The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-11-23
Three Thousand Refused to Submit
to Reduction In Wages.
First Affair of the Kind In
Southern Mills.
Matter OF Interest Apart From Particular Issue
Of The Movement.

Augusta, Ga, Nov. 22.-After threat
enlng for some days, the local mill
trouble eliminated in an individual
walk-out yesterday. over 5000 employees
are idle, three of the larger and one Of
the smaller mills being included in the
trouble. They are the King mill, 10000
spindles and 1885 hands; Sibey, with 900
hands and 4O,256 spindles; Enterprise,
$4,000 spindles and 500 hands; Isetta, 1868
Spindles and 105 hands.
The affair is styled IAN individual
walk-out," while it is In reality strike
The trouble began about a month ago
when the Southern Manufacturers as
ISOLATION announced that in order to
meet competition, 1t was necessary to
make reduction of from to 13 percent
In all branches of the industry. When
the scale of reduction was posted it was
found that 1t started in some cases be-
low the second hands, none above being
cut. Straight away the operatives be-
gan organization under the direction of
the local representatives of the Fedora
ton of Labor Saturday the merchants
of the city, with but two exceptions,
presented to Charles Estes, president Of
present reduction, be. made as it would
precipltate a strike.
The walk out started In the weaving
department of the Sibey, operatives
from the King joining. The strikers then
went over to the Enterprise and were
Joined by the workers there.
A mass meeting was held yesterday
afternoon, the speeches being made by
several operatives and Patrick Walsh
mayor of the city, Upon his suggestion
a committee was appointed to wait upon
the mill owners to see if the matter
could be adjusted. Their conference will
take place today. Meanwhile there is
firm determination on both sides. There
has been no disturbance, though the fac
tory district Is a perfect hive of meet
ings.
Some time ago announcement was
made by the Southern Manufacturers
association of a reduction in wages in the
Augusta mills of from to 10 percent.
The operatives held meetings and took
steps to organize, with view to cor
testing the position taken by the mill
owners. One or more representatives of
eastern labor unions appeared to advise
and encourage the mill hands in resist
ing the proposed reduction. The help
presented a petition to the Manufacture
ers' association setting forth their OBJ
jections to the cut.
President Charles Estes of the associa-
ton recently said that the Augusta mills
were paying higher wages than those
paid elsewhere in the south and that
the cotton business generally has
dropped to such a low level of prices that
it is impossible for them to continue the
higher rate Of wages and compete with
outside mills, He also said that so far
as the bosses" in the mills We're con-
cerned Augusta was paying no more than
many other southern mills, while the
salarled officers were receiving consid-
erably less, the excess thus being in the
wages of the operatives.
Augusta is the only southern city in
which a labor organization in connec-
ton with the cotton industry has been
attempted. About two years ago Mr.
Howard of Fall River spent some time
in that city, and left behind him an OPP
eratives union in an apparently -four
ishing condition, but it soon began to
year was in a moribund condition. 1t
has been revived. Apart from the par
ticular issue of the movement between
the operatives and the manufacturers
the labor movement in Augusta will be
watched with much interest as it may
prove to be the Introduction of a new
factor into southern textile Industrial
conditions