The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-12-10
KEY TO WHOLE SITUATION
REASON or WAGB Reduction BY
FALL RITEE MANUFACTURERS.

The Relative Cheapness of Southern La
Dor Which is Shown by the Fact That
1t Costs ia Georgia Three and one-Hnlf
Cents to Produce Pound of MaterIul That
In New England Costs Six Cents,
Boston, Dec. 9.--Although Boston Is
the center OF the cotton mill business
of New England, the men prominently
connected with the trade would nave
little to say concerning the action of
the Fall River manufacturers in vot-
ing to reduce wages beginning January
1. The treasurer of one of the Fall
River mills who was willing to discuss
the matter at some length, said he re-
garded this cut as the beginning Of
serious trouble, not only for the Fall
River print mills, but for all the cotton
mills, both there and throughout the
state, and to certain extent through
out New England. The key to the
whole situation, he said. is the relative
cheapness of southern labor, which
could not be better shown than by the
fact that it costs a mill in Georgia or
North Carolina three and one-half
cents to produce a pound of material
that in New Engnand would cost six
cents.
With this fact in mind it Is evident
that the cut of 10 per cent. is not going
to help matters much and the only
thing that will do any good at preseno
will be a radical cut of say 20 or 25
per cent. This would inevitably bring
on strike: but with a cut of 10 or Ii
per cent, he says, there would be little
likelihood of a strike, as the operatives
are well acquainted with the conditions
and know that a reduction Of some
kind is necessary. Even this would
still leave difference of about 25 per
cent. in the cost of labor in the favor
of the southern mills; too great a diff
ference for one to struggle against sue
cessfully.
In the first place, the southern mills
have every natural advantage-they
have cheaper cotton and less burden
some taxation. Some of the big mills
in Fall River, for instance, have a
yearly payment of $4,000, $4,000 and
even $4,000 in taxes to make, whereas
in Georgia and North Carolina the
mills are in many instances complete
1y exempted from taxation for ten or
twelve years.
1t is in labor, however, that the
great difference lies, for the labor in
the south is as good as it is here, and
taken as whole, is about 33 per cent.
cheaper. The laborers have had about
ten years. training in mills started by
experienced cotton manufacturers and
run under their supervision and the
operatives there tend as many machines
and turn out just as good work as
would operatives in the best run New
England mills.
Another great advantage that the
southern mills have is not being ham
pered by legislation. In Massachusetts
the hours labor are limited by law to
fifty-eight a week, while in the south
they are unlimited. This difference Of
itself is enough to work heavily against
the New England mills and this fact Is
plainly shown by the fact that from the
mills of Maine, New Hampshire, and
other New England states where they
have a sixty-hour law there has been
no complaint, while the Fall River
mills have been suffering so severely
The only hope for the New England
mills is either in the improvement in
the print cloth market or in a general
evening up of conditions between the
north and south.