The times., 1898-01-02
MEkICO'S COTTON MILLS
They Are New Unprecedentediy
Prosperous.
On the GIher Hand These in New
ENGLAND Are Reducing the
Employees Pay.

fFrom the Wheeling, W. Va, R=giSterl
The cott,n mills Of Mexico are low uu-
precedo ntedly prosperous.
How different the situation there in the
cotton industry from what it is in our
own New England where already some
thing like 10000 operatives have been
notified Of \ 10 per cent reduction in
their already soanty wages. The situation
is causing CONSERVATION Throughout New
England, since the lead of the two or
three big concerns that have acted VIII
have to he followed by every cotton mill
in New England.
Those newspapers of that section which
are considered best informed On the matter
end free fron prejudice on either side
look OIL the situation as very umpromisfng.
A reduction of 10 per cent in the wages
of the operatives does not favorably I'm.
press the Springfield Republican, whichsays
that more than two-thrds OF the male help
in MaSSa chusetts cotton mills, and nearly
all of the female help, earn less than
SIS a week on tie average. Those families
which can put father, mother and two or
three sous and daughters into the mill are
able TO max a fair living. That Family,
however. which is dependent on the earn
~ 2
a narrow and terribly impoN erished life. =
Wien the cut is made tie support win he
reduced TO 7.20 per week The Republican
suggests that instead OF a uniform cut Of
10Fper cent in a mil whose manager gets
$4,000 Il year and its 600 employees. men,
women and boys, an average of S3C0
year n sliding scale should te adopted with
he heaviest cut in the large salaries, where
it will Ice felt the least.
The Providence Journal is OF the opin
ion that tie 0 per cent wage reduction
in the FAN River cotton mills is proposed
rather iH the- hope OF strike than in the
expectation that it viii be peaceably ac-
ccpted by the employees. Its explana-
tiOn of the situation is that the cotton
cloth market is loaded with unsold goods
and that this weight is being added TO
steadily. a general agreement was made
by tIa leading New England mills that
the large and increasing stock on hand
shuula bc reduced by reduction OF
working time. For three months this pol
icy was pursued and then full time was
resumed. Now the stocks of print CLOTHS
at Fan River are reported TO be as large
as they were before the reduction began.
Hence says the Journal, IF the en-
ployes nccept the reduction, well aud
good: the mills then can undersell COM
petit; rs and work off their surplus stocks.
And If the spinners strike, well and good
fer then the mills can take another rest
until consumption catches up with them
again. IL is the employees. in any case,
who must chiefly suffer" That is the
way il works every where. iD other indus
tries as We'll as I'm cotton manufa ctIring,
Tut -iE this industry are our New England
contemporaries sure they are attributng
the etr,.Ihlc to the right thing, are they
certain they have correctly diagnosed
the case?
Why is cotton manufacturing fio1rishing
in Mexico when it is lsnguishing and MP
parently on its last legs in New England,
erstwhile the Mecca of this industry?
The PLAN reason is that in Mexico the
conditions OF success in this industry are
made possisfe Because of she free coinage
OF silver and the premium on gold, which
serves as a barrier against imports from
gold countries.
In discussing this question the Mexican
F1nancicr says ''Mexico's importatioas
of cotton -ciath from England during The
past ten months have declined ,S62 GOO
yards, or ] o per cent, contrasted With I'M
ports for the same time last year, and
fn.potts from the United states have de
creased So. 135 yards. or 25 per cent" |
New MILLS are going up in Mexico, and |
those now in operation are reported to be |
making from 40 to so per cent profit on |
tteir product.
Another impoftan. factor in the causing l