The New York herald., 1875-09-27
The Expensive Ornaments Which Eat Up
the Profits of Our Factories.
The Employers Folly and Opera
tives' Suffering.
A VISIT TO THE TENEMENTS.
Starvation Preferred to Signing the
Manufacturers Agreement.
FALL RIVER, Mass, Sept "a, 1875

4 FALL RIVER, Mass, Sept "a 1875.
"our whole trouble is over-production reckless
speculation" said Henry Sevey of No AZ Main street.
to me to-day. "A million pieces of prints have been
withdrawn from the market two-thrds OF the usual
consumption and yet prices have not advanced tell
you, the manufacturers seeking cast upon the
operatives the misery that should tall upon themselves
and II they don't be careful there will be serious rou-
BILE. Here we have forty-two mills, capable Of pro-
ducing $50 900 yards Of cloth year. when the entire
consumption of tho country is only about 475 0OQ
You may call 1T what you please-they have simply
overdone the market They have built mills for
the purpose of jobbing in real estate will give one
instance. Three Spectators came here and pur
chased property to the amount OF $4,000
Prints were paying then Near their property was
lot of land of several acres They got up company
and Immediately sold the $4,000 worth OF property to
the company, they retaining positions agent treas
and clerk respectively. The land was said to be
worth $4,000, but it has never realized one per
cent yet Then they began to build little and have
borrowed of the banks nearly $3.50 oOO the banks OF
course trusting to chances to get their money again
But il all the property sold tomorrow know who
would be horrhed-the banks and the men who have
put their money into the This is only one Of
dozen cases.
THE WORKS MoRrGAGED
GAN the works heavily mortgaged, because in
truth, the spectators have gone beyond all reason
They have put up all these mills with narrow looms:
consequently they unable to produce the wider
and better class Of goods. To alter the ma
chinery would be equal to bankruptcy To
many of the now. Blame the operative
cut down his wages until he is able to get but two
meals a day for ten hours work. yes, but you can't
make him responsible for the frauds practised. The
total cost of the labor per yard is about cent and an
eighth Give the labor for nothing and yet the manu-
facturers could make nothing if they keep all
the mills in full operation. They have not within two
rthree years. worked the mills to their full capacity
and they know it, 1t has been game of hide and
seek with the help and the outside public which
will show presently. The game has been to acquire
land far and wide, put up mill and then run up fcti-
tous values get up corporations companies sell at
advances pocket the difference then re-
main working agents. treasurers, superin-
tendents, at fat salaries, bring in relatives as
dummies overseers, and make out that they have
| done great things for the town and for industry
1t is true they have given work partial work to a
number of people, but they have really brought MANY
of them here under false preences If say to an old
countryman, Come here and Ill give YOU full
work and full pay;' and when l have him and his
knowledge in my power to turn round and say Il can
only give you half weeks work and half pay or
what is worse "a weeks work for half a weeks nav
| you may fairly call it fraud. America operatives
whose habits are more expensive, of than the
! imported lab0rer.
Now will show you what thirty three out of the
fortytwo mills produce annually and what help
they claim TO have employed aud you will then see
whether my ideas of production-that is taking
proporton-are correct not will preface il by
saying they work 256 sos spindes 30 s65 looms and
annually 1885, 25 bales of cotton. Now for the
table,