The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-20
PaWtuXet Valley Help
Dissatisfied.
SOME TALK OF A STRIKE.
orders Given TO Allow no Strangers
In Knight Mills.
NO CHANGE AT NEW BEDFORD.

While as yet there has been no COM
bined movement of the operatives in the
Pawtuxet Valley mills TO resist the &C
tion of the manufacturers, there Is a
strong and constantly Increasing feeling
Of dissatisfaction among. the employees at
the mills which is liable to cause strike
at any time. This feeling among the op-
eratives is being fostorod and encoura god
by the more discontentei ones, who are
apparently doing their best TO precipitate
a striks and some OF the hands, espec-
tally the NatIck mule spinners, are IN a
very ugly mood. The mule spjnners
have b cid two meetings during the past
week, but have not as yet taken any
definite action, although last evening one
OF them expressed his opinion that they
would not accept the reduction and there
would be trouble next week.
The decision OF the management OF the
Warwick mills at Centrsville not To re-
duce wages has increased the feeling
against the mill owners who have done
so, land many Of those who at first &C
cepted the reduction as unavoidable are
now its bitterest opponents The news OF
the strike at Is. Is. 81 X. Knights mill at
White Rock caused ripple OF excitement
among the operatives last evening, ana
that and the situation in New BEDFORD
was tbs principal TOPIC OF conversation.
Orders were received at some of Il. ID. &
X. knights mills yesterday not TO allow
strangers 10 enter them, and 10 is reported
that sevevral threatening letters have
been received by that firm.
There never yet has been strike
OF any Importance in the valley mills and
many OF the residents are Of the opinions
that the present dissatisfaction will only
IT,
becoming uneasy ut the attitude of the
operatives from the knowledge that the.
present police force is wholly inadequate
and would be almost powerless In case of
any serious disturbance.
The onlyIthinQ which makes strike
improbable is the absence of any strong
labor organization In the valley and the
fact that there are not 800 union men en-
ployed In the valley mills.
GENERAL Discomfort.
Fall River, Mass, Ian. 90. Tho situa-
tion. in this city is one Of general discon-
tent and the secretaries of the LABOR
unions are receiving daily complaints
from many mills OF an unequal reductions
Some OF the weavers claim that they are
being cut as high as 10 per cent. and the
carders report that the reduction varies
from to Is per cent.
The leaders are investigating these
complaints as fast as possible, and special
meetings OF The executive committees
and unions are in order daily.
NO CHANGE AT NEW BEDFORD.
New Bedford, Mass, Jan. 20-Today
was the fourth day of the great strike in
the cloth mills OF this city, ana this
morning there was no change in the sit
uatioD, all the gates remained closed
and IL is the general opinion here that
the contest will not be settled at sn early
date. The operatives are greatly interest
ed In the mill situation in Biudetord,
Saco. Fall River and otneI places where
the employees have gone on strike. Quite
a numb of the French Canadian opera
tives have left for their old homes in
Canada this week, and they Will remain
away until the machinery is again
started.