The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-12-22
REPLY TO OPERATIVES
REASONS GIVEN BY COTTON-MILL
OWNERS FOR REDUCING WAGES.
New England Manufacturers Cannot
Compete with the South Because
Labor Is Cheaper There.

FALL RIVER, Mass, Dec. H.-After an
informal discussion, lasting nearly all OF
the forenoon a formal meeting of the man
ufacturers' committee was held this after
noon and the answer to the operatives
proposition was framed. 1t recites the con-
dtions affecting the industry in Fall River
and the reasons for the proposed reductions
of wages. The answer says:
1.-THE manufacturers have carefully con-
sidered the three propositions submitted to
them by the representatives of the various
labor organizations there assembled AS
you very we'll know, the cotton mills in Fall
River find confronting them a condition of
things which, to say the least, is startling,
and the condition of the cotton cloth trade
is such that the mills in Fall River find
it impossible to dispose of their output at
such prices as will admit of any return
whatever on the capital invested. The COM
petition which Fall River mills have to
meet has been brought in part by the phi
lanthropy which the good people of Massa-
chusetts have ever shown towards those
of her citizens who have appeared to need
her sympathy.
1.-THE hours of labor in Massachusetts
have been shortened more than in neighbor-
ing States, and more than her manufacture
q.
.parently relieved the burdens of the oper-
atives in the factories, they have really
worked to their financial disadvantage, be-
cause such laws have induced undue COM
petition outside of Massachusetts, where
hours of labor are longer and where every
inducement is offered capitalists to invest.
'The South has modern mills containing
most improved machinery and very low
lob &c no nod
by the shortest labor hours, an extremely
restricted legislation compared with other
and competing States. Mills must run and
earn dividends for stockholders or there is
no inducement for capital TO invest in Mas
sachusetts or Fall River. 1t must be evil
dent 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 that 1t is useless
for all the Fall River mills TO do all the
curtailing of production. When we stop our
mills every one else runs full time, and if
a curtailment of production here brings
about better prices it is only temporary and
simply offers an inducement for capital 10
build more mills, not in Fall River but out
side of Massachusetts. We work against
ourselves every time stop our mills with
out the cooperation of the rest of the SPIN
dies of the country, and in our opinion our
competitors would be willing TO join with
us in curtailing production only when Fall
River is able TO manufacture cotton cloth
at low a cost as Is possible ELSEWHERE.
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 seven
ty-two hours weekly. and in some cases
run day and night. The cost of
labor in the Southern mills is very
much lower than in New England
and they claim advantages in water
power. taxes, cheap transportation and
cheap cotton, as well as in longer hours of
labor Their mills are as good but no bet
ter than ours. and the fact stares us in the
face that they can undersell us in the mar
kets on account of the lower cost of pro-
duction. But reduction in labor is not all.
Some concerted action should be taken to
see If legislation in this State can be made
friendly 10 its industries so that capital
may be induced to stay here rather than go
outside. When IL is considered that mills
in Fall River and Massachusetts run less
hours than in other States and that it is
necessary for us TO meet such q close COM
peti lion in trade under such adverse condi-
tons it seems TO this committee that moth
ing is to be gained by putting off for two
months more the date at which a reduction
of wages should go into effect and mas
much as the mills of Fail River have run
during the past year or more under condi-
a i've during which time we have tried the
exper ment of curtailment extensively the
committee of manufacturers feels that the
situation is such that they must adhere to
their decision that 1t Is absolutely necessary
TO reduce wages in Fall River mills II 10
per cent said reduction to 20 into effect
oyS the Sd day of January. 1885, as voted by
the manufacturers at a meeting held on
the sth day of December 1897"