The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-11-13
DEDUCTION IN WAGES
NOTICES POSTED IN THE FALL
RIVER MILLS.
About 10000 Operatives Are Affected
1T is Not Thought Likely That
a Strike Will be Called.

Fall River, Mass, November IL
Notices were posted today in the
cotton mills of this city announcing
a general reduction of 10 per cent
in wages, TO take effect November
3rd. About 10000 operatives are af-
fected.
The cut down is attributed TO the
unsettled state of the cotton goods
trade, resulting from the high price
of raw material, and to a pronounced
hesitation TO buy on the part OF tne
usual purchasers. The action taken
in Fall River is of widespread Impor-
tance. since matters of this nature
in this city usually are followed by
mill owners in Southern and Cen
tral Massachusetts. Rhode Island and
Eastern Connecticut, where total
of about fifty thousand men are en-
ployed.
AS soon as the news of the reduc-
ton was announced, of1cials Of the
Textile Workers Union began max
Ing arrangements for a conference to
consider the situation. 1t is thought,
however, that no general strike Will
be ordered here at this time, for the
reason that many of the manutac-
turers are short of cotton and have
large stocks of goods on hand, which
quence to them.
Taunton. Mass, November IL
The management of the Corr Manu-
featuring Company today posted no
tices in its cotton mills here an
nOuncing that a reduction of ten per
cent in wages would go into effect
November 23rd. About 700 hands
are affected.
Boston. Mass. November Thames
Tansey. President of the Textile Work
ers of America who is here from Fall
River attending the convention OF the
American Federation of Labor. express
ed great surprise today at the notices
OF a cut down at Fall River. He said
that he did not see how u cut down
would prove Il remedy for existing con-
ditions and would express no opinion
whether or not the operatives would
resist the reduction. In his opinion
other mills in Massachusetts, and
southern New England would follow
the lead OF Fall River i'll which case
$4,000 To 1G0. eco operatives would be at
fected
Boston. Mass, November 11.-RepOrts
from the Centers of the cotton mill IN
OuStry throughout New EIlSlStllu LAi44-
cate that todays announcement at Fall
River that a ten per cent. reduction IN
wages had been decided upon by the
cotton manufacturers, to go into effect
November 23rd, has caused general un-
eaSiuess due to the belief that an equai
reduction at other places is inevitable.
1t is conceded that this will be the case
in Rhode Island and eastern COnnccti-
&c
eastern Massachusetts may follow the
example set by Fall River, though their
cases are somewhat dissimilar. The
situation in Maine and New Hampshire
will hardly be affected. Maine did not
share in the wage advance of two years
ago and so has a negative advantage.
Representatives of labor unions IN
Fall River and other cities do nat APP
pear TO anticipate any concerted action
on the part of the unions in opposition
to the new scedule.
Although the outlook at Fail River
from the operatives standpoint IS a
rather gloomy one, it should be remem-
bered that the new schedule is really !;
return to the conditions existing tWt
years ago when an advance was MADE
by the manufacturers, it was this ad-
vance in Fall River that led to the
great strike in Lowell last spring. The
mill operatives demanded the Fall River
S1ba6I1Ie which was refused