New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-11-27
PART Y.
EIGHT PAGES.

- 10th manufacturing industry
rs eth in its embryonic s'@ee " -. 80
southern banker interesleo ~ - ,ti,,r .,ent1
F9ouI.-- s,o+lon. why said he wl'h'h '"e''S
ms p ri river Mass. will cease to exist as
q cotton manulao'N''-'s ~
growing In its streets -, ,,,. ,e
THAT was fifteen years ego Wheh al nv "'
tsba has been since UP TO the present time me
-eatest cotton manufacturing centre IN the "olIu'
Now the people OF the Border City, as FAN hiVer
a. called are beginning 10 wonder II the phophecy
:, the Southern banker is about TO be fulfilled 10
tA erre the grass is not Yet growing in the city
s+reets hut the great mills upon which the city
very life depends. stopped eighteen weeks ago by
strike resulting from r cut down in wages OF the
orera+f-os are stu Idle. Twenty-Five thousand OF
The thirty thousand operatives in Fall River have
not returned 10 work since they left at the urne
Of the cut down. Conservative estimates nave II
that from ten thousand to fifteen thousand OF the
citv.s population of 1900 have let the city Most
~ these aye ope~atives and will not return. for
those who have not left the country have found
work in other cotton manufacturing cities or great
r. or lesser size and iTPo- -ance- IhoSe OF the
operatives still remaining in Fall River nave lived
on their earnings. drawn steadily week oy week
from the tanks until many OF them have exhausted
their small deuosts and n common with those who
had no money the banks. have been forced to de-
pend for subsistence upon he me4gre assistance
Of syupathetc labor organizations, state ano city
cid church aid that of the Associated Charities
and the Salvation Army.
It IS estimated that the wages OF the striking
o,era+fyes would amount nearly 5000, go week.
Ordinarily about n!nctenths oe this amount is kept
IN circulation among the merchants, the other tenth
representing savings bank deposits. In other
words nearly Sl4 1o IS withdrawn from weekly cir
collation. I'm FAN Rire-. For period of eighteen
weeks the duration OF tha strike to date, this
amounts to S324o0oa. It is also estimated that
$4,000 a month in rents Is tied up and as good as
lost.
In a less conservative city than Fall River the
same amour: Of suffering that she is experiencing
would probably be much apparent. But Fall
River has that enduring spirit born Of Massa-
cLusetts Purttarlcal fathers. Even the large for
eisn element rePTest lrci ii the ranks OF the stTk-
ers partakes Of ii in certain measure The suffer
ing both physical ard laarcial. IS borne without
1aurnur alike by operative and manufacturer. and
both sides have settled dovgp doggedly determined
10 fight it out to the bitter end.
This same thing is trde Of the trades people the
grocers. the butchers. drygoods merchants and
others. They are daily suffering great financial
loss They dare not say no to the strikers ask
ing practically unlimited credit, for to do so would
mean the loss Of much business 10 that merchant
who did So in the time all are hoping for-the end
Of the strike. These merchants cannot secure from
their supply houses the amount Of credit they
ere giving They must pay for what they get.
With little money coming in there is nothing
for Il but draw upon reserve funds. The amount
OF these funds really determines the business life
O. many q Fan RIVER concern. Eighteen weeks OF
this thing is pretty severe test and there
IS to-day many q Fall River merchant upon the
verge Of bankruptcy. while already q few small
concerns in outlying portions Of the city have been
forced TO go ont Of business.
recent development Of the strike serving
greatly diminish the nope OF any settlement in
The near future which tfe merchants may have
held. was the action of the American Federation
Of Labor in session in San Francisco on Novem-
her IS yyhen an assessment OF one cent per week
49,
to about $1,000. was voted for the benefit of tho
Fall River strikers
The solution Of the problem seems yet a long
way ahead. The general feeling of the merchants
and citizens was well voiced by the treasurer of
Of the big corporations affected by the strike
when he said TO Tribune reporter:
Young man. If YOU settle this trouble or
know Of any one who CA, Wen meet you at the
depot with brass bas-1.'
The merchants have tried. and they have failed:
the Massachusetts State Board of Arbitration has
tried. without avail. and Mayor Crime. speaking
for the city. says it can DO nothing without tres
passing upon the rights of the State Board.
In despair the merchants have turned for relief
TO that wtll-o the-wisp. the enactment by Con
gTess OF labor laws uniform In all States. Con-
gresham William s. Greene. representing the
NIIIth District Of Massachusetts, and himself a
resident Of Fall River believes that there is fair
chance Of getting such measure through the
LIXth Congress, and has promised father it and
do ell he can TO secure its enactment. Realizing
however. that such q law makes necessary an
amendment to the Constitution of the United
States with all its tedious detail OF passing both
branches OF Congress BY two-thirds vote and
ratification by three fourths vote of either the
legislatures or special conventions in each State
the manufacturers have little hope Of relief from
this quarter. All admit. however. that this IS the
only really satisfactory and permanent solution Of
such crises Fan River is facing. and Con-
gresham Greene, confident that the LIXth Con-
Fress VIII be favoraby disposed to the measure
proposes to take up with renewed vigor this matter
which has been before Congress in one form or an
other for the last twenty years. But even at the
best, this IS n source from which immediate re-
lief can possibly come. and with every possible
avenue Of relief apparently blocked, Fail River sits
alone in her suffering like Mcawber. patiently
waiting for something TO turn up.