The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-29
SIX MILLION SPINDLES STOPPED.
What the English People Think of Both
Employer and Employed.

million tpindics and two hundred thousand
looms will DO stopped, and 100 900 condemned
10 idlenoss Tho district affected roughly described
as tho most northerly Of arsat belt Of and
populous valleys which lilo about Manchester cxsend-
Ing TO the west far ~ Preston, and Including
Ciisheroe and Chorley, we'll Accrngton, Black
burn Burnley. Darwen and tho valleys which lie be-
tween them, and which are everywhere dotted with
cotton mills and with villages OF workpoopis."
the CAUSE THE STRIKE. rs
Tho OF the strike must be looked for 10 tho
present glut OF goods stored 10 the large
cotton cmporiums. IN tho general depression Of for
ogn trade and IN foreign competition. Tho Employ
ers' Association gave notice IN December last that
fortnight ater they would enforce reduction OF Ave
per cont y the wages OF all their work people. The
employers wcro reminded, however, that undor tho
existing regulations, binding masters and mon
alike they required to give monsh's notice. In
consequences they wore Obliged 10 torogo their rosolu
ton for awhile AZ the beginning OF Marsn the en-
pioyors again, and then decidod that reduction
OF por cont had become necessary and gave
that and after yesterday they would enforce that
reduction. Tho operatives mot this throat by q
printed reply insisting that tho proposed reduction
would not remedy tho exsting depression. This de-
preston arises from various causea The Standard
says
rnx CAUSE or THE DEPRESSION
For long time tho cotton trade has boon considora-
bly, depressed. During past ycar matters havo be-
as yss no sign Of Improvements In aads,ou 10 tho
general causes which have been Weighing upon aii
branches Ct INDUSTRY ~: a.%,nsg IN INDIA and ch.D.
injurious 10 this particular trade. The iaminss
have rendered tho people OF India and China lass
a0Io TO purchase cotton goods than formerly,
and tho depreciation OF SILVER has made the export
from this country TO tho East unproatabe since the
really much lower Tue consequsncs has been great
accum uiaon Of stocks N the hands Of tho msuuiac.
they other are work. such ~ Inc
aauiseraton OF cotton goods ~ tho sdmixturs Of
slze and CLins clay. and The undue multiplication
Of mills and spindlss during the prosperous years
that followed tho close Of the American civil
war aad that 70 these = more parsicuiafly atsri-
son can deny that tho adulscration OF which sho
operatives speak has been sxtsDsively practised and
that u has brought Lancashire goods inIo disrcputo
tho East lndsed. tue manufacturers Of the United
States are hoping 70 deprive Us Of tho Eastern Trade
recover IT. old position India and China It Ger.
tainiy must pat stop 20 this dishonest practice IL
y also not 10 DO disputed that looms and spindlcs
have been multiplied very fast during tho past ten
ycarA
ovEarsoDucriox or COTTON GOODS.
The operatives hold tho idea that ovesproduction
alone is tho OF she present low prces Snd
sequsnt reduction, and they believe that the trade
be brought again into ns normal condition by do
crsasing the production for tims as 70 decrease
the stocks hand, thus bringing up mo prices ana
enabling the employers to give the present rate or
vagca Tho theory Of ovorproducsion IL, however,
not itself sufficient reason Tor the decision come
% ~ tho employers. FOE this ovesprodac.ion
!. sne result Of other causes. " h'nssd
mon. afssr issuing thor address, Immediately
began organizing themselves for deioncs. Their nrst
against fcw ~ time, she men Who 10 support
ing those who wore ous "a 10 usual ~ such cases. But
inc Employers; Xssoesssiou 10 .,nsss.Sss "a general
lockout" and this takos place immediately IN case
nc wo,. psSDi: ,:ir.: 70 give y. ~. msn seeing
reduction of hve per cent, or " submit the whole
question 70 arbitration, bat the employers decided
Manchester. on Tuesday last thai tns proposals could
DO entertained In inc prosent oonditsoo Of trade
.Thsy would prefer 10 cosO their mills rather than
work sm " loss than ton per cont reduction the
rms OPERATIVES couxrEx-raoposAL
The operatives sndsuvorod TO The decision ~
before said, by : scnsms OF working .hs mills ouiy
tour days = week. they believed that this way the
supply would BE- diminished prices would rise and
mtted That tho present state Of business would not
allow tho payment OF present wages. The masters
proposed TO keep on working tho iull number of
hours with ten per cent reduction OF wages; the
operatives proposed Two days loss week, but the
lives. therefore, their cnGeavor settle their d
ference IN their own way would lose twenty per cent
sne masters would rsaUcs Inc wages Of he
only ton per cent, keeping. however, the present
hours Of iaoor Tho operatives msot tho decision Of
the employers BY asserting that the proposed rsduc
ton Of ten per cent would oduce the Of forty
oi cloth W tho enormous amount Of twoponce"
They ask, "wiiI any ono buy an extra pair OF shirts
because ne can buy them thrsc-eighths Of peasy
choapcrf"
rng QUESTION rRoyF.
