Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1888-03-03
NEW BEDFORD, MASS.
W0fm Condition of the Wcaycrs.
They are UnJrgaBized.

been a clllhtn OF llllS place lbl many
years, that his boys, working in a mule
spinning room, make more money than
he. Not that the boys work harder; no.
this would make the difference a logical
one. and there is nothing logical about
the capitalistic system.
"a received Sl5 the last four weeks.
he said, land one of my boys got $50
and the other one $li for the same
time" The age of the boys is fifteen
and seventeen years respectively. don't
mention this because consider the boys
wages too high, but to show the differ
| cnce.
Spinners make from ten to twelve dol
lars a week, while weayers scarcely make
| an average wage of live or six dollars.
A very skiIifuI weaver may be able to
| make dollar more.
How is it that spinners are better off
than Weayers, notwithstanding they
work equally hard? 1t is because the
spnners are organized and the weavers
are not. The weave rooms are full of
female help, which is not the case in the
mule-spinnmg rooms, The last fact
makes the spnners strong to act and
brings harmony in their union.
And it may be spinners are more in
terested in the labor movement and esti-
mate their union highly. Or. are the
weavers too poor to pay dues?
| 1t is a shame to the Weavers Of this
city to be so indifferent in regard to the
labor movement. These are bitter words,
but they must be expressed.
The weavers started up a X. Of L.
assembly two or three times whiting five
years. They kept together some months
only and lost their zeal again. So they
sent home their charter eight or nine
months ago, and their organization died
through carelessness. But there are
about fifty energetic men who sacrificed
time ard money, and who were always
ready to make last powerful effort TO
keep their fellow workers together but
in vain.
Some months ago | heard something
about forming a sO-called Reform Party,
whose principal aim it was to protest
against the saloon keepers who usually
paid two dollars for vote for license.
But the handbills given ont for that pur-
purpose, did not contain Il word abOnt
the Governor, City Mayor, etc, who
paid some thousands for being elected
Circumstances in the different mills of
New Bedford are bad enough to bring
the working class to reason. Sixty hours
IA week in rooms heated to eighty or
ninety degrees is certainly not conducive
to health.
One Of the most contemplate tricks Of
the bosses Is to run overtime in all the
cotton mills in this place, save one, the
Potamska mill The Wamsutta Mills,
Grinnell and particularly the Acushnet
mills run overtime at least fifteen min
utes day. | particularly name the
Acushnet mills because the superintend-
ent Of that mill came from "Helr4 Mills
in Baltic two months ago. and he is very
fond of running overtime as he did there.
For instance, if there was a holiday
Fourth Of July, Decoration Day, etc. ,
the help had to make up lost time with
an hour extra day. But that gentle
man C) should not forget that New Bed
ford is not a country place like Baltic
with its sIuggards. If for some reason
or other the engine has to be stopped.
causing delay of five minutes onlv, the
hands have to make up for it with TWEEN
ty minutes extra work. And the labor
ers don't protest against such meanness
Is there no law in this free country to
stop this? Yes, but the millowners play
with it. Two or three weeks ago an in.
spector was here because complaint was
made about running overtime. But the
mill officers got hint and they stopped
on time. Then the Inspector went down
to the Acushnet mill, but the telephone
went faster than he could, and the mill
was stopped on the minute. For some
days they run overtime again, the same
as before.
Another nuisance in the Acushnpt mill
is the miserable and filthy condition of
, the water-closets which are in bad order,
and the weavers are compelled to act as
scavengers before using, Factory in
spection seems to stop here-perhaps the
inspector can't stand the smell
Pilfering from the poor weavers by
overseers is quite common, but the poor
devils submit for fear of being dis
charged.
Five years ago a weaver made from
thirty to thirty-four dollars a month on
four looms. Now he can only make
from twenty to twenty-four dollars or
six looms. Ten years ago forty dollars 4
month was paid for RAINING one positive
motion loom; now four of them must be
run for from twenty to twenty-five dol
lars month. Meanwhile pro, ision>
, have risen in price.
There's harmony between capital and
labor for you.
1t is customary to give a weeks notice
; when leaving employment in mill, in
, default of which the poor fellow wishing
to make his escape is muIcted out of somt
of his wages, Having given such notice
a weaver in the Patamska mill was re
: Gently told that he had not done So, anJ
, he stayed another week Again he wa.