The Portland daily press., 1897-12-22
WAGES MUST GO DOWN.
no Other Way Say Fall River
Manufacturers.
REPLY MADE TO COMMITTEES or
LABOR UNIONS.

The Situation Sot Forth in Corservs+,v
and Convincing Manner-Concsssio,x
Must Be Made If ny,ss..,
Rctan Its Prestige.
Fall River, December 21.-After or =,
formal discussion lasting nearly all of the
forenoon, fornia. meeting of tbs mann.
facturers committee was held this aftar-
noon and the answer to tina oner,+iuo,
propositions as framed. 1t recites tho
conditions affecting the industry in Fall
River and the reasons for the prono.ea
| reduction CT wages, closing with the
statement that the situation is such thar
the manufacturers must adhere to their
decision and that 1t is absolutely neces-
sary to reduce wages in Fall River mills
10 per cent, said reduction to go into
effect On the third day Of January, 1898.
In giving their reasons for this decision,
the manufacturers deal at length with
the matter of Southern competition and
urge some concerted action to bring about
legislation more friendly to the indus
| tries Of Massachusetts, so that capital
may be induced to stay here rather than
go outside.
The full answer is as follows:
Cotton Manufacturers Association,
FalI River, December 81. 1897.
Mr: Thomas O'Donnell, Secretary of
| Conference Committee:
| Dear Sir:-The committee representing
the manufacturers of Fall River, have
carefully considered the three propositions
which were submitted to them at yester-
days conference and which were SO ably
discussed and endorsed by the representa-
| tives of the various labor organizations
there Assem- led.
This committee. after due elaboration
and after carefully considering the mat.
ter under controversy in all it's bearings
| and ever having in view the best interests
OF the manufacturing industries of Fall
River, both rs regards employer and en-
ploye, have arrived at the following con-
clusion and beg leave to submit their
rs1pl y xou vsrv u.,, ,nou +,.. ,o+.o,
mills in Fall River find confronting them
condition OF things which, to say the
least, 1s startling. and which may well
ca1se those interested in their welfare
to pause and consider calmly and dispas-
sionately the causes which D have
brought this condition about as well as
the remedy for it, If it may be possible to
find remedy.
"The condition of the cotton cloth trade
is such that the mills in Fall River find
1t impossible to dispose of their output
at such prices as will admit of any re-
turn whatever on the capital invested,
The competition which Fall River mills
have to meet has been brought about in
part by the philanthropy which the good
people of Massachusetts, have ever shown
W. rHC fhnao of how oi+i x,,l,- l..
appeared to need her sympathies.
The hours of labor in Massachusetts
have been shortened more than in neigh.
boring states, and more than her manu-.
facturers can stand While such laws
have apparently relieved the burdens of
the operatives in the factories, they have
really worked to their financial disad-
undue competition outside OF Massachu-
setts, where hours of labor are longer and
where every inducement is offered capi-
talists to invest.
The South has modern mills, contain
ing most improved machinery and a very
low cost of labor. The rest of the New
England states as well as tho Southern
states, have much longer hours and com,
paratively no supervision and no penal
ties for the infringement of the laws
Massachusetts, on the other hand, is
handicapped by the shortest hours of la
Dor, and extremely restricted legislation
compared with other and competing
states.
mills must run and earn dividends for
stockholders or there Is no inducements for
capital to invest in Massachusetts, or Fall
River. Fall River mills are as well
equipped with modern appliances and
machinery as their competitors and with
the same advantage In hours of labor and
pay would DO able to compete with any
section of the country.
1t must be evident to you, as it is to
this committee, that there is no money
for stockholders nor for employees either
when the mills are idle or running short
time; and tkat 1t is useless for all the
FaIi River mills to do all the curtaIling