The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-06
ONE RESULT OF FREE TRADE
Attempt to Reduce Wages in England
Causes Great Industrial War.
Over Fifty Thousand Cotton Operatives Refuse
to Work and Are Locked 0ut--Prince
Bismarck Criticised.


Cotton Operatives Locked Out for Refusing
to Accept Reduced Wages.
LONDON. Nov. 6-England to-day saw
the beginning of what seems likely to
prove the greatest industrial war between
capital and labor that the country has
ever known. Cotton-mills. employing all
told about 100000 spindles, were shut
down to-day. There are about "A, 600 opera
tive spinners grouped into various local
unions all federated in an amalgamated
association of cotton-spinners. Their aver
age earnings for q week of sixty hours
are 50 shillings. The local unions COM
bined have a reserve fund Of 100000.
The card and blowing-room operatives.
who. of course, are necessarily idle when
the spindles stop, number about 5000, and
have also . strong union. The members OF
both associations have paid special levies
lately into the treasury, including a levy
of 6shillings week. which has been paid
in regularly for two months. The reserve
fund thus created will be further in.
creased by the contributions of
shilhngs week from 1900 members,
who Will remain at work during the
from all sources total of f3.40O will flow
in weekly to assist the operatives. The
non-unon uen have been try ing hard to
get into the unions, so that they can par
take of the adv an aRes of strike pay" but
the unions are unwilling to enroll as men,
beers persons who are likely to speedily be-
come q burden on the treasury The non
union operatives are, In consequence, likely
to suffer great distress during the progress
of the lockout. for the unions have decided
not TO assist them In any way.
The operatives appear to hold the strong
est position, as the improving prospects In
the cotton trade since the notice of a hve-
percent cut In wages were Issued nave
already induced number of miIl-owners
TO keep men at work at the old scale of
wages, paying the federation the fine, q
farthing spindle q week, agreed upon.
1t so happens that only few mills at Roch-
dale. Hey wood and Stockport are closed.
A number of mills in other towns have
withdrawn the lockout notices W hich they
at first sent out.
The masters federation has received q
severe blow at Bolton. where the district
employers association has declined to CO.
operate with the federation in scheme to
reduce wages. Their thirteen million spin
dies are still kept busy, and the operatives
are working on the old scale of wages.
This action on the part of the Bolton mill
owners is explained by the fact that they
use Egyptian cotton. which gives them a
margin of profit. Other Bolton masters
usIHg American cotton adhere to the fed
GRAFTON and have closed their mills.
The delegates to the SpIDners AssOcla-
ton met, tonight. In Manchester. The
secretary read kilograms declaring the
lockout at Stockport to be complete fail.
In the SO places the mill-owners are contin-
Ring To operate their mills at the old scale
of wages. However, $1,000 wOrkmen are
expected to be idle on Monday. The meet
ing decided to increase the weekly levy to
5 shillings pence. Great enthusiasm was
shown.