Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-08-22
A GLOOMY OUTLOOK.
Operatives Stared in the
Face by a Reduction.
THERE IS NO WAY OUT OF IT.
No Demand for Goods Which Are Now
Piling Up in Their Storehouses.

FALL RIVER, Mass, Aug. aa-The news
of an impending cutdown In wages has
turned the attention OF people In this city
to the seriousness OF the present trade sit
uation in all parts Of the country. Last
night cloth and the prices obtained for 1t
were the great topics of discussion in every
local circle. The manufacturers who
voted TO appoint committee to meet with
like committees from other New England
eenters say they not care TO enter into any
revision OF the wage schedule alone.
They have learned by long experience
that what Is done 10 Fall River will be
done In other centers. but In enforcing
their ideas Of trade they have been the
losers, while their neighbors have pros
pered at their expense. BY sending del
egation 20 confer with other manufacturers
they hope tn impress upon outsiders that
their first duty is TO secure uniformity In
the wage schedule In all cotton mills.
A Reduction Necessary.
At the present time the schedule fur
nished by the Spinners' union Is in reality
the one under which most of the large
mills are working. aud 1t has long been
recognized. This scale is based on boom
prices. To revise the wage schedule Is the
first purpose of most manufacturers Of In
Huence here. They contend that such a
revision may have no effect on the demand
for their products, but it will reduce the
cost of production to a basis more nearly
akin to the present selling price of their
goods. They do not expect that operatives
will take kindly To a reduction, but II the
mills are To be run no better wages can be
paid than are to be offered when the new
schedule goes into effect
The factories that stopped did not close
their gates because the help were earning
too much money, but because they could
not dispose of their output at any figure.
Some OF them would have shut down had
spinners been working for their board and
weavers for 10 cents a cut. There Is no
assurance that they will commence opera
tions when panic scale has been estab-
lished, but II they are to commence again
on the regular goods or marketable odd
goods that may be stored at the risk of the
manufacturers, they propose to begin
piling up goods on a rock bottom basis OF
wages
what Operatives Say.
Representative OF the operatives In the
various trades unions take very gloomy
view Of the outlook Secretary Howard
of the Spiuners' union is spending his an
nual vacation at Halifax, but the other
officers agreed that 1t would be useless to
combat cut down under present con-
ditions. III reduction went into effect
tomorrow they would be compelled to put
mp with II, but at the first opening they
would demand an increase and would en-
force their demands as far as they were
able
Officers of the Weavers' union hold sub
staDtiaily the same views, but join with
the manufacturers in saying that reduc-
ton can In no way benefit trade through
out the country. 1t is understood here
that six printing companies, with which
Fall RIVER mills deal, are now carrying
2,0O0, 90 pieces or more of printed fabrics.
There are 100000 pieces of gray goods on
hand here. for which there is no inquiry
and no sale