The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-01-18
WORK BEGUN AT LESS WAGES.
THE CUT IN THE COTTON MILLS OF
NEW ENGLAND NOW IN FORCE.

About 125,OOO-The Sixteen Mills
at New Bedford Compelled to Shut
Down Because the Employees Re
fuse to Accept the RcductiOn-The
Dissatisfaction at other Points
Intense and Strikes Expected.
Boston, Jan. 16.-A reduction in the
wages Of about $4,000 operatives employed
in nearly $50 cotton mills In New England,
in which the manufacturers decided upon
a temporary remedy for the depression in
the cotton industry of the North, went into
effect in a majority of the mills to-day.
In several mills, namely. those in New
Bedford, Biddeford, Saco and Lewiston.
Me- the dissatisfaction among the mill
hands is intense and strikes are expected.
The sixteen mills of the former city.
which give employment to about 1900
hands, have been compelled to shut down
because the operatives have refused to ac-
cept the reduction, and the contest inau-
gurated promises to be the most stubborn
in the history of the textile industry.
The situation in New Bedford is gloomy.
Business there had been recovering from
the depression which followed the failure
The $500 employees at the Laconia and
Pepperell mills in Biddeford, Me-, refused
to go to work this morning under the new
schedule, and it is thought the strike there
will not be settled easily.
Some of the employees of the New York
mills of Saco also Joined the Biddeford
movement.
A nd In In md
the King Philip mills in Fail River were
handicapped by strike of number of
hands, and the Queen City mills of Bur-
lington have been closed on account of
the strike which followed the posting of
the notices of reduction.
An incident at the Acushnet mills, In
New Bedford, in which dirt and stone were
thrown a the managers, without doing any
harm, were the nearest approach to Sc
rious trouble. This afternoon quiet pre-
vailed in all sections and the stores and
streets were almost deserted.
On Jan. a reduction took place in mills
employing about 5000 hands. The reduc-
ton to-day affected the cotton mills of
Maine, Rhode Island, Connecticut the
mills of New Bedford, Lowell and large
number of small places in this state end
New Hampshire. IS. 3. ls
Lawrence, and probably the other cotton
mills there, and in one or two places else
where, Will make a new cut Monday. The
cut amounts to 10 per cent in many places,
but in several centersi it is II 1-19 and even
higher, while in few small mills it is only
about per cent.
The New Bedford strikers will be
supported officially by the oper-
atives in other centers. and it is under
stood they are prepared to hold out until
spring.
The National Organization of Textile
Operatives has also voted to support the
New Bedford strike.
II is estimatedro-that the reduc-
ton means a loss off, $4,000 to. $685.,
600 a week to the wage eatners in six
states and the additional loss to strikers in
the various centers, if they remain idle
even for short time win swell the
amount to a much larger figure.
Here and there dissatisfaction was
brought to the notice of agents and over
seers, over minor grievances, and these,
in most cases, were RENE died, or inquiry
promised.
About $50 mills are affected by the strike.
Tonight finds the textile operatives
everywhere interested ia the Biddeford
strike, for here the test of strength and
endurance will be made upon the out
come of which will depend the results of
the battle in the entire lsmgth and breadth
of the United States.
The Intervention of the state board of ar
bitration this week, is hardly liable to al
low an overt act on the part of the strk-
ers.
At New Bedford the strikers will receive
strike money from the operatives, but the
sum total will be reserved until the pro-
tracted battle begins to cause want and
hardshps, which the associations will
then try to relieve. All New Bedford's
17e. hall A, hi.
in, the lights went out the machines stop
ped, the overseers and other hands pro-
ceeded to make everything snug and the
gates were closed Indefinitely.
In most of the strikes little has devel-
oped in them as yet to forecast future.
The weavers in the Laconia Pepperill
mills were not unanimous, while the weav-
ers in the Adroscoggan mill, al Lewiston
simply took matters in their own hands as
regards to wages.
Operatives of the Brightwood Manufac-
turing Company, at North Andover, to-
day refused to accept a cut down of 10
per cent. Many of them quit work
Taking the days events throughout New
England, it may conservatively be said
that things came to pass just as expected
Worcester, Mass, Jan. ia reduction
in wages of about 10 per cent went into
effect to-day at the Linwood Cotton mills
and Whitsonville Cotton mills in North
Bridge, the Bridge Cotton mills at North
Bridge, and the Aundersville Cotton mill
at Sandersyille.
The Baskerville Manufacturing Company
also cut wages about 10 per cent. The oper-
atives at all these mills about 800 in
number, have quietly submitted to the cut
down and went to work as usual to-day.
Fitchburg. Mass, Jan 1.-THE $3.50
hands in the Nookje Cotton and Print mills
are out of work to-day as the result of a
cut of per cent, which went into effect
this morning. 1t was not satisfactory. and
80 per cent. of the weavers struck. closing
the whole mill The remainder of the hands
were unwilling to work and ii was an
nounced that the mill would shut down
unles sthe cut was accepted.
Putnam, Conn, Jan. 1.-THE announced
reduction in wages at the Manhanset Cot
ton mills in this city went into effect to-
day without any protest from the 40
hands employed.
Fall River, Mass, Jan TWIN tba ~