The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1907-01-04
WAGES FOR 1907
A General Advance Throughout
New England States
AFFECTS MANY CLASSES
About 10000 Mill Operatives
Will Be Observation-Disclosures
and United States Government
Employees Get More Pay

Boston, Jan. with the new year
the wage schedules of many New Eng
land corporations employing thousands
of persons disappear and give place to
nay lists which provide for substantial
advances. In numerous cotton mills In
northern New England an advance OF
about 5 percent went into effect yester-
day, while in other manufacturing
plants the increased rate becomes OPP
cratiye today. At the same time the
Boston Elevated Railway company,
Boston and Worcester Street Railway
company, the Portland Street Railway
system and other lines will give gen
eral advance to their thousands OF EN-
ployes.
The United States government Will
also take hand in the general move
mont now in progress in all parts OF
the United States. Today practically
every civilian employee at the Charles
town navy yard will begin to earn high
err pay. The advance ranges from oo
cents to So a week. Several hundred
mechanics will be affected. The move
ment to advance wages now IN prog
ress in many industries is almost wholly
due to the increased cost of living.
Among the cotton manufacturing es-
Establishments which advanced wages
Yesterday were: Naumkeag mills, Sa-
lem, Mass, 1900 operatives; Pacific,
n, I, and Atlantic mills.
Lawrence, and Methuen mills, Methu-
on. 10000 operatives; Exeter mill, Exc
fer. and Pittsfeld mills, Pittsfield, N.
H., 700 operatives; Avon, Androscog-
gin, Bates, Continental and Hill mills,
Lewiston, and Barker mills, Auburn,
Me-, 1000 employees; Lockwood mills
Waterville, Me-, 600 hands; Peppereil,
Biddeford, $500 operatives. With the
exception of the mills in Lawrence ana
Methuen. the advance is about per-
cnLt and is the second made Wlthln
six months. In Lawrence, where the
Arlington mills advanced pay ~ per-
cent Dec. "a, the other establishments
will probably pay 71a.
Today's advance will become eHec-
tive in the Amoskeag mills, MancheS-
ter, n. H, employing $4,000 persons;
Great Falls mills, Somersworth, and
Salmon Falls Manufacturing company's
plant at Salmon Falls, and in other New
Hampshire mills. The Lyman mills of
Holyoke, Lancaster mills, Clinton, and
). yeral other mills in this state will
also begin paying the increase today.
During the past two months practically
every cotton mill in tho New England
states has advanced wages from to
10 percent. The general advance eff
fects about 175,OOO operatives
The advance which will become eff
fective on the Boston Elevated system,
which controls the street car lines of
Boston and vicinity, will benefit $500
men. The advance averages 10 cents
day and will amount to S160 a year.
The wages of conductors and motor
men will range from $3.50 to $3.50 a
day, according to the length of service.
Among other employees Of railroads
who receive Increases in pay are the
engineers of the New York, New Hh-
yer. and Hartford railroad and the
freight clerks of the Boston and Maine
system. The engineers of the New Ha-
ven road receive from 35 to 40 cents
day more than the amount paid under
the old schedule.