The Connecticut labor press., 1919-10-11
TEXTILE WORKERS
 ISSUE STATEMENT
Men on Strike in Rockville Pre- sent Their Side of the Case
 to the Public.

Rockville, Oct. 1O-Texti1e workers on strike here issued a statement this week, giving considerable information about the conditions. A part of the statement follows:
 The textile workers on strike here have been forced by the increasing cost of living to protest by strike against the injustice of living on less than a minimum existence wage while the owners of the mills are making profits from 200 to 500 per cent. greater than before the war.
 We base our case for an immediate increase of g per cent. i'll our wages on the following facts:
 T. First our wages have been re- duced at least 25 per cent. since 1913 by the increasing cost of living. The monthly labor review of March, 1919, published by the United States Depart ment of Labor, says:
 An hours wages i'll 1918 purchased but 79 per cent. as much food as in 1913 and but 72 per cent. as much as in 19O7' (P. 119)
 "2 The profits of the textile man. ufacturers have increased at least 500 per cent.
 "Ihe average net profit of the Amer ican Woolen Company, a representa- tive company, for 10 years before the war, was less than two million dollars Their net profit in 1917 was at least six million dollars, an increase of 800 per cent. net profit. In 1918 their profit was twelve millions, an increase of 600 per cent, and it was recently announced that their stock has risen 200 per cent since January 1, 1919 Stock reports agree that this condition is general among textile mills
 B. The average yearly wage of the textile workers is not more than one7 half of what experts say is living wage
 Prof. w. S. Osborn, expert statis- tician of the National War Labor Board testifying in the stock yard wage hearing on September g, stated that $1,5OO to $1 1,o00 was a necessary mini mum wage for the present generation to assure a third generation and that the minimum comfort wage necessary to keep family from suffering slow starvation is S1 900 to 5000.
 "Only 100 per cent increase would provide an honest wage under present conditions.
 A. Other textile workers are getting more wages for the same work which we are doing:
 T. Rockville weavers get less on low pick work because our machines run 90 to 98 picks per minute while up-to-date machines run from no to 12O picks per minute. On 94-pick work weavers here are paid 381a cents per yard, while in Philadelphia they are paid 47 cents per yard for the same work
 2. Rockville spoilers have stand ard pay of $127O per week. Lawrance spoolers have $14 standard pay and piece work, which enables them to earn SEQ to $25.
 B. Most Rockville spinners have no standard pay and average not more than S25 per week. Standard pay in Franklin, Webster and Carryvi11e, Mass, run from $50 to $47 per week.
 4. Rockville sewers average not more than $21. In Haverhi1l and Pas COag, R. l., the sewers get from SPA to S35 per week.
 These are sober facts and we are asking the management of the Rock vile mills to treat them as such We are ready to discuss them and preesnt further evidence before any impartial body. We are willing to have them acted upon by any impartial body which can command the confidence of the workers. We feel that every fair minded citizen ought to interest him self i'll finding ways and means by which the truth or fa1seness of these statements may be proved"
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