The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-10-12
Drifting to the South.
From the Portland. Me, Press.

From the POrClaDo, we, IIeSs.
Fall River, Mass, is in haro case,
and it's case may be typical OF condl-
tions in other cotton manufacturing
centres in New England. Some 27,-
600 mill operatives in that city, earn
ing total of $3.50, COO week, have
ceased work rather TIM submit to an
other wage reduction, this time of 121a
per cent, and mill property represent
Ing an investment of S25, OO00, be-
comes idle. A ccording to the manu-
facturers' side of the case they could
better afford to shut down than to run
the mills at loss, ss they claimed
they were doing. They held that,
what with cheap labor in the South.
the high price of raw cotton and
slack market, the conditions we're
all against them on the basis on which
tbey were making cloth, and that
the only possible way to go on was
by reducing expenses, that is,
wages. Already they had tried the
reduction Of output through running
the mills on less than full time, but
this badssnot produced the desired re-
suits and wage cut was the only
resource left if they were to go on.
That the manufacturers were sincere
in their position is indicated by the
fact that ey let the hands go with.
ont any effort to retain them and let
the property remain idle without an
effort to get others in the place of the
strikers.
On the other hand, the unions con-
tend that the way to better conditions
is not by cheapening cloth through
cheapening labor. that the stagnatlon
of The market is due rather to over
production than to lack of demand ;
that if the wages are reduced buyers
will be Quick to discount that in the
price of the goods, and that anyway
they had already been cut 10 per cent IN
their wages and been compelled to
make other sacrifices in the loss OF
time by curtailment Of production, and
could stand no more; that they had
better walk out and be idle altogether
than to accept wages on which they
could not live. Nor is this an unrea-
scnable position, any more than that
of the employers. If each side states
| it's case correctly, both are in hare
DOSIG1ON, duu IL ID iO0AiJ o'AhSoAI ~
see what can be done. Whether the con
ditions are similar in the other manu-
featuring centres does not appear, but
it would not be supposed that they
could be greatly dissimilar. 1t is pos
siole that with the working off OF the
stock of cloth on hand, and with the
settling of the cotton market back te
normal conditions on the harvesting
of a good crop, the manufacturing
conditions will improve. But If presen
conditions prove permanent,
through an abundant supply of cheape
labor and other advantages, the soutl
is destined to win from New Eng
land it's old cotton manufacturing sur
pemacy, it is going to be a hard stu
alton to face. 1t would have conse
quences not pleasing to contemplate
But New England is not likely to giv'
up that supremacy without struggl'
to retain it; nor because of a cottol
strike and conditions that may be onl'
temporary, should the conclusion b.
Jumped at that the cotton manufacur
ing industry in this section is declin
ing. 1t is too strongly established her'
and there is too mnch at stake.