The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-12-28
ON THE BRINK.
A Few Days Will Determine
Whether or Not
The Mills of Fall River Come
to a StandStilI.
THE28,OOO OPERATIVES
Are COntending Against S4O,-
100000 of Capital.
Capital Apparently Has the Adj
vantage so Far.
THE28,OOO OPERATIVES

Il all RIVER LCC 90 = AAG |Aly - again
on the brink of a labor war in which
the interests of Is. 600 operatives stand
arrayed against the interests of eighty
one mills representing a capital Of
$40. 900, 600.
a conference of the manufacturers
controlling the cotton mills and four
teen men representing seven labor IN
ions has failed to bring about a peace
able settlement of the trouble that is
impending, and those fourteen men are
trying to decide whether it is wiser to
order a strike to begin January 8,
when a proposed reduction Of wages
will go into effect. or to husband their
resources until March 1, when good
weather will be near at hand and the
chances of winning a strike may be
greater
The cause of the trouble is an at
tempt on the part of manufacturers to
reduce wages II 10 per cent below the
present scale. For more than year
the cotton industry has been hard
pressed and dividends have dWindled
until but 11a per cent has been paid on
the total investment for the year.
When the last depression in the cot
ton trade was on, in 1894, the dividends
We're not so low by half. and at that
time there was a strike and defeat for
the strikers In April, 1895, a voluntary
restoration in wages was made by the
owners OF the IrOnwOrks mills, and
good feeling between operative and
mill owner was restored at the same
time
In the early part of this year the
mill men began to accumulate goods
rapidly, and in February NJ. c. d. Bor-
den, of the American Printing company
came into the market and bought
about all of the surplus that could be
used in his works.
Instead of holding the price at the
figure ser by the purchaser at the
time the FAN River men began to sell
goods at the best price they could get,
and in less than month values were
away down and a series of wailings
began.
Cut down and shut down have been
talked at intervals in this city all year
A shut down was tried, and for time
the price of goods went up. The shut
down lasted more or less for three
months, and it was noted that while it
lasted rivals in the trade began to fill
orders.
Since August the manufacturers have
been trying to get together to induce
a reduction in the wage scale as a rem
cay Tor q Slutted market and to relieve
their position. At one time they would be
seemingly united in one policy, but
changes Of one kind or another would
occur to cause new policies to be acted
After much backing and filling a COM
mittee of the mill men procured the
signatures of all but four CORPORATIONS
to an agreement binding them to
a hide by any action the committee
deemed fit in the premises. After
these signatures had been obtained
there was discussion in the committee
as to the power it had, and meeting
of the whole Cotton Manufacturers
association was called on December Z
to take action.
At this meeting it was decided to re-
duce the wages of the operatives in the
mills beginning January 8, the amount
of the reduction and the details to be
arranged by the committee.
The news was a surprise, for although
Ihere had been much talk, there was
such a division of sentiment that it
was thought II would never be carried
to any point where the operatives
would be called on to suffer
Immediately after the notices of the
reduction were posted the Operatives
union asked for a meeting before the
manufacturers committee and for the
nrst time in the history Of the industry
here the hearing was granted and the
labor unions were fully represented
At the hearing the operatives asked
three things of the manufacturers:
FIRST, that the reduction be postponed
from January till March 1, when an
other conference might be held; second.
tnat the mills be run on four days
week time until trade improved the
present wage scale to remain in force
and third, if either of the first two re-
quests was not granted, that the whole
matter be left in the hands of the state
BOARD OF arbitration, their decision to
be considered binding on both sides
The discussion following the presen-
tatlon of the requests was of the freest
anu 1ullGSL character ana each of
fourteen men was allowed to give his
views of what should be done After
wards the manufacturers talked of the
situation as they see it, and finally lola
the men that they would send them n
reply in twenty-fOur hours to the head
quarters Of the union
This reply did not answer the re-
quests OF the operatives specifically
but in strong way it put the mani
facturers' case to the public, and wound
Up with the announcement that the re-
ductlon would go into effect as stated.
Inc men VINO attended the conference
with the manufacturers, held a meet
ing to determine what is best to b.,
done; whether it is wise to strike now
or wait until the weather opens and
the sufferings of the idle operatives can
be lessened.
The manufacturers contend that the
legislation of Massachusetts is a men
ace to them by compelling them to
work strictly within the provisions of
the labor laws requiring So hours for a
weeks work and others not less annoy
ing when other states in New England
and the south are not so hampered
The wage scales of this city have al
ways been maintained higher than
those of any other mill center, owing to
the existence here of strong labor I'M
ions
Taxes on the mills here are greater
by half than in any other New England
center from the fact that the burden
of the city's taxation falls on the cor
porate interests.
More than all else, is the growing
strength of southern competition back
ed up by northern capital and directed
by New York commission houses not
friendly to Fail River manufacturers
To meet the conditions that have
been forced upon them by adverse leg
islation and other restrictive measures,
manufacturers say they must get down
to the wages and hours of their COM
petitOTs
ON the other hand. the operatives
point to the fact that they have been