The evening times., 1897-12-22
Ill WAGES mE TO De CUT
Reply II R.ll River NM Owners
to Their Employees.
THE RESULT or CONDITIONS
Hours Of labor Shorter In Massa-
chus@tts Than IN Any Other State.
and COmpeiitfsn with the Sontll.
Under the Present State OF Affairs
Ruinoassto manufacturers.

II
FAN River, Mass.s. Deo- 22.-The full
text Of tile mIlr .ownefs' reply to the cp
eratives respecting ,ti,e proposed reduction
of wages, issas 'folS$x
''The manufacturers have carefully Con
sidered the three pfoposit:ons submitted
to them by the Representatives of the
various isbor organizations there as
sembled. AS you very well know. the cot
ton mills in FAN River find conforming
them condition of things which, To say
the least. Is sta rtling, and the condition Of
the cotton cloth trade Is such that the mills
in Tall Riverfind It iinpossibie todisp pose of
their output at such prices as will admit
Of any return whatever on the capital in
vested. The competition which FAN River
mills have to meet has been brough. about
In part by the philanfhr0phy which the
good people of Massacbusetts' have ever
shown toward those of her citizens who
have appeared t. need her sympathy.
THE hours or labor IN Aassach Isetts
have been shortened NOSE than in neigh
boring States, and; more than her nVand-
facturers can stand While such laws
have apparently relieved tine burdens OF
the operatives In the factories, they have
really worked to their financial disa.i
vantage, beca use such laws have insi,Lcd
undue competition outside 0f Massa' '.hu-
sets. wht re hours Of iahcr are longer and
where every tI ducer,ent is offered cali-
tai to invest.
'The South has modern mills contain
Ing most improved machinery. and a very
low cost OF labor. Massac chusetts Is is 'iandi
capped ty ti,e shortest labor hours and an
extremely restricted legislation compared
with other and competing States. Mills
must run and earn dividends for stock
holders, or their rs no inducement for
capital to invest In Massachusetts or Fall
River.
1t must lie evident to you, as 1t is 10
this coninittee, that there is no money FOR
stockholders, nor for employees, eth #.
when the Iaills are Idle or running si,ort
time. AMI ttat ft is useless for al the
Fail River ruilIs TO do ell the curta ling
OF production When we stop our mills
every one else runs fun time. and II a
curtailiRsnt of production here Lrin.,s
about. better. prizes. IT is only temp0ra-
rily, snd simply offers an inducenient for
Cdpitdi 10 bulsh more tiihis- not Ia rau
River, but outside Of Massachusetts.
I'VE work against ourselves e--ry
time we stop our mills without tn. CO.
operation OF the rest of the spindles OF
the country, and, In our opinion, o'Ir .-orn-
petitors woula be willing to Join with
US In curtailing production only when
Fall River is allie 10 Manufacture ;o:ton
cloth at At low u cost as is possible ,iSe-
where.
THE facts are that Massachusetts, mills
work fifty eight hours per week and other
States have sixty hour laws for labor: the
Southern mills run from sixty-six to
seventy two hours weekly. andin some cases
run day and night he cost-of labor
in the Southern mills is very much lower
than in New EhgiaHa ana they claim adj
vantages in water power. taxes, cheap
and cheap cotton, as well
as in longer hours OF labor. Their mills
are as good, hut no better than ours.
and the fact stares us in the face that they
can underseil u in the marx OF .
the lowei cost OF production. =
But reducing lah0F Is rot all. Some !.
act ion should te taken 10 see
II legislation In TIE State can be -na.le !
TO it's industries. so Il at capital
may be induced to stay here, rather than
90 outside. WI en 1T is considered that
mills in Fan Rrlersa4d Massachusetts, run
ess hours than in other States. and that
It is Necessary for us to meet such a
lose competition in trade. under such
adverse conditions. it seems TO this CON-
nittee that nothing is to te gained by
putting off for two months or more the
late at which reduction Of aases should
20 into effect: and. inasmach as the mills
II Fall River have run during the past year
,r more under conditions SO Very liscour-
aging and unremuherative. during whirh
line We have made the experiment of cur
,ailment extensively. the committee of
feel that the situation is
'uch that they must adhere to their Je-
isiOn that it is absolutely necessary to
,eduoe wages In Fall River mills IL 1.9
yer cent. said reduction to go into effect
IN the Sd day OF January, 1893. as Voted
~ the manufacturers at a meeting held on
he sth ia of December, 1897
The sentiment OF the employees is said |
o be in favor uf resisting tie reduction
Wealthy Society Girl a Shoplifter.
Cincinrati, Dec. e. May Fellers, /,