The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1915-12-30
NEW ENGLAND MILLS
. RAISE WORKERS PAY
Others Expected to Follow Lead
Of Lowell and Nearby Towns
Because Of Record Year.

BOSTON. pec 30--Nntices OF wpes IN
creaEes affecting many thousand ON.
plcyes are posted injection mills IN We
rions rites Of northern New ENGLAND.
This action followed conference OF mill
treRsurers held In this city, at whhrh II
was agreed that Improvement in busl-
meas conditions warranted nm advance
10 opetatlvcs
Cities in which wage increase notices
were posted included Naahua, Dover,
Sotnersworth. and salmon rails. y. H..
and lowell and Lawrence. Mass. While
no spocihc amount was named. It Ia
understood here that the advance will
average & per cent for all employees re-
celvinK $40 week or less. The number
OF operatives affected BY the increase 10
said to be 5000
The mills announcing the Increase
have been extraordinarily prosperous
This year. II Is said. and their treas
Hrcrs look for still further business
Sctlvlty IN 1916. Whether this advance
VII! he followed by general reodiut-
msnt OF wages IN the entire textile in
dustry In New ENGLAND IL uncertain. but
other mill interests are said to have
had the matter under consideration for
some weeks
Increase Comes After Strike.
The fret announcement of the pro-
posed advance was made at Nashua.
where the operatives. who have Just
returned to work after n thrcn months
strike. were Informed that there would
he Establishment OF their wareu bo-
ginning next Monday.
This was followed bv announcements
OF iDereaaod wage schedules at Lowell
| and Lawrence. and later u conference
OF mill trnasufers was held In this city,
at the conclusion of which IL YVES said
that other mills In northern New Eng.
land. including those at Dover Somers-
worth. and Salmon Falls. N H.. would
ioin ~ the raise.
Textile labor leaders In southern
New England cities expressed the
opinion that operatives In those cen.
ties would refuse to accept rcr
cent increase in case one was made.
put would demand a larger amount.
Mill men hcro said that II was not
! unlikely that the textile interests I'm
that part of New England, as VOL as
those in Maine would follow the &C
ton OF the cotton mills.
Garment Wage Board.
The Minimum Wage Commission in a
| statement announced that a wage
board for the garment industry would
be organized on January 2. The com
missions statement OF wage conditions
was based on the results OF a study
recently made.
The Wage Board will attempt 20
adjust wages SO as to cover the
| workers cost OF living without injur-
| ing the financial condition OF the In.
| dustry," IL il announced.
| THE wages OF a substantial number
Of the women. garment makers of tie
State are too low TO supply the neccs.
| workers In health the board said.
| PATERSON, n. j., Dec. GA volun'
tary increase in wages. ranging from
| s to 10 per cent, effective January 3
| has been granted to the l,400 employs
of the Barbour Flax Spinning Corn
pany's mills In Paterson and Newark.
NEW YORK, Dec. 30.--The United
States Steel Corporation yesterday fixed
SIS a share as the price at which it viii
offer 5000 shares of common stock n
| employees under the profit-sharing plaT
| Of 1916. Last year the situation wal
so uncertain that no stock was offered
to employees.
For the year 1914 preferred stock &c
the amount OF 42s96 shares was SOLD
to employees on a basis OF Sl05 a share
| and 1850 shares of common stock az
ST. a share. No preferred stock vii
be offered TO employees next year