL as long es We can
More than this, they won't listen to us about
the mills running or operation. MRny pnd
many a thing we see that would save time and
money II they would hear to us, but we can't
get them to notice anything we say Why the
waste that Ii made IN our mills IL as much as ls
made in Ave English mills. he suptr don't
seem TO care about II, and II he don't why should
we. The waste In an English mlll Amt so long
as your two fingers but IN our mills IL Is as long
| Ia Aafa Iva. In,