Tho Daily NeWs meets this asssrsioB by some sonsi-
II 10 obvious that twopouce IN forty yards 10 200
pence ~ 900 ysrus whion might be enough TO form
the profit Of Wholesale dealer and make his
Who to buy. Moreover, twopsnco - much larger
sum to an Indian or Chinese lsborsr, who rich
sxponco d.y, than " ~ TO European lAborcr, aud
svou three-eigh,hs OF penny IN mis- pair Of shirts
might make all tho difference between his buying n0w
ones making tho old ass yet iitsic longrr. but
the difference mado In tho cost Of production,
a y ,o " on wssn
people rely The tvopcucs IA forty yards H. wc sup
pose. the exact sum 10 which ten per cent reduction
wages lowers the cost Of cotton cloth "but " the
scheme OF short time carried out not only would
the twopcnco dnereuce not DO made, tut apprecia
blc addition would takc place TO The present cost Of
production. Rent rates, interest Of money ON tho
capital invested machinery. all tho liked expenses VI
great cotton mill. tno whether zoos four
days, work wcck SIX. Limit production by cut
ting on 0ne.thiru and those expenses have 10 DO
charged on the rsmaipw lwo-tnirds; SO that mo
forty yards OF cloth would cost more 70 produce
by ons-third, 30 lar NJ all these expenses
earned The scheme OF The operatives - there
fore ono Tor making tho employer even less abis
To compete WIN iorcign producers, or 10 meet tho
wants Of customers win diminlsnsd resources than
he 10 ~ present hts IL the fatal oIjecsiou 10 %;
and II - not III all surprising that tbs en-.
pioycrs refuse even 70 consider H. Thor estimate
IN one dis.rcs 10 scccpt tho ten per cent rsduc
non " ~ we're accompanied by short time. ws
believe the mem VINO went out strfk0 yesterday
would have been better advised had they acted
recommendation o. the Counci VI Operatives OF Lau
cashirc, Cheshire Yorkshire and Dsrbvsnirs 10 accept
ten per cont reduction the present and
work on IN the hope Of SPECIFY rise when trade
yves. A. 70 70 they arc committed, We tear, chat IN
the present conuition VI business must bs Iosing
gainu."
PrnLic OPINION ~ ENGLAND
Public opinion Ii ~ present the side OF the
pIoyers, for they have VI lave boon working
row proht margins and contcnding almost hvpcos,Iy
with iorcign competitions. Tho DattV Telegraph
says-Ii tns trade DO bad, u people who buy cotton
cannot AFFORD 10 pay the old pr,ce Tor ", or " they
have hand more than they want; n foreign manu-.
inciurcrs--notaDiy Americans-hsvs over produced
10 rockjesslv that they can nnd home
market Tor thor wares ana rush into
our market hgbting eagerly TO 30 allowed
u sell az ioss. thereby robbng thc British
manufacturer oil hrs eustomsrs ~ surely clear that
everybody engaged IN u trade visited ny many
lamiscs must suffer and mako sacrInccs The cotton
spinners cannot DO forced 70 10 working Toes.
The world cannot DO compelled 10 buy prices
that viii enable Lancashire operatives the old
htgh rates OF pay. IL 10 all u simple matter Of
Tact and hgurvs aud they satisfy thcm-