The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-27
SOUTHERN COMPETITION
NEW ENGLAND MUST FACE AN
INDUSTRIAL CONFLICf.
SOUTH WILL MAKE ALL COARSE GOODS
Mr.. DingIey Says the Tariff Has Nothing
to Do With Il Thinks New England
viii Hold the Monopoly for
Finer Grades.
New York Journal.)


New York Journal)
Washington, Jan. 24-Chairman Mel
son Dingley, of the Ways and Means
committee, seated in his room at the
Hamilton Hotel, talked to me to-day at
length about the causes of the strike in
the New England cotton mills. He con-
sidered the whole situation from the
standpoint of the statesman and philos0-
pher, experimenting those deductions,
however, with the keen comments of the
practical politician and man of affairs.
mo attempt should be made to inter
fere with the natural advantages which
one section of the country may have
over another, but advantages gained
through the degradation of labor cannot
long survive.
Low wages and the consequent low
standard of living defeat their own pur-
pose by reducing the power of consump-
ton, and, therefore, in the end, limiting
the field for production"
In this terse and epigrammatic state
ment he condensed the whole situation
in relation to the cotton industry.
NOT A QUESTION OF TARIFF.
II want to emphasize the fact" he
continued. ''that it is not a question of
the tariff at all, it is not q question Of
the general prosperity. The cotton trade
finds itself confronted with situation
which is local and peculiar only to that
industry Why. right beside the cotton
mills which are reducing wages, the wool
len mills are voluntarily advancing wages
fifteen per cent"
"Will you explain the peculiar condi-
tion which in your opinion causes the dis
turbance in the cotton Industry"
Eyes. There is first the advantage
which the Southern mills possess in the
production of cheap cotton. | will ex-
plain this IN detail later, but for the
present will simply point out the fact
that the Southern mills possess an adj
vantage of at least 40 per cent in cost
Of production Of cheap cottons and prints
Next. there is the local situation. The
owners of many New England mills had
loaded ND with large stocks of cotton at
eight. nine and even ten cents per
pound. The cotton crop was remarkably
large. and those who had large stocks Of
the raw material on hand found them
selves confronted with the most marked
and sudden fall in the price of cotton on
record To add to their embarrassment
many mills had an eight months supply
of manufactured goods on hand. Now
the Southern mills had not only the adj
vantage of cheaper labor. but had no
large supply of raw or finished material
on hand"
STRIKES NOT UNJUSTIFIABLE.
.'Then the cut in wages was a necessi-
ty owing to this change in the market"
suggested.
'Well the manufacturers appeared to
think that there was nothing else to do
replied Mr.. Dingley, '.but TO my mind
it is always doubtful whether lowering
of wages accomplishes the desired result.
j do not want TO pass judgment on the
private affairs of those manufacturers
in New England. They certainly found
themselves in a most remarkable, and
embarrassing situation and one which
might puzzle them as TO how they should
meet it. The trouble is that a cut in
wages and the consequent strike may not
accomplish the desired result"
'Some of the stockholders of the New
England mills told me they would rather
pass a dividend. for once than have a
STRIKE I remarked.
dends at ALL" answered Congressman
Dingley. with conviction. "No cotton
mill in New England is going to be able
to pay any dividends for the next year.
IT was a question of dealing with fall
ing market. and this accumulated the
Southern competition, which had already
been felt in some directions. I always
feel when I see a strike that there must
be a want OF understanding somewhere.
| do not declare strikes unjustifable, but
/ do think that if employers and men
were able to get together and talk mat
ters over before an impartial mediator,
many strikes would be averted. For
instance. if the operatives understood
in this trouble what an immense loss
their employers have to face they would
probably take the cut more philosophical
". Then if the manufacturers could
know exactly what their employees need
for n decent and comfortable standard
of living they would realize that it is
very unwise to force people to lower
standard We want to raise the stand
ard of living for our workers"
LESS TIME AND IMMIGRATION.
Gould you suggest any other plan by
which the difficulty might have been It'd
ed over|' | asked with some interest, for
this man evidently, knew quite as much
about the trouble as those who have
actually been on the scene in the last
week.
1T seems to me that reduction in the
running time might have answered the
purpose" he answered. "Why not have
the mills run three or four days in the
week until the surplus stock was soId?'
Il think the operatives would have
been much better satisfied with that
replied.
''Yes. if seems to me a better plan. y
said Mr.. Dingley, Though, as / said be.
fore. do not like to criticise those who
perhaps know more of the details of the
business than | do"
"DO yDa think the restriction of immi-
grafton would help solve the problem? !
asked
Il favor the bill in the House. for the
restriction Of immigration he said. "but
] do not think that the restriction of
immigration would be final solution
of the problem, for the difference OF con-