The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-05-28
FALL RIVER MULE SPINNERS
WHAT THEY ARE AND UHT THET ARE
NOW 4BOUT 10 STRIKE.
An Occupation that Compris n Man to Walk
80 Miles Day for $40 Week-iIow
PnImerston Once Took IA Hand at the Mules

80 Miles Day for $40 Week-uow
PnImerston Once Took Hand at the Mules
| FALL RIVER. May 2j.--Tho strike Of the
/ spinncrs has been deferred for tho present. but
it will certainly take place before the end of the
coming month. II the mill corporations con-
tinuc deaf to the petition ot this important
body Of the mill hands. The spinncrs want
either explanations or concessions. and far
| they have got neither. Their proposal 20 leave
/ the issue TO the decision Of n committee OF arbi
tration is simply ignored.
1t is generally admitted that tho present
movement is better organized aud more shrowd-
| ly conducted than any previous one of similar
character. The Mule Spinncrs' Association"
| 10 which the agitation has so far been confined.
is now a compact and thoroughly organized
body. Tho regularly employed mule spin
ners Of the city. with few exceptions. arc menu
bcrs OF the union. Tho moderation and intclli-
gcncc Of their leaders is Acknowledged. Their
meetings are strictly private. and the secrecy Of
/ their executive sessions " Is not n farce.
They know that their association is obnoxious
| 10 the mill owners. and spinner who talked
too freely in an open meeting would certainly
| be discharged on some prcteNt or other They
trust implicitly in the discretion of their Com
! mittce and will strike or work as the Commit
tee shall advise
ON May 20 secret ballot was cast Mt n special
the spinncrs, as n last resort. would strike. Tho
ballots were put in charge Of the Committee with
instructions to count and report the result ON
the following Saturday. The Committee alone
| know how the vote stands, for 10y permission of
| the association last Saturday evening they have
| been allowed to postpone their report until tho
18th Of June next The Committee ~ course
will not publish the result openly. but in tho
course Of a private talk with some leading meme
bcrs. after the adjournment of the meeting tho
decision Of tho association was indirectly but
| was unlimited Ia an antc-chnmher or COM
! mittce room connected with the hall where the
! association meets. II WIS n little dark room
| with few rough wooden tables standing stlny
on the bare floor The Commute" w"r" scented
| uncpmfortahly on the edges Of those tables. and
| thcrc was an absence Of formality and chairs
Robert Howard. the secretary ~ the Commit
sturdy English c6untrymnn lie is the only
! mill hand have met in Fail River who has rosy
checks This ruddy color il accounted fer 10y
the iact that Howard has lett his mules and
! Inns been emp Dyed for some time by On" ussOfi-
alton. on small salary ms lis secretary. lie
wns considered a modest. intelligent man nnd a
good worknlun when he was employed AZ the
Border city Mill but now most 81 the MIL own
GUS ngitator" The other committeeman are
pale weak eyed. hollow-chcrkrd. cndnvrrous
ST. Whose expression reminds you itr.-istihy
Of Loech's cartoon Of Dothcboy'. Hall. or Of
Oliver Twist asking for more.
what dn You want ~ asked;
"lour-eighths of cont per hundred hanks
more. WINS ;hr definite repy
What do you get now p
Two and -rycn-oighths cents per hundred
hanks for filling. and BE cents per hundred
4 hank it may 10 worth while ~ explain is n
skein 90 cotton yarn. The filing is Thee woof
lhe warp IL conposhl 81 We, heaviest nui
roarsost yarn. ana The woof of tho lighter and
hurr cotton. \ huHdrrd hanks of warn cotton
weigh about 81 pounds. hundred hanks of
| OF iour-cigutns Of a. cent per hundred huuks
would hc equivalent to nm additional payment
10 the spuners Of about onc-siNth of "a cent for
every pound oi yarn nnnuincurgl. .,.....,..
low does your pay compare with that given
| In other mil cities for the same work ~
Well replied Howard. frankly. nominal
IS we get ;rile more. but practically "" get
Les. as VIII explain. Eash spinner runs
assists him. who is called the back hoy This
ly Is pqid eleven cents per, mue tnch Jay ior
sometimes four mules. Now, IN the Engli-
tion. In Fall River he is paid oui 81 theamount
enrnei 10y ne, splnnerT ttM II. tw.uiy-iw9
,uch spinner and given o. the bnek bow Again.
ln other towns SOME time j. allowed On toe spin
tlr rest once or twice day. Here. 10 spinner
has OCCASION 20 leave ms mules. u onN for
few moments. Doe is Obliged o. strike work. for
The day. us the oycr-cor puts sick spinner
in his place immediately
How large stock Of sick spinners is kept
VOL. each mill has from Jour 10 fourteen I'm
waiting. "A slcF spinner he % known - ma
uncnumony healthy spinner, without regular
work who attends ni some mill daily ~ eNpeetH-
Tile sick spinnrrs nro tho best paid Think.
chimed in q haggard-lookiug comm lttcewau.
Ihry hnve pretty regular work. whif j. mot
ami they really put in about rs many hours %
week 49, We do.
You have an hours rest ut noon. don't youi'
No. hoi N'teen lhut-s. an rrpI'i. A.
ruiz, w eat our dinners in ten minutes ia ihe
| mill Few spinhrrs over have time 20 20 home
az noon. Our machines must he oiled. cleaned,
ana kept IN order. anu II is too RISKY 10 clean
whgu TIE mill II running
| How much can YOU earn in n wcck ~
| The hnggard spinner l" his seat ON tho table
edge and stood ~ in front Of his audience.
Meli,' he said. with some emphasis. was
always counted uboye the ordinary. and five
yenrs ago | would have run u pair OF mules
with any man in this country"
The others nodded assent IN his appeal and
SAID n chorus. grMoy; Very true, that Is
So, INC Finalore plague has spared tho
Now - he. continued suddenly dropping the
afraid not. Sui. run n pair Of thl Nbiscast
mules, and. working sNty hours "A week. can
That's above the average sure" said n
YOUNG irh9w, with q broad English burr. JUMP
worked hurd. ! don't know thut shall ryer do
any better and only get about eight dollars a
Do ia rather have your eight dollars and run
PAR Of small mules. for q pair of Hg mules
suppone WAX "yery DIV VIII n 6ne l.,n
exactly computed I'm fnElnnd that every mulr
spinner walks lrom ~ To 33 miles ia attending
10 his mules. That l. not much II PHEASANT
day on n country road but trampug round a.
narrow alley IN a cloudof nyins dust auI cote
tom waste bending over whirring machinery
VIII u d"u'rnihg racket about one o ours is au-
" You rcinomher" said Howard "ihat story
about LORD Palmrrstun. After an interview
with committee OF Spinners. his wife found
him In bis room. walking about measured
space and shifting Two chuirs from one end to
SAID she WHY said Pamarsior' Gui Of
f. lR r-f