The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-16
were at perfect liberty to employ counsel

MeaVefS FrOtectlVo Association, asked IL
the manufacturers were to be present.
chairman Leach said he understood
the manufacturers would be present only
by counsel, whereupon Mr.. Cunnane
SAID that he did not think the weavers
would be present unless the man ufactur-
ers were also present..
1t was understood that the manufac-
turers -should be present later, and the
operatives will have the same opportun1-
ty to cross-examine them. that IS now
given to the counsel for the Arkwright
club.
3 Ihe weavers did not appear to ike the
turn affairs had taken, and their dele
CATION left the hall in a body.
John Waldron, secretary OF the CAREERS
Union, said there was no attempt made
by majority Of the cloth mills OF this
city to live up to the particulars bill. he
stated the law as it affects the carders.
He knew places where the posted particu-
lars had not been changed in six months,
while the work had been changed num-
ber of times. The speefer tenders are
supposed to be paid by the hanks they
turn off, but as matter Of fact MIR. wal
dron said, they are not. Within ten
years, Mr.. Waldron said, the method OF
running machinery has changed consld-
erably, SO that the number of operatives
required is much less. Ten years ago a
card would produce $50 pounds Of cotton
week. Today the production is between
500 and 700 pounds for single card1ng
machine.
The wages of carders during the ten
years has decreased with an increase OF
the product Mr.. Waldron quoted the
highest prices he knows in the card
room, These are as follows:
Picker-tenders, $6.67 per week; speeder-
tenders, IS. 45 per week; drawing-frame-
tenders, 81. as per week; slubbers, 81 to
81, so per week. With relation to Stub.
bers, he said that within the past three
years the reduction in wages has been
forty per cent to his personal knowledge.
women, Mr.. Waldron said that ten years
ago the help thought they were poorly
paid if they got $12 a week. Now they
think they have struck Klondike when
they get $40 a week, and the prices range
downward from $40 to So. In response 10
a member of the committee. MIR. Waldron
said that card room help requires to be
lust as skilled a laborer as the man who
runs Ia pair of mules. Secretary Ross
shook his head in doubt at this. The only
recommendation which Mr.. Waldron
would offer would be the enforcement of
the laws of the present time and was in
favor of the national short hour law
He thought the condition of the opera
tives Is worse than formerly. The sweat
New Bedford mills. he said.
REPRESENTATIVE Ross said that in most
lines wages are niger than they We're 10
years ago. In the cotton trade this is not
SO, elm 1884 there was a reduction of 10
per cent in wages. In the same year
there was a reduction of the mule spin
ners of per cent; in 1895 there was an
other cut down of 10 per cent. There have
been advances SO that the amount of the
reduction has been reduced. In 1894 after
q strike of six weeks there was COM
promise of per cent on reduction OF 10
per cent. At the present time the wages
are 20 per cent lower than they were in
1889. These figures may not be abso-
Iutely correct, but they approximate the
exact condition.
aMillmen admit that the present reduc-
tion will not benefit them. The ma
ohinery is run at the highest possible
sps5.i II the reduction goes into effect,
the buyer will demand all that the man
ufacturer has taken from the operatives
cut down would be lost. The market is
glutted and nothing is gained by force
ing lower cost goods upon it.
The Fall River men give as the cause
of the situation lower wages and longer
hours in the South and legislative re-
striction in the North. MIR. Ross thought
that restrictive legislation might be
QEOpp6Q OuU VI ULd HTS uAACip.
An adjournment for dinner was taken
at tfis point. When the hearing was re-
opened in the afternoon there was larg-
| er delegation present, the greater propor-
| tion of whom were women. Represen-
| tative Ross resumed his presentation OF
| the case of the operatives case. None
| of the manufacturers have pointed out
a single thing operating against them,
except the shortening of hours. We admit
| low wages and we admit long hours
south. We claim, however, that the South
| ern ]aborer is the better paid i'll accor-
dance with the work done. Mr.. Ross
stated figures to back up his. comparisons
ofsthe Northern and Southern laborer.
| The Arkwripht club cites Charlotte as
am example OF Southern competition.
| This puts the argument OF TIE manufac-
turers' in the strongest possible light as
the average age of the mills in that city
| Is only about six years. An 1nvest1ga-
tion recently made does not bear out
what the manufacturers have claimed and
the figures from other sources do not
agree with those whichathe mill men have
given.
Mr.. Ross considered the conditions of
living in the South among mill help
much worse than they are in the north.
Necessities of life are cheaper in the
South and rent costs less. Clothing is
not much less expensive. noticeap!e
thing about southern mill nelp Is tnelf
lack Of energy An operative in.the South
works about two-thirds of the time, and
asgood many of them will positively not
work when they get little money until
it is gone. The Southern mills average
about &c hours a week. In hlassachu-
setts the speed has about reached top
notch, while the speed might be increased
in the South. 1t Is not likely that the
Southern mills can ever meet tho speed
here for climatic conditions will operate
against 1t.
Mr. Ross was questioned by MIR. Reed
concerning the strike in Georgia mill,
Mr.. .4 Ross thought that as soon as the
Southern help is organized they will be
quicker to resort to strikes than the
Northern operatives.
AS there were no weavers or loom hXers
present the hearing was adjourned until
0.30 Wednesday.
AUGUSTA OPERATIVES WILL
WORK.
Augusta, February 15.-There Is very
little probability that the operatives at
the Edwards Manufacturing company,
cotton mill here will strike unless the rest
of the New England mills are shut down.
AGAINST A STRIKE.
Amesbury Mass, February 15.-The
sentiment among the textile operatives