New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-30
FALL RIVER Dividends SMALLER.
UNSATISFACTORY STATE OF THE PRINT CLOTH
MARKET.


ru n, >, Nov 90 Especially Thanksgiving
,rosb d,d not brnr abundant for rejoicing 10
oitber manufacturers or operatiy es Soockoiuefs III
the mills reflected as they fingered over ther CurheS
upon the fact that their returns from dNuehus "eo
smaller this year than usual, ana the ope,a''' Wv
were given holiday with consequent loss VI "'7''
cussed the possibility Of cutdown III "aees gnu ''
probable consequences thereof. The manuiao'"o,,
agreement or combination, by which prices VI o,ou'
have been kept up will go out OF erect next iou'''
and II will not be renewed. AT meeting Vi iopio
sortatives OF the various mills which were parties W
the agreement held on Wednesday, IL was deciueu no
to renew 1t for another term, put 10 ic. ''e 80
thor natural course In practical results the com
binatiOn was voted failure. Adopted as io'n'
agent it failed to cure the disease al WHICH IL Wa"
aimed and brought on new complications, so Vna. "o
nrosent condition Of the market Is actually worse ula
that which the abandoned agreement was i,'cnue
N ro,ieve The agreement did not accomplish what INC
promoters hoped for because the only cohuitos u'o
which it could prove successful could no. w o''"'
A combination of manufacturers whch agrees no0
N sell goods below certain figure might DO
reasonably supposed to have tendency " hoor
nm nrces provided the goods were III oehahu
and all the manufacturers were Ioiheu Ill u'
agreement But these two conditions could hot 90
secured and the attempt TO form print cioth uuse
hos beon n somewhat dismal failure for those III inc
trust and cause OF general rejoicing 10 those ou'o
In fact this print cloth trust has differed from dill o
trusts, inasmuch as it has been an actuai oehen' "
those not in it. I'LL,
manufacturers in New England had signed the agree
nent and lived up to it, the condition OF the marhe'
would have been greatly improved, but the cohdto'
were not such as to this and that harmony anu
unanmlty which necessary to the success Oh co'
binaon kere lacking. Buyers lave naturally not oeeh
enthusiastic supporters of the combination ana nave
not been anxious pay the advanced prices demahuea
hv the combination while the brokers' who have been
unable to make trade by shaving prices oeiow 'ho
figure named In the agreement. have not touhd huc"
In the situation for the past few months To rejoice
over While the mills in the agreement nave Deeh
pIllng up goods for many weeks past uhth ho"
they have on hand nearly threequarters Oh
million pieces the Rhode Island manufacturers, WHO
had quite stock Of goods on hand al tfe Oegh-
ming of the trust, have succeeded In getting rd
Of the most of them by selling at shade under the
Fall Rive, agreement The Fall River mills which did
NOT ion the agreement also report steady business
and claim to have better than those in the trust
because they have been able to take advantage Cd all
the turns in the market.
On the other hand, the men who were The strongest
advocates of the agreement at the start claim tha'
has accomplished great deal Of good, inasmuch as IL
arrested the fall prices and they insist that no one
can saw to what low mark prices would have fallen
had they not been checked by the combination Ihey
hold that the result even under the unfavoraoe COLI
dtons has shown that the theory OF the comoinauon
WAS right and that If all had entered 1t as they shoud
its success would have been complete But they also
admit that the outsiders have gained as much dement,
from the agreement as have the parties to the trust
and they frankly confess that the purpose OF the COM
bnation wa. not to benefit outsiders. The real result
of the combination better be told next week when
the effect of open competition In the market Is again
observed The $40 cents which has been maintained
thus by artificial means can no longer be secured
and the only question Just how far the market will
| CO. drop to Ii Is expected Monday morning and
it Is likely that this figure will also be shaded Just
little The knowledge that a falling off in the market
was certainty and could not be avoided led to little
discussion on the wage question at the meeting Wednes
day. reduction Of wages Is always looked to as
last resort In dull times; but no one Of the manu-
facturers seems inclined at this time to take the
responsibility of urging such step. The matter has
finally resulted In the appointments OF committee
which is to investigate the wage question in this and
other manufacturing centres New England TO ascer-
tain II possible il it is true, alleged that wages are
considerably higher In Fall River than elsewhere. II
such should prove to be the case 1t is likely that a
| reimbursement of the scale of wages would be taken
under consideration and effort made to secure re
with competing points. Former deductions have been
In the nature Of straight cut down OF so much per
of readustment which would avoid as IA as possible
the direct percentage issue which always srs up a
themselves do not generally to entertain the idea
that reduction Is imminent and 1t Is matter OF
sRrewd manufacturers who given the subject
siderable thought, are inclined to the belief that the
operatives and especially the leaders, fully realize how
small the margin of profit is IN manufacturing at the
present time and would be inclined to submit though
to reapi III Secraa STRIKE sae
and Others who would realize how hopeless strike
would be at this season of the year.
| o.. ,r.yoro cpvrur pyIy