The Portland daily press., 1897-12-09
WAGES WILL BIZ CUT.
Tall River Cotton Mills Threaten
Reduction.
PRINT CLOTH BUSINESS IN VERY
BAD SHAPE.
Manufacturers Claim To Be Operating at
a Loss-A Strike to Follow Reduction
Though of What Magnitude Cannot Be
Told.

a LoSs-A Str1ke TO F0Ilow Reduction
Though of What Magnitude Cannot Be
Told.
Fall River, November Sat a general
meeting of the Cotton Manufacturers
association this afternoon, it was voted
unanimously to reduce wages in all the
mills Of the city, the amount and time of
the reduction being left to committee
| which for some time has had charge Of
the matter. 1t is understood that the cut
will amount to not less than 10 per cent,
and that it will 60 into effect on January
1st. The cut will effect $4,000 operatives
in this city who are paid an aggregate
weekly wage of SlSO,o0o.
For some months q committee of the
| association has been investigating the
situation in this city. The committee
/ was instructed to circulate paper among
the manufacturers as there has for some
time been feeling that only a reduction
would relieve the oongested feeling i'll the
| business atmosphere.
| The market value in print cloths for q
1 long time has been the lowest in the
history of the trade, while the demand
| has been only fair. Under these con-
ditions, the mills have been selling at a
loss and the stock of goods has been in
creasing.
The committee obtained the signature
of every manufacturer in the city except
one, who is understood to be d. w. Bray
ton of the Durfee mill, a private corpora
| tion
| AS no reduction could be ordered with
out the consent of every mill the commit
| tee decided to report back to the asSOcia-
| tion. This was done at the general meet
| ing today, and the committee received
the unanimous approval Of the association
upon it's suggestion that reduction be
made.
1t is anticipated that the price Of weav-
| ing a cut of print cloth will be reduced
from IS to Is cents.
| In August, 1894, cut of 10 per cent
was ordered, but in April Of the next
year an advance by the Fall River Iron
company of the same amount necessi-
tated similar action on the part of the
rest of the mills and wages have been
| paid on this basis ever since. The atti-
tude of the employees on the matter can
hardly be stated until they have had a
| chance to talk 1t over, and none of the
| labor leaders will say very much about
| the subject until such meetings are held.
| Secretary Whitehead Of the weavers said
| that that union would hold meeting
without delay.
| Secretary Mccarthy of the loom fixers,
believed that his union would not accept
! the reduction.
| Secretary O'Donnell of the spinners
asked il the reduction applied to superin-
tendents and treasurers and received a
negative reply. He said that his union
would also meet at once.
| Secretary Tansy of the carders, said
that no action would be taken until the
union met next week, while Secretary
Jackson of the slashers said that the ex-
ecutive committee of that union had been
called together.
| The feeling, however. is prevalent that
| before the matter is settled there will be
strike. but how large proportion of
the operatives will take part in it, 1t is
impossible to say. Every effort, however,
will be made to avert such action.
At q general meeting of the Carders'
association tonight, action was deferred
to special general meeting to be held
after the manufacturers announce the
extent of the cut down. The cut down
was the principal topic at general meet
ing tonight of the spinpers union. The
matter was referred to the executive board
with power to act. They will probably
ask for conference with the manu-
facturers and prominent members tonight
predicot a strike which will be bitter
| fight. They say they are backed by the
national association Of mule spinners and
will resist until all of their money is
|