St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-27
THE CITY OF SPTNDLES.
A True Account of the State of Bust
ness and the Condition of the
Operatives.


New YORK, Dec. 26.-The Herald this
morning prints letter from Fall River,
Mass, showing the real condition of the
mills of that city, and the outlook for the
owners and operatives. 1t says: The con-
dition of trade here is not such as to warrant
the sensational reports which appear in news
papers outside of the city. These articles
are frequently written solely in the interests
OF the mill owners, and operatives as we'll.
Thus great injustice is done both classes.
The Herald representative carefully and i'm
partially looked the field over, con-
versed with mill officials and business
men and operatives, and reached
the following conclusion in reference 10 the
situation: Forty odd mills are running, az
fording employment to all operatives at the
wages paid since the strike year ago. No
strikes are contemplated and no further re-
duction is suggested. The operatives here
are an intelligent class and can see from the
market reports that print cloths are being
manufactured at an actual loss Of three-siX-
teenths of a cent per yard to the mill owners.
With one or two exceptions the mill corpora
tons will pay no dividend January !, and
those that do, pay from the surplus Of former
years. These facts cause unusual friendli-
ness between operatives and owners.
The mill officials assert that the
worst is over. The operatives have
steady work aud many own shares in
the mills Of the city. Mill stocks heretofore
have been paying investment. Many in
vestors were carried away with the large divi-
dends in the past, and everybody desired to
speculate. Hence the fever was contagious
and to-day finds the inhabitants of the "spin-
die city, saddened with unproductive prop
erty. 1t is reasonable to believe the asser-
tons Of the mill officials that the worst is
over. They, as well as others, point TO the
fact that holders Of stocks are unwilling to
sell at the market price. During the year
there has been only few transactions, and
brokers had hard work TO keep their heads
above water. Weekly sales are held. but are
poorly attended. Brokers predict a rise very
soon, and they seem to see
silver lining to the clouds
They know there is no local remedy for the
present depression, as Fall River does not
control the print cloth market, notwithstand-
ing that at present she produces 10000
pieces of forty-hve yards each week. Store
keepers have not recovered from the effects
of the last strike, and subsequent running
on short time which took about S75O.000
from circulation. They treat the operatives
well, and give them weekly, semi-weeklv and
monthly credits, while many of them, espec-
Tally house furnishers, have inaugurated
an economical loan system, which does
not extort as is usual in such
branches of business in many places
Most OF the suffering among the operatives
comes from the saloons which infest the city,
Inquiry at the savings banks, postoliice and
emigration agencies revealed some interest
ing facts. The postoffice officials state the
operatives, despite the dull times and losses
incurred by the last strike, have generally
remembered their friends and relatives in
the old country during the year, and that the
amount forwarded through the foreign money
order department is only % per cent less
than last year. A leading emgrant agent
states that during the year he sold between
ESQ, 900 and 500, 900 worth of drafts, and as
Tar as he can estimate one-half
Of this sum was sent by operatives The
amount forwarded for Christmas was con-
siderably larger than in 1882 and 1883
these facts speak for themselves. A new
mill is now being built which will put 40, 900
more spindles into operation. Fall River to-
day is making 1884, 900 feet of print goods
per hour, besides sheetngs, shirtings, and
goods for conversion. Although manufac-
turing 10000 pieces of print cloths per week
1t should be stated that only two weeks pro-
duction accumulates. This fact, together
with the stiffness of the market, is the reason
which the manufacturers give for hopeful
ness of the future.