Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-01-17
MILL HANDS STRIKE
Operatives in New England Cotton
Factories Resist Reduction.
COMPLETE fIE-UP At new BEDFORD
trouble Spreads to Biddeford and
Lewiston, Maine, Mills.
FIFTEEN THOUSAND OUT

NEW BEDFORD. Mass. January ia
shut down the most complete in the his
tory of the cotton mills of New Bedford be-
gan this morning. Not spindle was
turning, nor loom in motion in the fac
tories of the cloth corporations an hour
after the usual time of beginning work
Between forty and fifty operatives went
into Bristol mill and twenty-five or thirty
into the Whitman but aside from these no
mill made any show of running. and these
two soon shut down. Nine corporations
operating eighteen mills, in which upward
of 1900 hands are employed, are involved
In the strike. The cut down is uniform all
ever the city-1O per cent. The total pay
1oll of these corporations is estimated at
$4,000 weekly.
The Strike at BiddefOrd. Me.
BiDDEFORD, Maine, January 17.-Every
department of the Peppe1ell and Laconia
mills in this city, and all the departments
OF the York mills in Saco, with the excep-
lion OF the carding and mule spinning
looms. shut down today as result of the
decision of the operatives to resist 10 per
cent reductcn in wages, which was to go
into effect today
The Dressers' Union. who are the leaders
IN tne strike movement. had 4 meeting at
O:5J o clock for the purpose of keeping the
members away from the mill gates and
although most of the other operatives Went
INTO tnelr rooms as usual they came OUT
again almost Immediately the gates Whici,
are usually locked after o'clock being
opened 20 allow them to leave the mills.
AT o clock every department of the Pep
perch and Laconia mills was shut down
were idle
AT the York mills, in Saco. the weav-
er ,b inii9wed 3s the example of the operatives
on tne BfddefOrd side of the river and re-
mained out. and were followed by the slash
ers and ring spinners. 1t was then expect
ed that others would come out and thar tho
, 9ork mills would also be compelled to close
Inc cut at these mills is said to average II
per cent. There are 500 operatives and
5l.2O4 spindles. The MANAGEMENT of the
mills refuse to say what their policy will
De regarding the action of the operatives
Androscosgin Mill Shut Down,
LEWISTON. Maine, January 1.-THE on
eratives of all the mills here except those
OF the Androscoggin went to work as usual
today under a reduction in wages of from
io to IL per cent. At the Androscroegin
mill only seven out of 400 weavers went to
work The reduction went into effect at
tne rnlils OF the Continent and Androscos-
gin. Htll. Barber and Bates corporations
and at the Lewiston bleachery and dvc
works The total weekly pay roll of these
companies has been $4,000. about $3.50
operatives are employed and the number
or spindles aggregates 279,OOO.
Strike Expected ut WOonsocket.
WOONSOCkET, r. l., January 1.-THE
200 people employed in the Social, Globe
and Nourse mills of theeSocial Manufac-
turing Company, and the Clinton mill. In
this city, went to work at reductions of
wages averaging, it Is stated at the offices
or the mills, about 10 per cent. The cut
has been accepted without any concerted
movement toward a strike but there are
murmurings ard protests in a number of
instances and fears are felt that trouble
may yet arise.
Cut Accepted at Worcester
WORCESTER Mass January IA re-
duction in wages OF about 10 per cent went
into effect today at the Linwood cotton
mills and Whitinsvil,e cotton mills in North
bridge, the Cxbridge cotton mills at North
Uxbridge and the Saundersville cotton mills
at Saundersville. Grafton.
All are Owned by Within Brothers of
Whitinsvile. About 62GOO spindles are run
ming and 1893 hands employed. The FISH
erville Manufa curing Company also cut
wages about 10 per cent, where about 80
hands are at work.
The operatives at all of these mills have
quietly submitted to the cut down. and
vent to work usual today. rhe mills
are among the best in the Blackstone val
ley and make fine and fancy goods. The
weavers have been making from IS to ST.
per week. with an average of 80 Under the
new schedule the average will be about
s. per week.