The Washington times., 1915-12-30
NEW ENGLAND MILLS
RAISE WORKERS PAY
Others Expected to Follow Lead
Of Lowell and Nearby Towns
Because OF Record Year.

|, rDSrON Dcc. 5o--Noticss Of vpgs IN.
rresses affecting many thousand cm-
rlcyes arc posted injection mills IN va
riou= cities of northern New Tncland
This action followed a conference Of mill
trensurcrs held In this city. at whhch II
was agreed that Improvement in GUST
'1css conditions warranted an advance
To operatives.
Cities in which wage ircresse notices
were posted included Nashua. Dover,
Sonersworth. and salmon Fails. y. H..
and lowell and Lawrence. Mass. While
NO specific amount was named. It Ia
understood hero that the advance will
average + per cent for all employees re-
ceivins $40 week or less. The number
Of operatives affected BY the increase ,s
said to be 5000.
The mills ANNOUNCING the Increase
have been extraordinarily prosperous
lthis wear. II Is said. and their treas
urcrs look for still further hisincss
sctivity In 1910. Whother this advance
vii! he followed by general re,diuh-
| meat OF wages IN the entire textile in
dustry in New Fnrland is uncertain. but
other mill intcrcsts arc said TO have
! had the matter under consideration for
some weeks
iHSISdSe NOU1cS HIteT DtTIke.
The first announcement of the pro-
posed advance was made at Nashua.
where the operatives. who have tust
| returned to work after n thrco uonth5
strike. were Informed that there woIId
NO readinstmcEt Of their waren be-
1irn'ns next Monday.
This was followed bv announce n1onts
OF ipcreaand wage schedules at Lowell
| a ,I I..tA E..Ee "a.
~ mill trcasurers was held In this city,
| at the conclusion of which il wns said
that other mills in northern New Eng.
lard. including those at Dover Somers-
worth. and Salmon Falls. \. r. would
| toin ~ the raise.
| Textile labor leaders in southern
| New England cities expressed thr
| opinion that operatives in those cen.
tt<s would refuse to accept a 5 re,
| but would demand a larsCr amount
| Mill men here said that II was not
T, unlikelY that ih" textile interests in
that part Of New England, as woll a.
| those in Maine would follow the &C.
tion OF the cotton mills.
Garment Wage Board.
The Minimum Wage Commission in 4
statement announced that wak,
board for the garment industry woua
| ne orSanlze0 on january 81. The com
missions statement OF wage conditions
was based on the results of n studS
recently made.
The Wage Board will attempt e
| adjust wages SO as to cover tGC
workers cost OF living without injur
ing the financial condition of the In
dustry." it Is announced
The wages Of substantial numb'
of the women garment makers of Il
State are too low to supply the ncc"s
sary cost of living and to maintain tE'
workers in health" the board said.
| PATERSON, y. j., Dec. Ga volun
tary increase in wages. ranging from
5 to 10 per cent effective January .
has been granted to the ! 400 employ
of the Barbour Flax Spinning Cora
pany's mills in Paterson and Newark.
NEW YORK, Dec. 30.-The Unite
States Steel Corporation yesterday tiXe'
SS5 a share as the price at which it vii
offer rs ZOO shares of common stock T.
} employees under the profit-sharng plal
of 1916. Last year the situation wa
so uncertain that no stock was offere
, to employees.
For the year 1914 preferred stock (
the amount OF i2,sS shares was sol
TO employees on a basis Of SO5 a shar
and $3.50 shares OF common stock a
81 share. No preferred stock vii
, be offered TO employees next year