The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1894-01-05
NAUGATUCK MILLS IDLE.
DISTRESS REPORTED <LoNe THE
EN1IRE LENGTH or THE VlLLEY.


workers Co-pisiu OF TsriE Agitst,o-
WATERBURY. Conn. Dec. Mot In tventl
Years has the Naugatuck Valley seen sucl
hard times and 20 much distress ss II has th,
past month and as IL IL seeing now. From on,
end Of the valley to the other there are fac
tories shut down. and those that are NOT shut
down are running with very largely reduced
forces Of men. who are working for very large
" reduced pay.
In the town Of winstsd which IL the ter
minus Of the EauRatuck division OF the Con-
.olidated Railroad. there are twenty eight
factories. but there are only three OF EN-
now running on anywhere near full time In
TorrlnRton. Birmingham. Ansonis. and. in
fact. in nearly every town In the valley where
there 10 a factory there IL an Increased amount
OF distress.
The city Of Waterbury. which is the largest
Of the cities in the valley, lie at present csrin
for more than twice the usual mum Der OF desti-
tute persona There Ia only one factory here
that is running on full time. The blame for
the business depression and the hard times
Is laid by the people to the agitation Of the
tariff question. Waterbury Is sometim co
known as the Brass City OF Connecticut"
There are six large mills for the working OF
brass and copper. and when times are only
fair these mills employ between 5000 and
5000 hands At this time they are employing
less than half that number. There are, Of
course. hundred or more smaller Industries
than that Of brass working. There are but
on-making shops. silver plating shops, . big
watch factory, pin factories, and so on. The
history in all OF them Is almost identical with
the story in the brass making industry. Hard
Hines. no orders. expenses must be reduced.
( and the only way to reduce them is to dis
| charge the workmen.
[ Sala of ~ hava nhar 80
caring for the poor who are destitute. They
I did IL this season until about Dec 1, when
cases came In on them so fact that the citi-
Gems. to relieve them. organized q Relief Com
mittee whore they give away food and clothing
/ TO the destitute. The Selectmen now have on
their books about 450 names. which Is moro
than one-half greater than usual.
Each name represents the head OF family
I and the families will average 1--WE persons
each. At the office OF the Selectmen yesterday
THE Bun reporter was informed that the in.
Screase In the number Of destitute persons was
ade up wholly OF persons who In ordinary
times have work and are able to provide for
their families. The rooms ofthe Relief Commit
tee are on Scovell street. The reporter visited
ythere about 2 o'clock this afternoon. There
were half hundred persons In the room wait
Ing to get the ear Of Mr.. Horace G. Hoadley. who
lis In charge. OF the number more than twenty
}rsmsrEsbly well dressed. respectable looking
Not OF people There was not person among
&c 81 ordnarg sSpp
cant for charity. Tho Relief Com mittee does
not give d Ala to TAR any person who has ever re-
organization. 1t 10 exclusively for persons
TT6 6o Are temporarily out of employment Mr..
tons for aid. and 85 pei, cent OF these have
themiws are assistinr re9uiariyotbstis VIZ ap ua
providing Wholly for their famlies. The other
Hi cent W. .s cn t. rs4 sm Ss; as
S"':s hss: tS has a9:s s Ju rbs
there doesn't look now TO bs any prospect Tor
Tor aid at &. rat. q about F . sSS dsy Bs
sides the. work that our COMMITTEES is doing.
the public ehsrty ri The eharShe: in the city
are taking care OF destitute persons, and the
hsT. no. %ns
than tne ordinsry number Of cases.
loves is one Of the representative BUSINESS
men q The 10 city; Their brass and sopper mill
IN Vsv and sSsy tSs
finest goods that are made in that line OF busl-
hs Ts MT; Cloves owe ~ was seen A. the mills.
ace the business interests OF the city. Indus
tries are attacked: Manufactures cannot 90
know they can obtain for the goods when they
are placed on sale. Waterbury Is one OF the
ssthe work%en are eoncernsd The industries
Esye been GTTSSw s for erss, years IN
.S hs the past s sie tt o. ten years When
increase has been due entirely to the growth
OF manufacturing Industries OF the town. The
steadily since that time till last year when
they were probably higher than any year in |
SCCs,r all the mills were doing finely.
t a"s result s on sSnt,sS W0rs
year previous In the spring and sumner the the
orders fell Of until the time that the House q
h.a To- tns Sys nd 6
bad good deal OF confidence in the belief that |
bard times were over. But lust as soon as It |
would be long light over the bill. business !
was shocked In a cooked hat again. and, thanks !
sysT since In May in our own a" mill f here %a
ssmployed 500 hands. During the past four or
Q, that number It is the same. i believe. In
sHe ~ brass s mill In the city. 1t is the same In
" The pay rolls OF the various industries to-
Tins last year Now. when say % 'r per cent sa
Of r" great ds srn more 70 than sa
~ per cent. reduction in the forces. Tor the
men who receive the least wages The high.
priced men. the skilled workmsn. are all
time. ~ 1855
The reduction OF 40 per cent in the pay roll
neans reduction Of con siderably more than
a. per cent 10 the number OF hands employed.
nslolnd u here impossible 10 run our bust
ness with half the force and ON half time and
MAKE both ends meet, and It was absolutely
1scessary that wages should be cut On Aug.
d ~ We made cut which averaged about A. per
WIN this reduction We have been doing bust
ness Without having made single cent
h,.it Is my hrm belief that As far as tho tube
o .a and cheap copper part OF the business 10
S'ngieefhed the workmen will have to submit TO
tii' III argeI reduction OF wages II this Wilson
Hin Is passed In the shape IL is In. In every
business when capital hnds that It IL losing
an Az can come out whole. the capitalist imms- |
s,a.ey looks about to see where he can cut |
sthh lps and II is among the laboring class
~ nt ~ ne hnds the only place. Capital Invested
X .n n nrAss and copper mills In this country
NJ. past year has not been able TO make -
cent Any reduction whatever In the tariff |
dos on even that marg n OF profit. aud then. |
ths Jo.use see. there Is absolutely no help for
,Sa'ung down OF expenses. While the
ton is y, hill may not make q very great reduce
eustd ~ we tarin on brass goods II affects the
-aesUeIs VI the DuHil6Bk and In that WAY IL 4