The Savannah morning news., 1903-12-05
CRY OF MILL MEN
xs THAT COTTON's HIGH PRICE
HURTS THEM.
THEY WILL CUT PRODUCTION
THIS SEEMS TO BE THE PLAN IN
NEW ENGLAND.

IT is said That Curtailment in Pro-
auction and a Further Reduction
i'm Wages for Operatives Is the
only Hope for the MilIs-SOuthern
Mills Are Looked to to Enter Such
an Agreement-Min Men Discuss
Conditions.
BOSTON, Dec. 4.-That a widespread
rurtailment of production by cotton
mills in the United States will be found
necessary during the next few months,
on account of the great cost of the raw
material, is the opinion of the leading
mill men in this city, from which the
policy of many cotton mills in the
North is directed. The market for fin
1shed material has been unsatisfactory
for months and prices have not risen
correspondingly with those of cotton.
The cotton mills in New England en-
nlov fully $4,000 hands, $4,000 of whom
have had their wages reduced 10 per
cent. this fall. and $1,000 additional will
suffer a cut within the next two weeks.
matter of great interest in New
England is the project now on foot in
the Southern states to bring about a
general curtailment. A meeting of
Southern manufacturers has been call
ed for next Tuesday, and if a policy
of Widespread curtailment is adopted,
it will have much influence upon the
future action in large New England
mill centers.
Whether or not a general agreement
IN the North to shut off the steam
will be reached in the present crisis is
not known at this time, but it is ex-
pected that if the Southerners decide
on general policy, it will induce
large number of Northern manufac-
turers, especially in Fall River and
Rhode Island, to stop their spindles.
If no agreement is reached in the
South, there is little likelihood of an
understanding being arrived at by
Northern mill owners as a whole, for
those who have cotton do not care to
stop manufacturing while their COM
petitors are turning their usual amount
of goods into the market.
Situation Critical.
Most manufacturers here agree that
the cotton situation is the most criti-
cal for twenty-five years.
Arnold j. Sanford. president of the
American Cotton Yarn Exchange here,
says: The situation is very serious
and the outlook offers no encourage
ment. l cannot see anything but
general curtailment. The conditions
confronting the industry are the worst
in many years. The mills will not
manufacture at a loss. They must,
therefore, curtail production and re-
duce wages. This will result, UNI
doubtedly, in great suffering.
The one thing to be done under
these circumstances to save the Situa-
ton is for the manufacturers to set
together throughout New England, and
the South, as well-for it cannot be
done without concerted action-curtail
production, reduce wages and break
the present speculation by not buying
cotton.
seldom in the history of the bust
ness has it been SO difficult for the
manufacturers and their selling agents
to make terms acceptable to buyers
and consumers. This has been the
cause of the poor demand and the poor
prices. Reduced prices and reduced
wages seem to be the only way to
meet the situation"
CurtaiIment Inevitable.
Several mill treasurers here to-day
predicted that an extensive curtail-
ment is inevitable. Should no general
curtailment in New England be agreed
upon during the winter, it is thought
that only the mills that are financially
the strongest will be able to keep all
their machinery in operation. In Man
chester, N. H., Lowell and number
of Maine points there is said to be a
large supply of old cotton on mana,
but in Fall River and many Rhode
Island towns and elsewhere the amount
is limited.
There are about 1900 cotton mills in
the United States, with nearly ~
100000 spindles. Of this number $40
mills, with nearly 14,500,00O splndles,
are in New England. About 2,l92,0OO
bales of cotton are consumed annually
in the Northern states when the mills
oil