New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-27
STRIKES AND WAGES.
SEQUEL TO THE LOCKOUT AT THE CLARK
THREAD MILLS.
THE STRIKERS WERE MAKING EIGHTEEN
MONTHS AGO A REMARKABLY
PROSPEROUS WORKING

COMMUN NIFTY.

COMMUNITY.
,yRoM PEcrAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBuSE
Kearney " J., oct 2o.-At about the time WHEN
The Mckinley Tariff bill under discussion IN
Congress and after its enactment Democratic Jour
nails all over the country seized upon every oppOr
tunity. as indeed, they always do, to make polIt-
cal capital out Of the then scattered strikes One
of their most widely Haunted Illustrations Of the
effect of tariff agitat upon protected industry
was the strike at the Clark thread mills in
Newark That strike was settled eighteen months
ago The Mckinley bill has been a law some
thinS longer A review from the present vantage
of time of the causes of that strike, and any pos
sible effect of the tariI upon the industry af-
fected, will have the merit of at least abundant
celebration.
As a matter of fact the strike had nothing to
do with the wage question. II was brought about
neither by a demand for increase nor by protest
against reduction One Of the spinners dis
charged because the work ne had been turning out
was abominably bad, and the officers of the COM
pany suspected because it bad, that it was
more or less malicious 1t appears that the dis
charged man was an officer in the spinners'
ganization but the Carks did not know that at
the time. The spinners, of whom there are 100
employed in the mills. demanded the discharged
mans reinstatement. The company refused to take
the man back and the spinncrs struck.
AS each spinner has two helpers it made total
Of $50 employees directly affected by the strike. At
least two other departments of the great works
we're compelled to shut down because Of the spin
ners strike. but the employees in those depart
ments had nothing whatever to do with tie
strikers demands. Out of the 5000 employees of
the works only $50 dissatisfied, and then
rot with their wages 1t is interesting to note
al @,a al he
remainder of the 5000 employees We're mostly
women and girls All but the $50 refused
strike.
The officers of the company gave their striking
employees an opportunity to return TO work. but
they refused to do unless their demands were
complied with and the result was that none of
them came back. At time during the strike
were there less than 800 employees constantly
at work so that the departments other than that
of the spinners could not have been in sympathy
with the arbitrary demands OF the organization
The only other strike at the thread mills oc
Cured two years before the Mckinley bill was even
discussed The men in the spinning departments
at that time demanded an increase of wages, a.
follows:
For No Nh o o0 per per weck
For No. 3 MIL i w Vcr "NcN
The strike attracted great deal Of attention, be
that was cngendered by the partisan feeling shown
by the friends of the strikers in Newark. SEN
ator Howard. of Fall River. Mass. came to
Kearney TO .arbitrate the difficulty He quickly
learned and told the strikers that they were re-
ccving higher wages than the men employed in
similar capacities in other mills throughout the
country.
1t is fact that the in the Clark Thread
Mills. and the women, too are making more
money than ever before. They are paid accord
ing TO the amount of work done per week OF
ffty-four hours The pay rolls OF the spinning
departments now show average of about SIS
per week Last week there were men who made
$22, $2lIe and $2O.4O. The amount Of wages
depends upon individual industry. No one is re-
questcd or permitted to work more than nine
hours per day.
The average Of weekly wages now earned by
the girls in the various departments Is 81. When
q girl fourteen sixteen years old seeks employ
rncnt in the mills she is provided with work at
which she can earn at first about ~ week.
Her advancement to a more rcmunerative position
.hcn depends upon herself. II she is intelligent
and industrious she Will be promoted 70 higher
grade, and in time she will be able TO earn IS,
$40 or Sl2 week.
The wages Of the employees at the thread mills
In Newark are from 2 Ia to . 1-2 times higher
Scotland, where 5000 hands are employed. There
has been no change in the wages at the Paisley
mills for many years. but there has been gradual
increase in the wage earnings at the Newark
mills during the last four years
Thc cost of living in the ncghborhood OF the
clark mills at Newark has not changed during
this period according 10 the memory OF bhoSe
connected with the establishment. Unmarried men
nav s. and ST a week for the best board including
a room The girls pay about W week for
,oom and board. When they do not live with
their parents they generally hire rooms by couples
and are thus enabled to secure really good ana
comfortable quarters well within their means.
Their. are scores Of small houses and apartments
.lo.e ~ the mills Of which the rent is extremely
,o,r When the strike occurred eighteen months
49,. .b. comnanv purchased large number Of
mail houses for the use Of employees
IT,. ora now rented 70 their employees at from
90 q. Go q month These rates govern the rem
,.ls 10, a vid, area around the mills Undoubtedly
N. owners of most of the other houses would
cbarce hirhcr rent were it not for the low rates
charged by the company but the prices having
hen fixed by the company are alio"eu W P'o'"i'
br all other owners. Many OF the men o"" 'lelr
on-, COTTAGES the money for their purchase having
heen furnished by the company. III hnoso caNS
49, ,nortcapcs have been paid off. and the houses
Ave NOW owned in fee simple oy the HELL ,io''
=, ,bem are four and five room cottages ana eA-
trernely cosey. , As
Tho employees are contented and happy AS
49,, .roon nut of the great mills at the noon hour
A. st night they have the appearance OF "cH-
a,es.ed crowd Of young people out for a holluay'
They dress well. wear smiling races anu d'e
huhblino over with fun and good nature
The thread industry is one that Is pro'ec''u
49,, l.roe extent by the tariff The record
OF wages and prices since looi eno"N ."''
..ono. have steadily increased, while prices Inst
,oe. n an abnornaIly high point during the war