The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-03-16
LOWELL
HEARS BAD
NEWS
Mill Agents Refuse Demands
Of TexiII, Unions for 10
Per Cent Alvanca in Wages

Lowell. Mass. March le.-The request OF
the Lowell Textile council for 10 per
cent increase in the wages OF the 2o.W
cotton operatives OF the city has been
refused by the agents % the seven cotton
corporations with regret"
The executive committee OF the council
will ask for conference with the coun-
ci for a direct discussion OF the matter.
and this viii be readily given. In the
msantime special or regular meetings OF
the eight unions comprising the council
VIII Re held during the week and the reply
OF the agents acted on.
The meeting OF the council. which ~
composed OF So delegates. was held -Aess
terday afternoon. and soon after the
president, r. +. Conroy; had called me
meeting 10 order tic letter from the
agents was read by the secretary James
J.. Mcdonald. IL was as follows:
Lowell. Mass, March "A. 1913.
X. n. Conroy, President; j. y. Mcdonald
Secretary. Lowell Textile Councii.
G4ntlemen-Ynur Identical communiea-
lions OF Feb. 2l. addressed ~ the agents
OF the seven principal cotton manDtac-
Rno dseI have receHed Ha the caref at
tention trey deserve You are To consider
this reply AS representing the views or all
the agents concerned.
We much regret the necessity OF again
refusing your request for an advance OF
wages, having hoped that conditions
would Justify n anticipating II. But the
note of the reasons which you offer In
your letters. and will answer them briefly.
1t is true that taking the country
through many corporations have recently
advanced wages, but few OF them are
engaged in manufacturing OF any kind.
and none. To our knowledge. In the tex
tile industry 1t Is also true that the
business OF the country as a whole is ap.
parently prosperous. But the general
prosperity has not extended 10 the mills
Of New England, excepting IL may be In
f.ip 10 Ina kFin ha mn
modern plants and turning out the high
est grades of goods, or. I'm a few cases,
some fortunate speciaities.
afford to pay cannot be paid by the cor
porations of Lowell. the latest OF which
was organized Ga years ago. To your
remark that our mills have all declared
dividends during the past year, we reply
that statistics prove that the dividends
OF textile manufacturing 10 capital are
steadily decreasing. while those 10 labor
certain: to labor they rarely fall.
- That's q general statement hut is
applicable IN this case and may easily be
mills have paid moderate dividends Is not
a reason why they should take action
likely 10 prevent their doing so hereafter
To your assertion that the cost of liv-
ing has Increased 20 per cent, we answer
that 4 you mean to compare the present
conditions with those prevailing at the
date Of the last advance. the statement
is not justified by the facts. When you
discuss this subject you must to be fair
take into account also that the mills are
affected by many advances in the cost of
materials which you do not use. or which
they use In vastly greater proportion than
you, as cotton and coal; and that a com
mcrcial prosperity which does not i'm
prove In full proportion the price of their
products is 40 much the worse for them.
IN addition TO all this, you should con-
slider a fact not generally realized, which
is that. without any public announce
ment. our mills are gradually raising
machinery to produce them, so that our
books show materially higher average
earnings today, than appeared after the
last general advance In the whole wage
schedule.
For the agents OF the Merrimack. Ham
ilton. Appleton. fremont and Suffolk.
Lawrence, Booth and Massa chusetts
Mills.
(signeO w. S. soUTHwoRTH
Sacretary