The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-11
INCREASE Of PAY
TONEW ENGLAND
MILL WORKERS
Advance OF 5 to 7 Per Cent to
l25,000 Operatives
IN EFFECT THIS MONTH
Announcement Expected TO QuelI Un
rest Among Employees In Big
Cotton Mill Centers

Boston, March 11.-Before the end
of March more than $4,000 opera.
tives in the cotton and wooden mills
of northern New England will receive
an increase in pay amounting to from
) to per cent. The announcement to
this effect which was made Saturday
from the Boston Offices OF mills in
Maine, New Hampshire and Massa.
chusetts, followed the proposal of the
American wooden company to raise
the pay of its operatives in the hope
OF settling the strike in its mills In
Lawrence. Operatives in other large
cotton and WOODEN manufacturing cen
tiers have shown some signs of un-
rest during the past few months,
awaiting the outcome of the difficult
ties in Lawrence, but the promises Of
pay increases are expected to lessen
the probability of new labor distur-
Dances.
In Fall River, New Bedford, Rhode
Island and the Blackstone valley,
where as a rule, the finer grades Of
goods are manufactured, no announce
ment has been made yet as to what
steps will be taken. In New Hamp-
shire the following cotton mill op.
eratives will benefit by the increase f,
Amoskeag OF Manchester, $4,000; Paci
tic of Dover 5000; Nashua and Jack
son of Nashua, $500; Great Falls of
Somersworth, 1900; Salmon Falls of
Salmon Falls, 600; Newmarket of
Newmarket, 1900; Exeter, 500; Pitts.
field of pittsdeld, 200; China of Web.
ster and Pembroke mills of the Sun.
cook company of Suncook, 1900; Mon
adnock OF Claremont, 500
In Maine the cotton mills are: Az
on, Androscoggin, Bates, Continental,
and Hill Of Lewiston, 5000; Barker OF
Auburn, 500; York OF Saco $500; Pep
perell of Blddeford, 1000; Edwards of
Augusta, 1900; Cabot of Brunswick,
600; Lockwood Of Wateryille. 500;
Farwell of Lisbon, 800.
In Massachusetts, the 10000 employ
es of the Lowell cotton mills, the 49,,
600 cotton mill operatives in every
mill in Lawrence, except the Everett,
the 1900 Naumkeag steam cotton mill
hands in Salem, the 2100 operatives
Of the Otis cempanys' cotton mills in
Ware, and the $500 hands of the Park.
hill manufacturing company in Fitch
burg and the Lancaster mills in Gin.
ton controlled by the Parkhill com.
pany. will be among those affected
by the increase. in addition to the 3d..
600 operatives employed in the 80
New England plants of the American
WOODEN company. In many places the
raise will be effective this morning,
while in others the increase viii not
be effective until next Monday.
George H. Hills, president of the
Fall River cotton manufacturers as.
ISOLATION, when asked what effect the
conditions in northern New England
mill circles would have upon the
Fall River plants, was not willing to
be quoted as an official Of the associa-
alton, but, expressing his private opin.
ion said: Il cannot say exactly what
the effect will be on wages In Fall
River. | do think. from what ! have
been told, that wages are higher here
In many departments than they are
In Lowell ! do not believe that
there are many mill treasurers in
Fall River who are able to advance
wages Business has been exception.
ally poor for the past two years, and
while IL is a little better now, | feel
that II is only fair to give us a
chance TO recuperate from the losses
OF these two years"
The trade conditions In the fine cot
ton goods line of New Bedford and
elsewhere do not warrant New Bed
ford manufacturers following the
move of others elsewhere, according
to mill owners at Boston, including
Otis NJ. Pierce, president of the man
ufacturers' association.