Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1909-10-12
GENERAL cURTAlLMENT.
Gigantic Movement Affecting the Cot
~ ton Industry. - .aa

~ ton Industry. a
A gigantic movement, born Of unrest
Of long standing, is in progress
districts Of the world, looking towards
a general curtailment Of production
during the remaining months Of this
year and in 1910, says a Boston dis
patch. The principal reasons advanced
for the movement are the gradual in
crease in the cost of raw material and
the failure Of the dry goods markets to
respond in a way which would assure
continued profit to manufacturers dur
ing the next twelve months.
In Lancashire the yarn spinners have
been RUNNING their mills on short time
for two months, and recently many
other English mill owners voted to
shut down two days each week until
November 8.
On September Is the Arkwright club
Uf Boston, representing l4,000,OOO out
OF 100000 spindles in New England
sent out to all the cotton mills in this
district, which is second in the indus
try to Lancashire, forms Of an agree
ment for signatures for a curtailment
The investigations Of the executive
committee of this club convinced 1t
that no difficulty would be experienced
in securing the signatures representing
seven million spindles.
The proposition calls for the sus-
pension of work for 224 working hours
between the date Of the agreement and
August 1, 1910, to become effective
when no less than seven million spin
dies have been signed up. Reports
from different sections Of New Eng
land indicate that the proposition OF
the Arkwright club is meeting with an
encouraging response. Such a cur
tailment, however, Is not likely to be-
come effective in this state in the i'm
mediate future, as many Of the mills
that will sign an agreement will be
unable to fill present orders without
steady running until we'll into Janua-
ry.
The Rhode Island and Fall River
manufacturers are, as q rule, willing
to curtail production, providing that
they are not called upon to withhold
goods while outside centers continue
to run in full.
The curtail movement is Of great in
terest in New Bedford and other
places where the operatives have been
refused a restoration Of q ten per cent
cut i'll wages made in 1908. 1t Is sug-
gested that If the New Bedford man
thirty day closing movement the ef-
feet Of a strike in that city would be
partially nullif1ed.
The curtailment has also been taken
up by the southern cotton mill owners,
Yesterday the board Of governors of
the American Cotton Manufacturers
association at a meeting in Charlotte,
N. c., adopted resolutions setting forth
their claim that the present disparity
between the price Of cotton and cotton
goods precludes the possibility Of the
successful operation Of southern mills.
A committee was appointed to formu-
late a curtailment agreement which
every mill in the south will be urged
to sign.
In certain cotton producing and SELL
ing centers the claim is made that the
present curtailment movement Is
largely an attempt to hold down the
price Of the staple. The officials Of the
operatives unions in several New
England cities profess to see in the
campaign an attempt to avoid an ad-
vance in wages but the officials Of the
Arkwright club deny that the wage
question has anything to do with their
existing plans.
The cotton mills Of New England
including yarn mills, employ upwards
of 100000 hands.