Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-11-28
4 GENERAL ADVANCE
OF S Per Cent. is Expected at the New Enq.
land Cotton Mills.

Boston, Nov. 21.-Present indications
lead to the behef that many of the
cotton mills of the New England states
will adopt new schedule of wages
providing Tor an advance avera ging 5
per cent. per month. While few direc-
tors of corporations have formally con-
sidered the wage question, most of the
treasurers residing in Boston have kept
themselves fully Informed of develop
ments in Fall River, the print cloth
centre OF the country and the recog-
nized leader in most important move
ments in the industry
Early next month. nearly 50 of the
Fall River mills which contain almost
three-fifths of the total number
of spindles in New England and
give employment to about % 900 hands.
will raise wages per cent These fig
ures do not include the big plant of the
Fall River Iron Works, whose four
mills employ nearly 3OOO and which are
not represented in the Fall River Man
ufacturers' Association The Iron
Works are controlled by NJ. c. n. Bor-
den of New York, and as yet he has
not announced his intentions. although
long in following the action of the
others.
In New Bedford, the scene Of the last
great strike, the manufacturers have
been asked to grant an advance of 10
per cent. 1t is certain the request will
not be complied with. but il is thought
the mill men will give an increase of )
per cent. About 5000 hands are en-
ployed in the New Bedford cotton
mills.
The operatives of Lowell, numbering
nearly 10000, have also a request for an
advance before the agents of that city
Secretary Connolly of the Textile
Union is of the opinion that the con-
lessons Will be made. In Rhode Island
the operatives are devoting considera-
bic time to organization. and the spin
ners are considering plans to induce
the mill owners to increase wages.
Advices from Bddeford Me. state
that the operatives of the mills there
have reason to look for an advance of
j per cent. to open the year 1900. Re
garding the matter the Biddeford
Evening Journal says: The Pepperell
Company. or rather the old Pepperell
and Laconia. have usually kept pace
with other New England mills in max
ing advances and there is no reason
to think that there will not be an equal
promptness at this juncture in meet
ing the general advance that is looked
for.
The Pepperell will not be very far
behind if there is general raise in
other New England mills was the re-
mark of Agent Macarthur. this morn
ing. and though he didn't make any
statement more definite than that, il
may be taken as pretty good intima-
ton that an advance in pay is coming
for the local mill employees, for all au-
thorities seem to agree that New
England mills generally will raise
wages following Fall River.
1t is probable that the advance in
the local mills will be ) per cent. A
well-known corporation official in dis
cussing the probability of an increase
in wages said that he did not think any
advance would go into effect before the
first of January. the beginning of one of
the six months periods into which the
year is divided. He added
that if there was a general raise or
N'iVh' II N'uii bpPIy " lHN 1 W II INNS
in Saco, as well as to the Pepperell and
Laconia.
The mule spinners of corporations of
Lewiston are endeavoring TO secure an
increased schedule.
AS yet no action has been taken by
either manufacturers or employees in
New Hampshire. The smaller mills in
that state usually follow the lead of the
big Amoskeag Company Of Manchester,
which employees about 5000 operatives.
Millbury Mass, Nov. 1.-THE Rams
horn Wooden Mills at West Millbury are
to begin at once and to run night and day.
The concern has a large number of orders
On hand.
Halifax. n. s.. Nov. 21.-The strike Of
The weavers of the Dominion cotton mills
here continues. The strikers have re-
Iuested Premier Maria of Nova Scotia.
and the mayor of Halifax to interview
the company and use their influence to
have the old wage schedule restored.
River Point. r. l.. Nov. 27.-The threat
ened strike of the union weavers at the
Valley Queen mill has been averted. The
four non-union weavers agreed to join The
lnion. today, and the meeting called for
his evening to declare a strike if the en-
ployers refused to discharge the non
was not held.