Daily Kennebec journal., 1897-12-28
Fall River Operatives Latest
Proposition Is Rejected.
They Must Now Either Accept the
Cut Or Go Out on Strike.
Ex.Sec. Howard on the Local Market and
Southern Competition.

again left matters in this city in rath-
er an uncertain condition, although by
many the outcome anticipated is an
acceptance by the operatives, at least
for the present, of the reduction. The
proposition is understood to be a COM
promise between two factions in the
immediate strike and the other post
ponement of all action until March.
II differs from what manufacturers
when they first heard of it, expected
and it a request that the reduction
be halved, that is 5l2 per cent. instead
of II 10, until March 1st. when an
other conference is suggested to con-
slider the conditions prevailing at that
time.
The answer Of the manufacturers,
decided upon by the committee, at d
meeting, this afternoon. is a rejection
of the proposition, so that there is now
nothingfor the operatives to do bu;
accept or oppose the reduction In
view Of this condition of affairs, it is
now improbable that the operatives
conference committee will make any
recommendation to the textile unions
but will allow them to act for them
selves. The conference committee will
meet again. tomorrow night. and. on
Thursday night, general meetings of
the weavers. spinners and carders will
be held for final action. The other
unions will meet for the same purpose
before the close of the week.
Both of the communications figuring
in the latest phase of the situation
were carefully Kept from the public un-
til the answer Of the manufacturers
was received by Secretary O'Donnell
late this afternoon, when he allowed
the newspaper men to copy both.
They are as follows:
December 26, 1897.
Cyrus c. Rounseville, Secretary of the
Manufacturers Associations:
Dear Sir: At meeting OF the
conference committee of the Tex
tile Unions held this day, the following
resolution was adopted: That. We.
the representatives of the textile
unions of Fall River. having the best
interests of the city at heart and de-
string to avoid conflict with our en-
ployers. request them to make the
proposed reduction 51a per cent. in
stead of IL 10 per cent, until the first
of March. and to hold another confer
ence at that time to try and settle the
differences existing between employers
and employees.
(Signed) "
THOMAS O'DONNELL,
On behalf of the Textile Unions.
The reply is as follows:
Cotton Manufacturers Association.
Fall River. Mass, Dec. q. 1897
Thomas O'Donnell. Esq, Secretary
Conference Committees:
Dear Sir: Yours of even date re-
ceived and at hand. In reply would
say reduction of wages has been under
consideration for nearly Il months.
during which time we have tried cur
tailment of reduction, while our COM
petitors in the South and other parts
of the country have run their mills
and supplied our customers In spite
of such curtailment, the price of goods
has declined, and, today. is at the low
est point in the history of business.
The amount of the reduction proposed
is, we feel, very moderate, much less
than is thought by many to be neces-
sary to meet the situation in which we
found ourselves placed. In view of
these facts, we feel obliged to decline
your proposition.
Yours respectfully,
By order of the Manufacturers Com
mittee. (Signed)
CYRUS C. ROUNSEVILLE,
Secretary.
Secretary ODonnell has received an
other letter from Ex-Secretary Robert |
Howard, in which he discusses the
matter of Southern competition and |
the local stock market The letter IS
as follows:
Boston. Mass, Dec q. 1897.
My Dear OConnell: 1 send you a
report on Southern competition, writ
ten by the correspondent of the Boston
Journal. 1t sounds in some respects
like the information I obtained from
persons interested in the mills when 1 |
was South, a year ago. Many of these
persons claimed that the Northern
manufacturers had many advantages
over the Southern manufacturers in
the line of more efficient help by being
nearer the principal markets of sale
and being able to obtain money more
easily. *Ga
i business then was not in flourish
ing condition there. The Eagle and
Phoenix mills in Columbus, Ga, which
operated more than 1900 looms, were in
the hands of receiver, the president
of one of the national banks in Column
bus. / was told by some of the busi-
ness people that the cause of the mills
being in such a poor financial condi-
ton was that the man who had been
treasurer of them was paying himself
too large salary, which gobbled up all
the profits. ,..
In Atlanta found one mill entirely
stopped. In Augusta / was informed
from reliable sources that the Sibley
mills were laaded with goods to the
Of S500,0O0 for which there was
no market. The operatives with whom
came in contact. who had worked
both in Northern and Southern mills
that they received as much |
money in proportion to the looms. spin
dies or machines, they operated in the
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