Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1894-08-31
A Big TEXTILE STRIKE.
TEN THOUSAND RHODE ISL
AND OPERATIVES GO OUT.

They Resist Reduction in Wages of
Cotton Manufacturers - Five OF
New Bedford's Twenty-seveu
Mills Shut Down-The Union Pre-
pared for a Long Flight.
A dispatch from New Be lford, Mass, says
The great textile strike-the biggest OF its
kind which this city has ever known anil
one OF the largest in the history OF New
England-is on in full force. TIE fac
tory bells rang as usual on tho morn
ing OF the starting OF the strike.
At the north end, whore are the Wamsutta
and other great mills only dozen or fifteen
non-union weavers went to WORK. All the
rest stayed out in protest against the reduc-
tion of wages posted last week.
At the south emf Treasurer William II.
Rowland Of the Howlani ;, the New BE ttori
and Rotch Mills, asked the hands to WORK
unit! y o'clock in order that he might con-
suit with the other manufacturers. Mr.. How
land Is noted for his kindly treatment OF his
employees and was known to be anxious to
avert a strike, ani most OF tho help worNet
as usual until the noon hour. Then those
mills also closed.
More than 10000 mill workers. clad in
their best and. for the most part, with smtl-
ing, happy faces, thronged the streets anu
| gave them gala day aspect.
But it was not a holiday. There was
| buzz of anger when II became hintet
! abroad that the small han tful OF non-uuion
workers were laborinS In the Bristol mill.
| mob OF a thousand gathered about the mill in
! the morning and yelled for an hour. At noon,
| with forces augmente J, they again surrounn-
! ed the mill and attacked the operatives
| as they came out. Stones were thrown, ana
some of the strikers INJURED each other. Ono
worker had his nose broken by stone,
! bov was badly cut in tho face, AMI several
persons were roughly handled. Finally the
| police came and scattered the mob.
! Similar scenes were enacted at the Ans
hurt mill, and there a girl was seriously cut
about the face by some thrown missile
How long this strike will last cannot now
he predicted Secretary Ross, of the Spin
ners' Union. expects that it will continue Tor
six months, and some OF the manufacturers
declare themselves prepared for long rSht.
Andrew G.. Pierce, of the Wamsuttl mills,
said that his mills would not be governed by
the action Of Mr. Howland. whatever 1t may
| he His mills he declared, are now smut
down tor an indefinite periot, AMI no
thought that the other mills would take SIM
liar action.
On the other hand, "A leading mill man. also
at the north end, thinks that the manu- lac-
turers are already beaten that the strike
was big bunier to follow the ran RlVer
mills in reducing wages. rms gentleman
thinks that the key of the situation Is III MF.
HoWland's hands, and that opinion seems ~
bo held by many others.
Mr. HOWlani, as has been sald, Is alWS7
strongly sympathetic tOwari ms worN'hS :
people. and he is particularly anxious no"
to avert a fight. He said to-day
81 have already conferred with commit
foo ot the heIp and propose to do 50 with
nv Observation-Disclosures. When Iascer;ain
the nostion of both then shall decide What
course to take. / can't afford to let the h"II
run my mills just to suit themselves, pu'
will grant all can. If 1t comes 10 SIN
nIe demand for a cut by the manutacturer+
and for the old schedule by tho heIp l
shall waive the cut-iown and run my MUS
I can't afford 10 shut down ana sever the
friendly relations with the nan 49, our Eoous
have n reputation and we have orders that
must be flied. If impose such cohlltioh7
that the men refuse to WORK my s'!eht SP,I
dies won't make money for the sto;KHolu
/ erS. ..-
But how about over-prOducton!
"WelI [ agree that something muS' ~
done TO reducethe cost Of goois, but am
a different mind from most manufacturers
7 look for better times IN the near lutut,
If curtailment is tho rene iy let us curIa'
7 but il reducing wages IS EolhS l" Di 'i- "
everything to standstill 1t IS pret'S eN'o'n
that isn't the proper course .
liza long light is to come, the spinn@rS dr' ao
in excellent shape for it. They have . io,oO
in the treasury and offers Of generous as
sistance from the national union. AHo Uou.
has rarely been wor5ted In hHht. ,
Thousands of men and women gathere'
about the gates of the various mills, out 81
few entered the works that. with the eXc7P
zion of the plants mentioned, the machinerl
was not started. At the City mill Rrea
crowd gathered and the police were sun
moned but their services were not rtqU q, l
handful of help w-nt into the Ndh7u't
mills but these operatives were seHt gu
again. and were received with Jeers ah
laughter ,.io,
The strikers are objecting to retuctlot
in wages ranging from two AMI nan 10 te'
per ceut. the greatest cut oeih| "lI ~" 80
against the spinners, the best pilu u lL
operatives, and the cnanget sche lu'o 1Li0 i. =
ing five thousand weaver5 10 ohy o''
degree Only five OF the twenty -. w.
in the city are open. The pay rollS VI III
mills aggregate $4,000 Week. A.
All the mills in Fall RIVER, MASS, INA
were running started up on tnH horhihS
the strike in spite Of the vote of the Weaver
Association to take n vacation. But ac"or
ing to the reports received only about l7,V(
of the 60 900 looms in the city are runhih2
The Wampanoag mills started Win ~
looms and then smut down entirely.
The labor troubles in New Bedford lnToiS
thirteen ofthe largest cotton mnnuthctur'h n
establishments, with an investment OIL = II
400 OOO There are 1,042OOO splndIeS an
IL $50 looms involved. Six Of tho 1actorIt
are cloth mills and seven are yarn mlI
7 rCne following data shows the e1Iei
, ofthe cotton industry involved in tall River
Capital invested, S23. $50. 900; sPindles, =
SAC. 500; looms, 60. 900; employees, 20, 9zO
weekly pay roll, $l72,675 cotton coh5u on ne a5
weekly G0OO bales production, IZoVo0'OO