The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-06-27
PRICE TWO CENTS.
FALL RIVERS GREAT STRIKE.
THE SPINNERS AND CORPORATIONS
EQUILLY IN EARNEST

A Large Percentage OF the spindIes Already
stopped-Nhy the Weavers are Likely to
Join the strike-The MIN Owners Choice.
FALL RIVER, Mass, June 26.-Persons who
have had some experience with strikes say thai
they never knew OF one promising to become sc
large that was inauRurated so quietly ms has
been the strike begun here to-day. From
stroll around the city IL appears as though the
mill hands were simply taking holiday The
men and boys are diing about in the fields.
without the sightest appearance Of concern.
Many Of them have been playing ball. Yet they
show the strongest determination TO hold out
until they win.
They ask for an advance OF fifteen per cent
on the pay they now receive This means an
average increase OF $40 week in the pay rolls
OF the mills. and the amount demanded Is 30
trfing. comparatively that II Ia evident that
the corporations are in earnest when they say
that they will not accede to II because they will
not be dictated. The whole argument Of the
spinners mny be condensed in these words,
I'VE were cut down fifteen per cent. a year ago,
when times were bad. We have been cut down
forty per cent since 1878. Now times are better.
corporations are making money. and It Ia only
fair that we should get a slight benefit there
from. The advance we ask will mako the
average pay OF spinners less than $40 week.
| for we are now making on the average less than
IS a week."
To this the corporations have responded:
I'VE cannot be dictated TO by trades unions. II
we yield once. we put ourselves at their mercy.
We resist this demand. and we are ready to test
the questions whether we are powerless or
not"
1t is. so far M can be learned. a fact that the
average pay Of spinners is less than ss a week
| for. while the nominal rate is higher. out
| OF this nominal rate the back boys" or the
bows who assist the spinners. get their pay. II
| Is also true that the spnners were cut down
| fifteen per cent. lust year, and about forty per
| cent. In six years. II is also fact that the
| trades union has dictated this strike although
| they at first proposed TO the corporations to try
TO settle the dficuty by arbitration. which offer
was not accepted.
II the consequences Of the strike were to be
| confined to tn" spinners the number affected
would not be very large; but mills cannot run
| without spiuners, and weavers nre very par
| ticuHf about the spinnnrs. whose yarn they 10.
ceive to weave into cloth The corporations,
| therefore. are confronted with a. perpleXina
| problem. No machine. IL is sni !. has been In.
| vented that will do the work Of spnners satis-
| factorily. and the expense OF changing to ma
| chinery would be very great. Tho corporations
| must decide whether they Will try to find new
| spinners or shut down. But experienced and
| competent spinners are having elsewhere n fair
| run oi work. They could only he tempted TO
Fail River by extra Inducements. aud even IL
| these were offered Il is question whether out
| side spinners would care TO come. and so defeat
| their fellow worSmen here. Ii only remains tor
|
ploy men who nre known as kuobsticks." :" or
shut down and force the striking spinners.
| through fear Of starvation. back 90 their mules.
| But the weavers. the instant knobsticks" are
suggested 10 them. will begin to make trouble.
not only through sympathy with me striking
| spnners. but iecnuse 'knob-ticks." being in
efficient. weavers' nay will suffer thereby. With
good sDinners material The weaver can turn
out good deal more cloth than otherwise. 10
now looks as though the corporations must
shut down and wait. and this will throw out Of
employment about fifteen thousand operatives
| Nearly all oil the mills. however. We're
enough TO provide the weavers with work foI
three or four days. An average of five mules
out Of an average OF twenty-five to ench mill
were also running this morning. hut the aver.
nge Is 80 small that IL would hc runous to trI
10 run the mills for any length OF time In this
way or the forty mills. only three were run.
| ming with iull complement. and in two oi
these the spinners will strike by Saturday night
There will br no strike IN the King Philip
Mills. as the splnners there have no complaints
to make.
The corporations either fenr, or assume to
fear violence. They have asked for the appoint.
mrut OF n hundred special ronstahlna, and have
offered 10 pny th" wages OF such officers. but the
Board OF Aldermen refused TO qualify any *.
ira police. Tor the reasons that they believed II
| TO be unnecessary. and II done might irritnts
the strikers; The strikers have been pnd OF
1t il snld sent word to the spinuers that If their
employers tried TO Withhold their puy, he would
see to II that i was as rxp"nsive an experiment
ms they ever tried. But in several instances the
wives and children Of spinners working in
other departments have been discharged. and
several corporations have notified tenants who
were regarded us likely 10 shelter the strikers
TO vacnt" tenrmrnts Only one OF the corpora
tons has taSen, thus far. more rigorous
mrasure than this, and that one is the Shove
MIL This corporation discharged all OF It's
splnners, and added that not ono OF them could
ever get employment in the mill again.
As the spinnrrs can look forward TO support
fora few weeks. and ns the rest of the opera
tyes are still at work 1t IS yet too early to pre-
dict the result Of the strike. Both sides must
suffer by II. Dlsnterested citizens here sny
that the side which can stand suffering the
longest will win.