, 1875-01-11
Fourteen or Fifteen Thousand Mill
Operatives in Distress.
4 Second Reduction Of Wages, with
the Thermometer at Zero,
Leaves Them without the Means to
get Fuel and Food.
Deplorable Condition of Things at Fail
River, Mass.

Special Dlstateh 10 Tas Chieaqo Tribune
Ios1oH, Mans. Jun. 10.-Tho Da.ty Adusrtiscr
has special dispatch from Fall River, Raying
that very serious condition OF thugs exists
there. Tao great majority Of $4,000 or Il, zoo
mill operatives arc setraIy unable to earn but
barely enough to keep themselves from freezing
and starving. whi!o many heads of families sec
nothing immediately before them bus misery,
aud want, md debt. Tho reduction Of wagea,
which Averages about II per cent, and this too
in addition to tho reduction of 10 per cent 1t
the time Of tho panic, went into effect on
she lst Of January. Under ii the wagea
OF the weavers. mon and women, range from Is
to sC.5o per week; Of the spinuorH, who arc all
able-boded men, most OF them with families,
from ~ to sll; Of the eard.griuders, men,
1925; Of the pickor-room, men, e54o; OF
the strrpcrs, 81; OF tho ane-speeders, from
e5.40 to $3.50.
LEAN AND uCsORr.
The operatives arc driven almost to madness
ut tho prospect, and havo. for the paet few
weoEs been on the eve Of general strike.
In fact. there hare been rumors Of riot,
and terrible things hnro threatened, whcn, in
crowded meetings. such sentiment as this hAa
Leen fcrceiy apE'landed: t4Wo have taken ot1r
guns aud fought for our country, and We eau
and will. If necessary, take our guns and fight
for olir families"
DEFESJhLEss CONDITION OF THE OPERATIVES.
The graat difficulty il that tue operatives are
not organizod. They hsye no union and no gen.
era fund, while many hare no private bank
Account whatever. Among the suinrerB only,
who number about POO. there ls strong Cpion.
Thercloro it ia that tho coolest and claarost-
headed among tho hands havo continually urged
against the strike, knowing that it would be ill.,
possible 10 carry it out successfully, and have in
sisted that tue Union which las already been
formed AMONG the wcavers should include all OF
them before q striko il made. They carried
their rnint ut large mass meeting held last
evoning, it being voted not 70 strike, with the
understanding that the funds Of the Union slall
DO increased by weekly subscriptions, sud. in tbe
srring. il matters are not rightod. that q yaca-
ton be then taken. But now another set OF
operatives,
THE s1AsuERs.
haEo stepped into the controversy, By the re-
duction they wcro cut down to 81. 35 per dAy.
They asked for S2.01, which amount being re-
fusei lhom, they struck and waro upon the
Htreet yesterday. These slaslletx, WHO wnro all
men, rad of whom there are only about 100 in
the city, held important and responsible POSI-
tions, and they claim that their stopping work
will stop the mills. On tue othor haud, tho
manufacturers expect to supply their places
without difficulty.
Tie case waR put in this way, At the meeting
Of weAIers Oh Saturday night : ~ The rnnnutac-
turera expect to make hlashers out OF weaverB ;
hut il they do they will make them out OF Rcoun-
drels." The idea was seized in an instant by tho
audience, and they responded to the speakers ap-
peal to them to support tho slaahers by loud
cheers Of approval. SO that It NAV trans
pire On Monday morning that thers are
facturess can find to supply tho vacant
plnces. There is strong Uuion among tho
strikers, and most Of them having rece,yod CON-
parntiycly good wages, have individually groater
or less Bt1nis Deposited in the BANGS. The funds
Of the Union will bo devoted strictly to the re-
let Of extreme Of deBtitution, and lasting
resistance can be lnado ii necessary. It will be
noticeable fact that IN tho mills whose agents
are not actlye menlhets Of the Board OF
Trade tho e1asherA will continue work. In
been accedod to; shcwing-what tho opera
tives nrGue-that nli tue manufacturers could
af1ost II they ouly wanted to, to pay the amount
asked for.
TIE OTHER s1pK.
Tho result Of thlA mogemout which will de-
Teaop on Monday wlllho waited for with interest,"
Several Of tile loading manufacturers here. In
conversation With your correspondent, oppressed
sincere IoEFB<H At LuH NGECEHICY WHICH A1H
forced them to make tho reduction, becaua,
Of its dire o1e:ts upon the operatives. They
Claim that they uare compelled ~ reduce tho
wages OF etnp production altogether. for they
could not poB1lhly make both ellls meet at the
old rates.. And thou. they SOY, tho mill corpo-
ratiouB wcru lot organized III charitable iustitu.
tluEH Or courSc, it Ia Impossible for s4ny o,le
not connected with the management to t,stimnte
exactly what tho margin for profit Ia. and tle
statement Of tho agent must DO taken az true.
ARTICULATION TIE cAuHE or IT.
Tho question IL rased, howevart How fs 1t poa-
slble for Ealls ia othor Now England stateg to
pay ard not those in Fall ltiyer2 Rumor 10 very
busY answering it, aud it is common talk flat
tiscre has boen too much speculation, and that
many Of the now milla are carrying tremendous
load Of uonroluctise roal essato, a. high in soma
cases ~ $1U0. 900. Large sulns Of money. it ID
Baid, hnya been borrowed to start enterprises
conceived in the e1citemout Attending the rapid
advance in tho wealth Of tic city made Two
years ago. Interest must bo p1id even it the
operatives starve, and it ia estimated In como
caacB that II tho operatives worked for nothing,
there would not DO more than sufficient profit to
square the interest accounts ard pay any
thing like d dividend. Ii seomr, thore-
fore, that bnth tho manufacturers and the
operatives hare reached tho very bottom at
which they can exist. aul it - uok pt,sBibls to
predict what tho results will b.. unh,as somo
change tor tho bet.or Apaediiy arises. Mean-
wl,!o tho immediate inteEeat ctMtso8 in the
strike Of tho slAshefs, and afsor that ia settled,
as spring advances, the PROMISE OF general
and wal.osgaulzed atrlko Will probably grow
moro cure.
SUICIDES.