The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1893-01-28
OF BRITISH SPIN
NEES.


Failure of the Conference at Man
chester.
LONDON, January 1.-THE confer
ence between the master cotton
spinners and operatives on strike
against reduction of 5 percent in
wages held at Manchester to-day re-
suited in disagreement. The strike
which began in October last has not
yet resulted in any exhibition of bad
temper, although it has caused a
great deal of restitution among the
striking operatives and workers in
trades directly affected by the cot
ton-spinning industry.
The opposing forces are the own
ers of cotton-spinning mills contain
ing about 20,000,000 spindles and
located in dozen or more cities and
towns in Lancashire, of which Man
chester is the center, on one side;
10000 operatives, including 1000
spinners, $1,000 spinners' assistants
and 10000 carders on the other.
The casus belli is reduction of 5
percent in wages ordered by the en-
ployers, which the operatives refuse
to accept. The employers, nearly
500 in number, and including fully
half the consumers of raw cotton in
England, are banded together under
the name of the Master Cotton Spin
ners' Federation. The operatives
are organized as the Amalgamated
Association of Operative Cotton
Spinners and the Gard and Blowing
room Operatives Amalgamation.
1t was at first thought that the
difference could be easily adjusted,
but it was soon seen that neither
side would recede, as, while both
sides are agreed that there is trou-
BILE which needs to be remedied, they
are at variance as to the methods of
settling it. The operatives admit
that the state of the market makes
it necessary for the mill owners to
reduce their expenses. They argue
that the cause of the embarrassment
is overproduction and they are quite
willing to submit to the closing OF
the mills for one or two days week
or any similar arrangement. They
would not complain of an even
greater reduction of income than
their employers proposed if it were
accompanied by corresponding de,
crease in labor. As matter of fact
the employers were ready to close
their mills and the operatives were
anxious to take long holiday.
Although the spinners had accu,
mulated big fund in order to mea
sure strength the long continuance
of the strike has greatly depleted it
and there is now considerable APP
prehension felt as to the outcome Of
the struggle. The employers still
persist that in the face of dividends
which in many cases do not exceed
percent per annum, there is no in.
centive for them to yield. in Old
ham, where many millions are in
vested in the industry, the owners Of
mills would gladly sell them for hall
their cost.
The serious feature of the strug
gle is the fact that only a compare
lively small proportion of the $4,000
operatives on strike are provided fol
by the trades unions. The number
of spinners involved is only 1000
These could afford to stick out for q
long while, but the bulk of the re.
mainder have long since been or
short commons. The situation is
very grave, and the failure of the
conference to arrive at an agreement
has aroused the fear that the discon
tent of the strikers may manifest it
self in riotous acts, although thus
far there have been no signs OF
trouble.