The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-11-13
COTTON WORKERS DEMAND
vtsE INCREAsE OF 10 PER CENT.
ASKED AT FALL RIVER

y..c,,coI Decision to Strike II the Increase
I. Not Granted--Ths workmen oder to
,rbItrate tho Matter A Compromiso
May lie Effected mt Conference.
FAIL RIVER. Mass. Nov. 1.-THE Textile
Council met th. afternoon and. as predicted.
1.cidsd to renew the demand for an increase
o,1O ppr cent. on the present schedule OF
.osss paid in the cotton mills In this city.
rive mons. the spinners. weavers. carders.
lootn nxers and slashers, were represented.
Tn. Council was In session about three hours
and during that time every. point Mt issue was
discussed. so that there was no undue haste
JnartIying at the decision. At the close OF tho
n,ea,ing Secretary Withheld gave out the
following statement:
I'VE decided to demand Of the man ufncturers
m increase In wages Of 10 per cent for all
operatiyes on the present schedule. the sams
10 be in effect on and after Dec. IL. We re.
oucst a reply to our demands on or before
Nov %. In the event OF a refusa! we decided
% recommend to all the textile unions that
,bsir members refuse to return to work on
nee II, which il exactly the same as recon-
uending q general strike to enforce our de-
mands
"The Textile Council decided also that II
,osls 90 sure In it's position that its demands
ara iustinable as to offer TO the manufacturers
IN. ADJUDICATION Of tho matter by arbitration.
We viii agree II the matter Ia to be so die 1osed
n, 10 appolnt committee Of two men and the
manufacturers to appoint like number and
the four to decide upon nth. and II the propo-
alton is acceptable to the manufacturers We
,ha'l make II known that tho decision OF this
board shall be prssept.d TO us before Dec |.
giving us q week in which To consider IL. Tho
vol. on a decisions was unanimous
one OF the five unions Is bound by the de.
S IssE voted TO abide by any decision OF the
Council. the other four will hold special meet
inss during the week and act upon the recon-
i msna DIV By Nov g iher. viii be other special
necessary to cause n strike. There are 10000
nneratives in the mills and about s-third
10 union help. Their weekly pay is about
The date set for an increase in the original
demand was NOV, %. but the conferences ex;
The unions had not held their special meetings.
III. manufacturing. are not saying anything
decisive as yet. They think that present con-
figure that the margin between cotton and
cloth prices is not as II was when an Increase
All sr,iqS ney aaR Ss t l4n hea hp
they say this 10 largely due TO successful
specuatons. on which they stood an even
were successful the operatives have no more
right to claim raise than manufacturers
would have to cut wages their ereculations
operatives say that the gains in business are
due 10 steady increases along all lines OF bust
ness and that the margins OF profit warrant n
raise in nay now more than ever before. That
they are firm In this belief 10 shown by the fact
they ara ready to strike with the winter season
on them.
Each union ia well prepared. All have
reached their limit in the local savings banks
and for soms time have been depositng in
other cities. They think that with the con-
tracts on hand the mill owners cannot stand a
strike. This opinion IL shared by many. mill
men included and II Is almost a certainty that
there will bs another conference OF manufactu-
rers and union. with compromise satisfactory
to both sides as the result