The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1903-04-10
AH BIG BIG STRIKE !.
Seventeen Thousand Cotton Mill
Hands Quit Work.
WANTED q TEN PER CENT RAISE
whichStWas Refused and tho
Strike Followed. The Cotton
Industry Of Lowell is
Paralized.
) -
Paraltzcd.

big cotton mill Strike is on at
Lowell, 5Mass. A dispatch from that
city to the Augusta Herald says Wed
nesday morning, for the first time in
many, many years, on working days,
the bells OF the mills have failed to
ring onfS their morning call. Streets
which are usually marked by the rush
and hustle Of thousands of people llur-
rying their work, are almost de-
serted aud a stiffness pervades the
mill district. or the seven mills
which have shut down four had prac-
tically no help with which to operate
their plants Wednesday if their bells
had pealed for the call OF labor.
Seven cotton mills closed by strike
of 1900 operatives, who demand a
ten PERCENT increase In wages. -Four
Of the mills Iare in good condition H.
nancially, while the others are not.
These mills are in a combine with the
others outside to keep down the wages.
The operatives are proifered generous
aid FROM the other mills in other cities
and the American Federation of
Labor.fff III
The progressive citizen would be
glad ifi0he mills would go south and
never reopen here. They are the
curse ofsthe city. The nonresident
owners keep out the other industries
by controlling the sites and tile mag
nificentEWater power. The prospect
is for Ia long struggle. The state
board otsnrbitration has tried in vain
to effcctSa settlement and will make
anotleY3 3cffort to compromise on five
per cenf:increase If possible.
In preference to fighting the textile
unions Ehe agents of seven big cotton
mills oHered an entire suspension Of
work foss an indefinite PERIOD These
agents haye officially announced that
a canvass of the help showed that up
ward 9fi80 per cent. were non-union,
and were opposed to strike. This
sentiment changed Saturday, and
when assecond canvass was ta ken Of
the loom iixers, spinners, carders,
napperS, Weavers and bcamerS it was
seen thht:the textile council was able
to fllliiH Its threat and Strike in the
mills. 1aF
WitHout; delay notices of a shut
down, Ito take effect at once, were
postedt ton gates, and as piece hands
conpll nstheir work they were told
TO iIeds}. When speed went down at
noon 81 tnrdaysfully $4,000 operatives
,hal!.esS EeIt forced d.intos idleness. Tie
leng :2f the shutdown is proDleinaLie
cal, 5ouY is likely to last many weeks,
as The nnioas have been promised fl
nanciat support from the United Tex
tile Workers Of America, the National
Mule Spinners' Association, the
American Federation OF Labor, and
from the local trades and labor coun-
eli, composed Of As unions.
Agent w. S. Southworth, OF the
Massachusetts mills, secretary of the
manufacturers Association, says that
If the mill people think that the shut
down will be for fortnight they are
greatly mistaken. 1t will last, he
says, ultil the agents are positively
told that all the operatives want to
work, and when this time comes the
agents will consider the matter OF
reSu mption. President Conroy, of
the Textile Council, who stands as
the strike leader, says:
The action OF the mill agents sim
plifies matters. They have Simply
anticipated us. If they had not de-
clarcd shut. down we would have
tied them up, any way, and they
know 1t. This makes it easier for us
to handle the men. l can't say what
will happen. There may be trouble
yet"
The shutdown will affect primarily
the is, 600 and more operatives. III IL
month many hundreds Of operatives
In small industries supplying material
to the big mills will join the army of
the unemployed, and the longer the
enforced idleness the greater the par
alysis of industry here.
The area covered by the MaSsachu.
Sctts, Roott, Mcrrimac. fremont, Suf-
folk and Lawrence mills is about one
mile in length by threc-cighths OF /,
mile in breadth, bordering on the Mer.
rimac river. The Appleton and
Hamilton mills are nearer the geo
graphical center and are embraced in
an area about half Il mile square. The
product OF these mills ranges from the
coarScSt OF gray cotton to the finest of
dress goods, going through all grades
or print cloths. sheetlng, shirting,
satccns, nainsooks, dimitics, blankets,
towcling, table linen and Silk-warp
goods. The weekly payroll is sl3s,- :
000