New-York tribune., 1919-05-04
Cotton Mills of
New England Are
Spinning Merrily
Labor Problems Straight
ening Out With the Re-
turn of Service Men
Active Season Predicted
Business NelUs Bureau
Special CORRESPONDENCE

NEW BEDFORD, Mass, May g.
New England manufacturers of cotton
goods are looking forward to a summer
and fall season of unusual activity. 1t
may be said that the industry is once
more on"the verge of prosperity, with
sufficient evidence to support this view
in the form of rejected orders, full
running time and no idle spindies, and,
as a more remote index, the activity
and high prices of mill shares. The
resumption of business on a capacity
scale is pretty general throughout New
England, in spite of strike troubles,
notably in Lawrence and small Maine
mills. Some difficulty in bringing
working organizations up to full
strength in various places is reported,
although with soldiers and sailors re-
turning daily solution of the problem
is in sight.
Mills Rejecting Orders
The mills are beginning to reject
orders unless they are satisfactory IN
price and time of delivery, new ex-
perience in the last few weeks. Pass
age of the ty-eight hour law by the
MASSACHUSETTS
its expected adoption in other New
England states is not so serious as 1T
appears on the face of it, as nearly
all mills in the larger textile centres
granted a forty eight-hour week early
in the year long before the bill was
passed, thus bringing their organiza-
tons under the new schedule in slack
times and with little noticeable et-
feet.
But the fact that this transition was
so easy may now bring forth be-
lated corollary. When the week S
schedule was reduced from ffty-four
hours Gin most cases) to forty eight,
wages were reduced proportionately
The question of the pay envelope was
not raised generally, although it was
in everybodys mind last winter. Now
the operatives in most of the textile
centres profess that wage solutions
we're merely held in allegiance until bet
ter times. These times have now
started, they argue, and the time Tor
readjustment has come.
Lawrence Operators Ask Raise
In Lawrence the operatives have
come forward and said that they wish
higher pay, pointing to the tact that
they have been loyal to the mills on
reduced wages throughout hard times
Mnlje Ine IOTelSU FOIhSlS haNS OCSiA
out OF strike. In Fall River and else
where preliminary conferences have
been held between agents and union
officials. Although there has been
no definite action anywhere, ell mill
centres have reported agitation on the
part of operatives for revised wages,
now that the mills are again entering
upon better business conditions.
Just what effect all this will have on
the price of cotton cloths and yarns is
problematical at the best. But with
New England manufacturers greatly
concerned over the agitation for re-
ducton in the South's cotton acreage
and the handicap of shorter hours
than the Southern mills, it seems that
any increase IN wages that may come
on ton Of these grievances must be re-
fected in a corresponding rise in prices
of products OF the mills. In spite Of
all, however, the New England manu-
facturers are optimistic. because they
believe nothing can dim the present in
dctions of prosperity