The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-09
BIG TEXTILE
WAGE CUTS
PREDICTED |
%as Y
Reduction Of % 1.2 PEI
Cent by Eastern Manu-
facturers Is Due.

Boston. Mass. Dec. "a wage
reduction Of 2sh per cent in tez-
tile mills in New England and New
York state was forecast today in a
statement after a conference of tex
tile manufacturers.
approximately IS per cent of the
industry in this section represent-
ing makers of both cotton and
wo0len products was reported at
the conference. The industry en-
ploys 100000 persons.
such a reduction, according to
the statement, would bllng the
wage schedules back approximate
ly 10 the figures that existed a year
ago and would leave the wage
standards generally more than
double those OF 1915.
The present stagnant condition
of the textile industry made consid-
GRAFTON of wage reduction neces-
sary, it was stated.
III, statement reads:
ut is evident from what has
transpired in the past few months
that there has been an insistent and
compelling demand on the part of
the public that the cost of living
should be lessened by q readjust-
ment Of thespr.ce OF commodities
entering into the expense of daily
life. This demand is countrywide
and 1t becomes the duty of all those
interested in industries which ee-
feet Immediately the cost of liv-
int and give consid Grafton to this
subject.
"Manufacturers have been re-
luctant to make any radical changes
in wages. But prices of articles en-
teTing into the cost of living have
! been reduced to considerable ex-
tent. Now that the process OF read
E5astHe lent has op Grated in the wage
searHefs favor, and living costs
ard still further to be lessened IL
the present low prices Of raw ma
terials are reflected in retail COSTS
the manufacturer can properly take
some action to lessen the labor cost
involved in product 0nr
'The refusal Of buyers to pur.
chase goods for the past four OF
Z, five months on high basis Of cost
has led to stagnation Of the mar
kets upon which the manufactur.
ers depend SO that at the present
time many Of the textile mills il
New England have been Obnged t.
shut down; many more are work,
ing on short time, and unless
something is done to remedy these
conditions, unemployment will bt
increased and continue.
! Therefore it becomes the duty ol
manufacturers to consider some
means Of providing for stabliza
ton of prices SO that merchant:
may be put in a position to order
goods without fear of further de.
clines.
I'm order to stabilize condition.
SO that goods can be purchased ant
business be done, it is indispensa
bly, necessary unfortunate though il
may be, that there should be som;
wage reduction. The textile manu-
facturers have gwen careful consid
GRAFTON to every phase of this sit
uation and have taken into accoun
all possible methods of bringing
about conditions whereby theil
plants may be operated without an.
change in the wage scale, but the!
find that this is impossible.
Accordingly, 1T has been sug
gestsd that reduction of twenty
two and one-half per cent will ali
materially in stablizing the market
This will approximately reestablisl
the wage schedule of November
1919. and will leave wages in th'
textile industries more than doubl
the wages of 1915.
| Not Notified.
New York, Dec. 9.-The Unite.
Textile Workers OF America will
"cross that bridge when they ge
to it," John Golden, president o
the organization, said today whel
informed Of the forecast by Nev
England and New York cottol
cloth manufacturers In Boston of
general wage reduction of 22h PIE
cent.
Mr.Golden said no formal notiii
cation of actioR-to reduce wages a
forecast had been received.