Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-10-12
COTTON MEN PLAN
To CURTAIL OUTPUT
Gigantic Movement, Brought
About by High Price of Raw
Material end Small Sales, Be-
gun for General Decrease.

BOSTON, Mass, Oct "a gigantic
movement born of unrest of long standing
is in progress throughout the leading cot
ton textile districts of the world, looking
towards general curtailment of produc-
ton during the remaining months of this
year and in 1910. The principal reasons
advanced for the movement are the grad
ual increase 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 during
the next II months.
RUN ON SHORT TINE.
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 5. y
On September Is, the Arkwright club, OF
Boston, representing 14O00,000 out of H.
GEO. 600 spindles in New England, sent out
to all the cotton mills in this district,
which is second in the industry to Ian
eashire, forms of an agreement for sigma
lures for a curtailment. The investiga-
tons of the executive committee of this
club convinced it that no difficulty would
be experienced in securing the signatures
representing 70O0, 900 spindles.
The proposition calls for the suspension
of work for 224 working hours between the
date of the agreement and August l. 1870
TO become effective when no less than
1000, 900 spindles have been signed up.
REPORTS FAVOR DECREASE.
Reports from different sections of New
England indicate that the proposition Of
the Arkwright club is meeting with an
encoura ging response Such a curtail-
ment, however, is not likely to become
effective in this state in the immediate
future, as many of the mills that will
sign an agreement will be unable to fill
pre- TENT orders without steady running UNI
til we'll into January.
Ile Rhode Island and Fall River man
ufacturers are, as a rule, willing to cur
tail 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 inter-
est in New Bedford and other places
where the operatives have been refused a
restoration of a 10 per cent cut in wages
made in 1903. 1t is suggested that II the
New Bedford manufacturers are in SYM
pathy with the 80 day closing movement,
the effect of a strike in that city would
be partially nullifed.
SOUTH PROBES PLAN.
The c1irtailment has also been taken up
by the southern cotton mill owners. Yes
terday the board of governors of the
American Cotton Manufacturers associa-
ton, 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 pre-
cludes the possibility of the successful
operation Of southern mills. committee
was appointed to formulate curtailment
agreement which every mill in the south
will be urged to signe.
In certain cotton producing and selling
centers the claim is made that the present
curtailment movement is largely an at
tempt to hold down the price of the sta
pie. The officials of the operatives I'M
ion in several New England cities profess
to see in the campaign an attempt to
avoid an advance in wages, but the Of
fciaIs of the Arkwright club deny that
the wage question has anything to do
with their existing plans.
The cotton mills of New England, in
Guiding yarn mills, employ upwards OF
100000 hands