The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-17
MANUFACTURERS CALLED.
Continuation of the Legislative Hearing III
New Bedford.

legislative committee on labor resuIho.
Its strike inquiry in Odd Fellows Nan
this morning at ten o'clock.
Matthew Hart, secretary of the Weavers
Protective association, In response to the
invitation of the committee, appeared to
present the case in behalf of the opera
tives In the department. represented by his
organization.
The reduction of wages in the past
seven years, he said, has been about SO per
cent, and the present reduction increases
the reduction to AZ. These reductions
have gone on from time to time without
any notice being given the weavers.
Styles are changed and reductions made
without any knowledge on the part of the
operatives. Goods are made under new
names with reductions of 5 and 10 per
cent in the pay and with notice given the
weavers.
Lizzie Howarth, who has several cases
of fining were cited in the Whitman ana
other mills.
"Don't you understand that the present
laws cover such cases?'' asked Chairman
Leach.
Secretary Hart replied that the weavers
have no confidence that the supreme
court will decide the weayers tines bill IN
such way as the weavers wish, to MAKE
it operative and of value to them.
Chairman Leach, in answer, said tnaU
he had expressed his opinion as lawyer,
and in his mind q weaver cannot be nneo
for something that is not his fault.
Secretary Hart pointed out that the
weavers cannot examine all the STOCK
which is given to him, and If there are
reductions from his pay because OF 1mper'
fections which follow the use OF poor
stock he has no redress
The policy Of the mills said Mr.. Hart,
is to give the weavers what they wish
and make them fight for the rest. 1t IL
more profitable to the manufacturers TO
fine the weavers and not discharge them.
We would like to hear what the manu-
facturers have to say and then reply TO
them. There are about $500 weavers out
on trike, and OF these about 40 per cent
are msn.
Andrew 6. Pierce, former treasurer of
the Wamsuket mills, and president OF the
Manufacturers association, was the first
manufacturer called upon, and told the
manufacturers reason for the reduction.
1.-THE market was stocked over abund-
antly with manufactured goods, he said,
land the selling had fallen thirty per
cent and was still on the down grade. Ii
to the accumulation Of manufactured
goods on the existing scale.
So far as he was personally concerned,
Mr. Pierce said he had recommended I
radical curtailment in production, and no
had proved his stand on this by running
on reduced time in the Wamsuket mills
during large portion of the summer !;
but the proportion of spindles which had
adopted this policy had been SO small that
it was found impossible to enforce the
general curtailmsnt. Therefore, it was
imperative that q reduction should take
place under the conditions of the market.
Mr. Pierce refused to give information
as to salary list, and also the cost OF the
production of yard of cloth in his mills.
TO Mr.. Dris coll, Mr.. Pierce said that his
experience with Southern competition
had been that in certain line of goods
which his mills had made year after year,
the prices about year and half ago,
dropped to point where he could not
meet them.
Mr.. Pierce was asked what labor legis-
lation he would recommend. II am not
here to recommend any labor legisla-
tion,'' said Mr.. Pierce, s'but wish 1T
understood that shorter hours and all re-
strictive legislation enables our competi-
tcrs to make goods to more advantage
than they can here"
Representative Donahue asked if shorter
hours Qlu nOb give UetteE iielp tHnu III
other states where short hours do not pre-
avil.
Mr.. Pierce answered that he did not
know any difference.
At the afternoon session Otis N. Pierce,
easurer of the Grinnell mills, was
called. He answered tosthe first question
that the tariff today was practically the
same az under the vii son Gorman bill
and quite satisfactory. He cited instances
where the Southern mills had competed
seriously with his own mill, where
Southern mills had been able to sell goods
| 4 cent per yard less than the Grinnell
mill and yet make a profit He
also read letters from consumers, express
ing their preference for Southern goods
over Eastern goods, even at little higher
price.
Mr. Pieroo also spoke of conversations
with yarn men, in which similar prefer
encea had been expressed. This, he said,
was especially true within the past two
or three years. and the difference in price
was due to cheaper labor and longer
hours. Mr.. Pierce claimed that the mule
spinners of New Bedford are receiving
wages in excess Of mule spinners else
W here.
Joseph f. Knowles, treasurer OF the
Acushnet mills, when asked if the fnlng
system was in operation in his mill, dis
tinguished it by calling the system a
grading system. de believed he hau
perfect right to maintain a grading sys-
TEN.
VIM. Cullenana, president of the
Weavers' association, testified that his
own wages DIS a weaver, had been reduced
~ 3-4 per cent during the past two years
without u notice of reduction, the reduc-
ton taking place because changed styles
in goods >,
The hearing was adjourned to Fall
River tomorrow.
NO ACTION TAKEN.
Fall River, Mass. February ia
special general meeting of the Spinners.
union was held tonight for the purpose OF
taking action on the strike at the King
Philip, but it was finally decided to post
pone all action until Friday night, when
another special nesting will be held
ATLANTIC CITY, N. j.
Mr.. Harry Ellsworth Smith, represent
ing the Atlantic City Bureau of Inforna-
tiono, will be at the Preble House today,
Friday and Saturday, from 10 q. M, to
p. M, and from to $50 p. IN. to dis
tribute to all callers booklets, itineraries,
etc., describing the resort and it's attrac-
tions, and will give any Information de-