The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-06
CAMDEN MlLLST0 SHUTDOWN
HoRRTvG NOW oN ODD ions PRE-
PIRITORY no CLOSING.

Forces II the Mills beth Heduced-The
Part che People say the Tariff plays.
CAMDEN. Jan. 5.--Ths proprietor OF the two
largest woollen mills In the city OF Camden
told The SUN reporter to-day that within a
week. or at most within ten days. they would
shut their mills down indefinitely. The mills
are the Linden worsted Mills. owned by How
land Croft. Sons & Co. aud the A. Priestly 4
Co. Mills. owned by J. Herbert Bottomley.
There IL one other woollsn mill in the city.
which is the property OF the Camden Mil Com
pany 1t is running on short time with re-
dueed force and IL also is said to contemplate
shutting down in very short dine. Lack OF
orders. dos TO hard times and business de-
preston and the tariff uncertainty and fear Of
the con sequences that will follow the passage
OF the Wilson bill by Congress, are given by
the mill owners. and the mill employees as
we'll. as the sole cause OF the contem plated
shut down.
The three mills employ In good times. such
as there we're before the financial panic and
the tariff scare. upwards OF 1900 hands. IL
may be said that they are the sole means Of
support OF about 5000 persons. or one in
twelve OF the total population OF the city. Their
shutting down will add greatly to the distress
and the restitution that already exist among
the unem ployed in the city There is . good
deal Of talk. too. OF further reductions in the
number Of persons employed in the Iron works
and In the Esterbrook steel pen works. re-
port printed In a New York paper that the iron
works had resumed work. full force. is denied
by the man sRsr Of the company. The place is
running on short time and short handed. just
what will be the fate OF the 400 employees in
the steel pen works 10 not known. The con-
cern was running very short-handed until
few days before Christmas when 1t resumed
full time and full force.
There was considerable rejoicing until II
was learned that the RESUMPTION was not due
in any way to the picking up OF business. but
was in the nature OF a Christmas present to
the employees. many OF whom were In very
bad circumstances The announcement was
not made officially. but one OF the officers OF
the company said that II q full shutdown
week or two after the beginning OF the year
was escaped, II would be great good fortune
Times have not been so hard for the wage
earners Of the city. and the city has not seen
SO much restitution as there exists at present
since the financial panic Of 1873. Being SO
close to Philadelphia the greater number OF
people who live there earn their living across
the river. and the shutting down OF factories
ana mills In Philadelphia, and the cutting
down OF expenses by the merchants and bust
ness men Of that city by discharging or
as the closing OF the factories and mills in this
city Itself AS In all cases OF rstrsnchmentd due
have earned very little, II anything. over their
ford to be out OF work. that are laid of first,
Ssr she9 s@ST; 70 sSr
ply TO the overseer Of the Poor or to some
In procuring the necessariss Of life Here as
In all other manufacturing towns. or. more cor
fs s the
passage Of the Silver Repeal bill and Just prior
to the tariff discussion by the Waysand Means
:, The Oyerseer Of the Poor had CD his books in
the neighborhood OF 300. representing heads
larly receive aid from tho city The number
began to increase n at the rate OF two or three a
,ws dss nsg IN the mSns
heads, OF tamiliesLwho applied for and re-
the sfsp the city Sns for ts
In June and ordinarily the fund appropriated
Is . s1iic c,s and md there in small
tee OF citizens have come to the rescue in the
SaTS
was not complete until Christmas, and the
committee is not yet In full working order
rapidly The poor fund OF the city has just
ton amounting to several thousand dollars.
and the Common Council has appointed an as
70
tary OFT OF the relief committee said yesterday
. In my opinion. and in the opinion. I think.
OF m ost of the members of the committee We
haven't begun to see the worst OF the destitu-
far as we can see business 10 going from bad
to worse. and as long as that eeps up OF coures
esase Ths Ssop Camden RUEs Ps rs M
and they are contributing literally to the com
%.s' in sd q the srs wSss T G.rs 'O
siSie 10, reach BY charity: Men who have
had good places with fair incomes They have
lived up to their Incomes, and now. when they
are thrown out Of work. they have, nothing to
haven't the capital to carry them. and when
they shut down there is nothing left. These men
families suffer unless It happens that some OF
their neighbors learn Of their condition. The |
sOn II s 6SU M M
with less than half tho usual force. We are
when they are finished the mills will shut |
down. There are no orders to keep them |
for stock. because we cannot tell what price |
We shall 30 able to obtain for them II the Will /
sSs tSr susson sSar these ms sG laS
full time. and with large forces. The work. |
N en- in them were al well paid and we're pros:
could be Kept running. there would he the |
great reduction Of wages that must come as |
soon as the TaTln bill Is passed staring them
In the face. cant tell you what the reduction |
will lie, but our workmen will have to come |
down TO the level oil the English wOrkmcn. Take |
one branch OF tho business. for instance. Tho |
English pay wool sorters about 800 in our |
money week. Our sorters here get all the
way from ST. a week to SO week. The re- !
duction In the tariff under the Wilson bill let's |
Ia English goods. and there is no help for us il |
We would save our market Wages must |
come down. That Is the only item in the cost
OF manufacture that can be cut"
Mills, said;
times. We have now 40 hands Thsy are
merely finishing up work preparatory to shut
ting down. The mill will be closed before the
end OF tho month. We have no orders now
aud the market for heavy goods has not
opened, and VII! not open until after the tariff
matter is settled. II the Wilson bill passes
the workmen In this mill and In all other
woolen mills In the country will have to sub
nit TO a reduction Ia their wages OF from
thirty Ave to forty per cent in order to enable
the manufacturer to put his goods on the
market at the same price that the foreign
will bring his goods here and
sell them at. The Wilson bill reduces the
tariff on goods We manufacture In this country