Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-10-18
Amounts to Five Per Cent.
Direct and the Adoption
OF Profit Sharing Plan Which
Means Practical Restoration
OF Wage Scale in Effect Before
Cut Down in July, 1904.

Fall River, Mass, oct. IA direct
increase in wages of per cent. and the
adoption of a profit sharing plan
which, under the present market con-
dition should aggregate about Is per
cent. was the answer made, today, by
he Fall River Manufacturers Associ-
alton to the request of the operatives
for Il restoration of the wage scale to
that paid prior to July, 1904. The an
nouncement of the manufacturers pro-
position was made at the close of q
meeting held, today, to act upon the
request of the opera tives made for
mally through the secretary of the
United Textile Workers, about two
weeks ago. According to the manufac-
ture-s the increase will go into effect
Monday, Oct. %.
In July 1904. reduction of 12R pei
cent. in wages was made and a nine
month strike followed. The proposal
of manufacturers not only restores the
old scale Of wages, as requested, but it
makes a slight advance.
In addition to the $4,000 employees
Immediately affected by the manufac-
turers action, today. it is believed
that the plan ultimately will be
adopted by every mill center in New
England as Fall Rivers influence in
the textile world is paramount.
The plan proposed by the manufac-
turers. today, is with but slight modi-
fications, that suggested by Gov. VIM
l.. Douglas, last April, when acting as
arbitrator, he brought about the set
= nf n,
The five per cent. increase in wages
will go into effect, Oct. %. The profit
sharing system proposed by the manu-
facturers is best explained in the letter
to Secretary Taylor of the Textile
Council, in response to one from Taylor
requesting on behalf of the operatives,
restoration of the old wage scale.
The letter follows
"Mr. Thomas Taylor, Secretary Tex
tile Council:
Your favor Of Oct. .. zoos. has been
received and duly considered. I am
instructed TO say that the manufac-
turcrs have decided to advance the
wages of their employees five per cent,
to take effect, Monday, Oct. %, 1905.
In addition to the advance of five per
cent. they have further agreed to
adopt a system Of profit sharing, as
follows
when the average margin between
the cost of eight pounds of middling
upland cotton in New York and the
value Of As yards of IS 64X64 print
cloth shall exceed IS cents they will
pay at the end Of each period of the
four weeks from oct. %, 1905, to all
operatives who have been in their en-
ploy two weeks or more a dividend on
earnings during said period. of one per
cent or every cent the margin shall
exceed Is until it reaches SIS and one
Ealf Of one per cent. for every cent IN
excess of 50. The daily quotations of
cotton and print cloth in the New York
Journal of Commerce and the Com
mcrcial Bulletin shall be the basis on
which said margin shall be made.
yours respectfully,
CLARENCE NJ. HATHAWAY.
Secretary"
AS the market quotations during the
rast few days indicate a margin of SO
between the cost of the prescribed
weight of raw and manufactured ma
{ rial it is estimated that the profit
sharing plan will net the operatives
about per cent, one-half of one per
cent. more than the amount suggested
in request of the operatives.