The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1897-12-28
Alarms the Mil Men

A special to The Chicago Record from
Fall River, Mass, says:
The action Of the Manufacturers asso-
citation in deciding to reduce the wages
of about q. 900 operatives in this city has
caused much excitement. The operatives
have been expecting a cut for the last
three weeks. The cut is expected to be
about II per cent. and will mean a loss
to the operatives and tradesmen OF about
$1S,0 900 weekly. Cloth is quoted at PA cents
the lowest price in the history OF the
trade. The mills have a surplus on hand
OF 100000 pieces OF goods and the sur
plus is increasing. Several well attended
meetings of operatives were held last
night. Officers of the different unions
say they are we'll prepared financially to
resist the cut in wages. The new schedule
Of the manufacturers is expected to go
into effect on January 1st. In the mean
time the operatives will hold meetings
and decide whether or not they will Sub
nit to the cut. 1t is the general belief
that they will strike, as they claim to be
better organized than ever before.
A special from Boston, Mass, says:
Although Boston is the centre of the
cotton mill business CT New England, the
men prominently connected with the
trade would have little to say concern
ing the action of the Fall River manu-
facturers in voting to reduce wages, be-
ginning January 1st. The treasurer Of
one of the Fall River mills, who was
willing to discuss the matter. said he re-
gaIded this cut as the beginning of a Sc
rious time, not only for the Fall River
print mills, but for all the cotton mills
in New England. The key to the whole
situation, he said, is the relative cheap
ness Of southern labor, which could not
be bette shown than by the fact that it
costs a mill in Georgia or North Carroll
ma 32 cents to produce a pound Of ma
terial and in New England 6 cents.
With this fact in mind, The says, it is
evident THAT the cnt OF 10 DER cent is not
going to help matters much, and the only
thing that will do any good at present
will be a radical cut OF say 20 to 20 per
cent. This would inevitably bring on a
strike, but with a cut Of 10 or II per
cent. he says, there would be little like
lihood of a strike, as the operatives are
we'll acquainted with the conditions. and
know that a reduction of some kind is
necessary. Even this would still leave a
difference of about % per cent. in the
cost Of labor in favor of the southern
mills, to great a difference to struggle
against successfully.
ADVANTAGE OF SOUTHERN MILLS.
In the first place, he continues, the
southern mills have every natural adj
vantage they have cheaper cotton and
less burdensome taxation. Some of the
big mills in Fall River, for instance,
have a yearly payment of s10,0VO, sl5,-
600, and even $4,000, in taxes to make,
whereas in Georgia and North Carolina
the mills are, in many instances, exempt
ed from taxes for ten or twelve years. II
it in labor, however, that the great diff
ference lies. according to the official
quoted, for the labor in the south is as
good as it is here. and taken as a whole
is about SO per cent. cheaper The labor
erS have had about ten years training
in mills started by experienced cotton
manufacturers and run under their SUI
pervision. and the operatives there at
tend as many machines and turn out
just as good work as operatives in the
best New England mills.
Another great advantage the southern
mills have, according to the speaker is
not being hampered by legislation. In
Massachusetts the hours of laborers are
limited to fifty-eighI q week, while in the
south they are unlimited. The only hope
for the New England mills, he says, is
either in the improvement in the print
cloth market CIR in a general balancing
of conditions between the north and the
south.
BELIEVES A STRIKE IS WANTED.
A special to The Chicago Record from
New York says:
= cotton expert i'll one Of the large
wholesale dry goods houses in this city
gave it as his opinion today that the re-
duction in wages by the Cotton Manu-
facturers' association at Fall River yes
terday was designed to precipitate a
strike. The condition Of the market, he
held. while dull, as it always is at this
season of the year. was not dull enough
to compel a reduction Of wages: at any
rate a 10 to II per cent. reduction. The
market was overstocked, he said, un-
Q~uestiOnably, and a temporary cessa-
ton OF manufacture by the firms in the
Cotton Manufacturers association would
relieve it to some extent. and with good
effect. Another expert said the cut was
principally due to o~verproduction. and
secondly to the keen competition with
the southern manufacturers.