The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-11-11
REDUCTION
OF WAGES
ORDERED
Fall River Mil Men Make Cut
Of 10 PsT Cent In Pay
Of Operatives.

Fall River Mass, Nov. 1.-THE unset
tied state of the cotton goods trade due
largely to the phenomenaly high price
OF raw material and TO a pronounced hesi-
tation on the part OF the purchasers, COM
PEELED the manufacturers of Fall River
this afternoon 10 order a general reduc-
ton in the wages of their employees.
The cut down will affect nearly 10000
operatives in this city and 1t Is stated
unofficialy that the action of the local
manufacturers will probably be followed
by mill owners in southern, central.
and western Massachusetts,, Rhode ISL
and. eastern Connecticut and possibly the
eastern part of this state, employing a
total OF about $1,000 men. III all these
manufacturers follow the lead OF this city,
as Is anticipated by many, from 5000 to
$4,000 textile operatives Will be Obliged to
submit to a cutdownc
The reduction in this city is TO go into
effect on Monday, Nov. % and amounts
10 ten per cent.
Whether the radical move made by the
mill treasurers will be resisted by the
operatives cannot be stated at this time.
The action was not wholly unexpected by
the leaders OF the textile unions and by
the operatives In general
AS soon as news OF the cut was an
nounced hurried notifications were sent to
the union officials, some OF whom were I'm
Boston attending the convention OF the
American Federation OF Labor, and ar
rangements were perfected 70 call a con-
ference OF the United Textile Workers as
soon as possible to consider the outlook.
The unions have recognized for months
that the cotton situation was threatening
and I'm fact going from bad 10 worse
During the summer and early fall the
curtailment OF production so general
throughout New England was felt more
by the employees in Fall River than I'm any
other centre. and today's news wos more
unwelcome than usual on this account
especially as the winter season is at hand
and many have been unable 20 maintain a
bank account.
Although IL Will be sometime before
the unions can vote on the issue IL is
thought that no general strike will be
ordered at this time for the reason that
many OF the manufacturers are short OF
cotton and have large stock of goods on
hand, which would make a strike OF lit
Pile consequence to them. Some of the
treasurers had also been considering a
further curtallment and II Is possible
that some Of the mills will have tn stop
their machinery, regardless OF the lower
Ing of the cost OF production which will
follow a cut In the pay roll.
The mills of Fall River, ew Bedford.
Rhode Island and those at numerous
POINTS III CenWal anu western MdSSsNnu-
setts. together with mills I'm eastern Con-
necticut made n general advance In wages
early In 1902. Their action was not met.
however, by the cotton mills OF Northern
New England. and il Is not considered
probable that the impending attack on
the payroll In southern New England
will have any direct effect In the i'm
dustry further north.
IL was this extra advance in wages that
led 20 the great strike i'm Lowell last
spring. The Lowell operatives demanded
the Fall River schedule but the manufac-
turcrs there declined TO accede to the re-
quest.
UNJUST AND UNwISE.
Boston. Nov. 1.-THE news OF the cut
down IN Fail River cotton mills was made
known 20 President Gompers Of the Am
erican Federation OF Labor I'm this city
today through an Associated Press dis
patch. Mr. Gompers said Il was too soon
FOR him 20 enter into discussion OF the
situation. lie said that all that he cared
90 say al present was that IA was "un-
Just and unwise al this time to make this
reduction"
Mr. Gompers said that the matter prob
ably would be discussed at the session of
American Federation OF Labor which Is
being held In this city this week.