Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1894-09-28
WAGES GOING UP.


Unusual Prosperity in Factoriss-more
New Wooden aud cotton Mills Than
for -Four Years-A IS Per Cent. Wage
Advances.
These are the bad times, very
bad times. for political wool grow
ers and calamity howlers. Not
Not only do prices of domestic woods
remain firm, at an advance Of 10 per
cent. above the Mckinley prices OF two
months ago, but there is unusual ac-
tlvitY in the wooden aud cotton mills.
The Wool and Cotton Reporter de-
votes a page every week to Bulletin
Of New Enterprises" which, however,
includes mills shutting down. There
used to be more mills shutting down
than starting up; but since the possage
Of ''the free trade Wilson bill" which
was to ''annihilate" the wooden
Industry, the record has been a remark
able one-oetter than for any two.
weeks during the four years Of Ny
Kinleyism.
For the week ending Septembf6 the
Reporter mentions i've new gNs, QUE Of
which is a cotton mill, to SAt S15O,O
twenty-elght engagements and improve
ments, and twenty mills starting up,
one Of which HIS been closed nine
months and anOther FIVE years.
Rawitzer Nos, Of Stafford Springs,
are mentJs6ed as having settled with
their dissatisfied weavers, giving them
a 95 per cent. advance in wages. This
wGge advance is more than the Amert-
can Economist could find in any pro-
tected Industry during the first two
years of McKinIeyism.
The record Is a good one, but that for
the week ending September Is is bet
ter. During this week there were if-
teen items under the column headed
New Mills" One of the mills men,
toned is TO have As. OOO spindleS, and 10
be the largest cotton mill in the South.
Another. for making cotton, fool
and worsted yarn. is to occupy build
ing 10 by 200 feet. which structure
alone is to cost $50, 900. THE plans for
the new plant" says the Reporter
"have been ready FOR some time, but it
is said the construction Of the mill de-
pended upon the settlement Of the tariff
question" II is located at Philadel-
phia.
Another cotton mill, with $4,000 spin
dies, is to be built at Gaffney, S, c.,
with a capital Of $3.50 600.
Another cotton mill, with 100000
capital, is proposed for Bath, S. C. Two
hundred thousand dollars have already
been subscribed.
Thebther new mills are for the man
ufacyare Of wooden, cotton, knit hosiery,
an3si goods.
finder the column "Enlargements
And Improvements" there are eighteen
mentions. Under the column start
Up and Shutting Down." twenty mills
are mentioned as having started or
about to start up. One Of these has
been closed since April last, another
over a year. aud a third for two years.
All three are WOODEN al o.
are m entioned as shutting down-one
to make repairs, another for two weeks,
another because Of a death, and another
is running on short time on account
of low water.
II this sort of business goes on until
November the result OF the election
may not be- so satisfactory to the Re-
publicans as they have been anticipat-
ing. They must either manage to keep
the mills closed or 10 keep the back
woods voters from knowing that more
wheels are turning than ever before.
Can they stave Off prosperity until after
election? II the drought had only lasted
two months longer Republican pros
poets would be brighter.