New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1875-04-28
THE LOWELL STRIKE.
WORK NOT YET RESUMED BY THE sPINNERs.

OIIOIy or TuE SrHIKE-COMPLAtNT5 OF VN1boi
TREATMENT by THE MEN AID TIE hErLiEs on
TUE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS TO A rERMf-
NATION or NE srsIKE.
rrRoM A REGULAR GORREsPOSDgNT oE Tng rRiBUHEl
BosrON. April 2G.-Sincc the panic in the
FAN Of 1873 there has scarcely been month Wh"h oi'
rtiyc, in some one Of The Massachusetts mills have not
been cont on strike" The causes Of those disagree
nens between empoyors and the employed have been o'
two knisonc. combinations Of labor To dictate terms ~
capital, and the other. resistance u inc sDfmN
ago in wines following tho panic iho m"9e i"i
portant OF these strikes wa tlat al ran '''''
and the partial concession made by tho m3n
uf,cnrers there Is regarded by nllownors eh'Nhcc a.
The cause Of other strikes since The Fall havof MN
owner. did not Weld ID the demands Of the operatives
but gave them to understand Indirectly ana uh'p''"y
that n they wond go o. work again tho increse "n
they desired would be sronted, or rather UNI wv
reduction Of which they complained would be reS"r'"
This really strengthened the union in Fan RIVER so uh
it felt strong enough to orler strike at Lowell Inc
mule-spinDers there deny that they wee ordered "
strike but the manufacturers say that their "OrAHoh
action followed orders received from Pal River They
we've strengthened in this belief by tdc iao' I1 ''iA
WIS ordered IN only two mills, thus following ON pr
ciseIy the policy initiated In the last Fan h4'cr siAe
that Of refusing To work three Of the twenty OF
moro mills 80 thai the spnncrs still Mt work could sup
port those on atrike for an indefinite period
Tne mule spinners who among the best pad WORE"
o,, I'm ou mill taken AZ an example OF all, during
1872 earned an average Snm OF ~ day, che lowest
months average being 81 81 and the highest - % IN
1873 the average was higher the lowest ior any m0H1H
being 81 % AMI Tie highest 81 % Nheh IL '..'no
evident that the depression OF business IN the Fan W
1873 was not merely pOrry, general reduction was
resolved pon and wages diminished 10 per cent Vi
rs near that percentage could be calculated reahy'
The earnings each were Tins reduced In apout he
same ratio ana the lowest monthly average Tor we nIS1
nine months Of S74-tho reduction took elect Ia Jaho
ary-was 81 81 a day and the highest 81 So In octo-
b. the T.nhour law into effect, and the Operating
time was reduced from GtLs TO 90 hours ""eA' !"
order To oouneract this elimination in the hours OF labor
the speed OF the machinery was lhcciee ~ ~. az
d6nc Of mills Of late years has been 10 Tn tbe en-
gnes faster and faster, 50 That they now run I'V
aver,e,d rom 81 70, the lowest, 81 rs, the highest
There were rln0ra of an i'm ending Slnbe, ln1 ast
week I'm March, but the 9th 1t WA understood ~ vi"
AGENT, that there would bc no strike although Us" ~
quost OF tho several populations for an adviuge ns
We notice In the Lawrence MassachusrtI am tne
Prescott, which rs owned by tle Eo1
fnn, the sincws Of notice was posted ApiII =
baf il tho mulesDnner should LOey threatened
20 do IN the mIs where they had gwen no.leo InaS
th,y would be- locked ont OF ne o'her nns IHry sr.
a, the expiration OF the notice. Aptil IL am te n'a
day tn mule spnnors IA tbs Otner mills were o'Aed O
the MILE sPINNHGS GRIEVANCES
Now that the mule spnners are out thcy have long
chapter If grievances t0rotte They complain 6b lhd1
the pay IL not n great in 1872 and 1873, wLt DuS
nos
stock OF good, had been burned in the Hos'on fire in No.
Of e former YEAR, secondly that the @pcec ~ 'ha
mills WAS increased about 20 per M, 50 ill the men
I o IL fRo -" elm and tweivchour lays; thirdly,
that they cheated by the oyeaeer IN Inc weight u
their yarn, and that they were hebcI pcIth'u 10
b.ir Tlrn wei ed; fourihly that 'hay wcr obliged 10
spin from 20 three numbers finer th'n tie' were
paid; aud thy. that various reductions IN one way or
another have caused their earnings 10 t Oh at oSt -
fncse are the charges in hn Indictment presented by
the nEl spinners nc agents ore NclY IT. hA III Inrit
ai,n pay the 10 per cent advance which the strikers
want Tue mills are now llnlns npus t ~ ~, ~.
ul that they ont they do not expect IL to DC ahy
lrge II ii were not io scattering mr. 0I - n.y.
dIcton and dose the mills for six m n'ls. one 81 cue
companies has borrower ann ~ nil t Uni, n, ~
aboris packed in the storehouse They had m inuiac
o CON ib az t6nd ei rni for IT, rho second charg,
the needed no answer because the faster tne s
the they made they We're al pau oy me pee
As the charge OF ohcdiiugn the wcigns mat seemed
charge any weigher whom he found cheating the men
In rrprrt the incncss OF tue thread was shown the
account books howing that the product was a' often be-
low above the standard , - 49,
boys raey have hired hall over liquor saloon which
they have resolve not 10 patron1e AM thty sP9 most
of tha time talking play ing CARDS shioKhs AL" p"sSins
CHEAPNEss or LIVING.
one important item in connection with the price OF
labor is the cheapness Of living The mll-owners let
brick hoss valued at from 900 to $1,000 for 800 to
Sl2O n year and tenements having from seven 10 nine
rooms for $50 year The price % board FOR women IS
I" 25 week and for 80 So which IL ut least ~
week choaper than anywhere else in New I'm gland.
\ short staten at Will show the interest of capital IN
tho strike, and The relative position OF LoWtn as com
red with other cities II has 5000 inhabitants. val
uaon of .sJ2JSj27 81 schoOh9usa, A. Large mus,
dozen or more print w0ths and Dieaclel,s Sven
national banks, with aggregate capital OF S23JOOoO;
six savings banks, with depOslts amounting To @loaO1
lJJ }S II mill corporations, represent uS total capital
nf 9I3GjOO 900, aud at least $lOOJOOOO invested IN
smaller industrial enterprises the whole giving employ
mont 10 over 900 females and nearly 1000 males
Ia. statistics OF the prncipa mills are given baioW;
CAPITAL Spildles. Looms.
N.rrfDark BOO 900 1JS.4Oi $50
J{amiitn, ...,..... l2OOOOJ 81. ~ 1,6lG
Nu,i.ton .... 800 eOO 1852 99t
Ittsv.U 22,Jl6 30
Mtitias.x 7jOOOO lG4OO $50