The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1910-04-19
VITAL PROBLEMS
FOR THE MILL MEN
Meeting Called for Next
Wednesday
4 CLASH IS EXPECTED

II j.. stated That some Of the Mills Are
Not Following the tUrtaiiineni
agreement and Many Are Running
at Nigit-Present Condition 80
Leaders Think Demands United and
Immediate Action.
Twenty-eight cotton manufacture
ers in North Carolina have issued d
call for a meeting OF the manufac-
turers to be held in Greensboro, Aprli
IS, for the purpose OF agreeing OH
curtailment II night work.
on the streets of Charlotte today
mill men we're heard discussing the
matter Of night work and curtallment,
and from a conversation heard by d
reporter it is evident that q
warm fight will be precipitated the
minute the subject Of night work IS
brought up. That the situation IS
serious there is no doubt. The call
which is in the nature Of a circular
letter. says, Meet in Greensboro, n.
c., April 10. 1910" and is dated April
IL. The following is the call:
The Cali.
"If there ever was a time when 1t
seemed opp%ortune, in fact necessary,
tor the cotton manufacturers of his
country to meet and reason together
and see if some concert OF action can
not be agreed on that viii improve
conditions. now is the time.
1t is no use to try 10 deceive our
selves or others longer with the de
fusion that We are not overriding the
business, with cotton at present
prices, and that We can continue to
Il without serious detriment or
much loss 10 our business. as trade
will soon come to relieve us of our
surplus StOckS.'
We are simply committing financial
suicide and unless more drastic and
general curtailment can be brought
about, and that soon, not only bust
ness for this season, but that for next
at any profit, is doomed, as we shall
go into the fall too heavily handicap
ped with surplus stock to %intelli-
gently hope for any reliG for a long
time.
We believe a large majority Of mill
owners of the South are Of the Opin-
ion hat the first and most important
step necessary to bring about any
helpful and effective cuTtailment is
the entire stopping of night work,
which we believe to be the greatest
curse TO the DUSllloSS tOudy, ana We
believe it should not only be stop
ped now. but for all time. Notwith-
standing present conditions there are
mills running day and night and pill
ing up goods which can be sold only
at q great loss, and good men are say
ing let US not advertise these con-
dttiOns to the world by a public meet
ing Do not imagine, like o~striches,
that Dy hiding our heads in the sand
our position is concealed, when every
intelligent handler of our products IN
the country is better posted than
ninety per cent of us mill managers,
who distrust and hold ourselves aloof
from each other. Let US face con-
ditions like sensible and brave men
who recognize even in the present
situation 40 difficulties that are in
surm ountable and no evils that AN
not be remedied if met and treated
intelligently.
Some who agree to all the above
say why not try to accomplish the
desired ends through some existing
organiZation?' We reply that some
Of US have tried more thar once in
ef~fectuaily, that others whom it seems
Mighty desirable to interest will at
tend no association meetings Under
present conditions where all curtail-
ment resolutions ignore night work,
our worst curse, and we wish this to
be a conference, not of hard spin
ners,' or of soft ~spinners,' not OF
any association or non-association
members exclusively, but of cotton
manufacturers of all kinds and sizes.
cotton mill owners and officers exclu-
Sively.
Come and let US reason together, in
Greensboro, \. c., on April 18th.
Very truly,
W, l.. Holt, w. A. Mauney. B. S.
Robertson. Fl. w. Lilly, r.. L. Holt,
Lynn B. Williamson, I. H. Webb.
w. A. Erwin, J. n. Williamson, Jr.,
}. W. Williamson, John r. Tolar.
I. ID. Miller, f. @. Moring. Caesar
Cone, Ashley Horne. E. G.. Holt.
). Bryant. f. H. Williamson, Eu-
gene Holt, A. NJ. Farley, Aft A.
'I"hOInDCnn n,~ NJ