The Connecticut labor press., 1920-11-27
COTTON WORKERS TO SUFFER WAGE
 CUT NEXT WEEK
Twenty Per Cent. Reduction Is Promised Within Ten Days
 in New England Mills.
UNION CHIEF WANTSACTION
Organized Labor Proves Its Stability in Enforcing Recent
 Agreement.

Boston, Mass, Nov. 26.-A cut of approximately 20 per cent. will be made in the wages of the 100000 cotton mill employees of New England within the next 10 days. This was deeided upon at a recent manufacturers meeting held m la this city to discuss the reduction given out other than that the purpose of the meeting was to revise the wages on a downward slant
 One decision arrived at was that the different manufacturers return 10 their respective centers and consult with the local organizations in preparation for. another meeting to be held in the near future. The local associations in turn will keep their members posted on the cuts and any other changes.
 Competition Is the reason given out for the cut The southern n1anufac- turers have already inaugurated a 20 to z5 per Cent. cut in wages which re- duced the selling price of cotton beyond the competing power 9f the northern mills. In Georgia, the mills are run on a 64-hour basis, allowing child labor to exist Here, toos there has been deep be met by the northern mills. is the claim.
 Those who are to be most affected by the proposed cut are the Fall River operatives It IS the intention of the rlufacturers to adopt the new price list on the first of December, but in a recent conference between the Manufac- tuFers' Association of this city and the Textile Workers representatives, 1t was tir1ue beyond the date set for the issue of a new price list. This agreement can only be broken by shutdown by the manuf If they wish to do so. w. Frank Shove, president of the Cot. ton Manufacturers Association, refused to make any statement in regard to the cut proposed by the New England situation in Fall River other than, there was meeting in Boston, but 1t agreed ol nothing"
 John Golden, president of the United Textile Workers of America, was ap- preached on the coming cut and in re ply he said: We wi1lScross that bridge when we come to it. The cut has not been announced yet, and until it IS there IS nothing | can say We never cross bridges until we come to thern-'
 Next week another, meeting of the New England employers Of textile, workers will be called in Boston to further d1SCuSS the cut I he latter part of this week was devoted by the diff ferent employers to local Investigations and conferences. The different locals Yof the textile unions prevailing through out Massachusetts have met for prep arat1on to any radical movement by the manufacturers. However, the business of the labor organizations in regards to the cut has been of somewhat hay nature owing to the secrecy with which the employers are working.
 Some manufacturers are of the opir- ion that a 2 per cent decrease instead of 20 per cent will be necessary. This is expected to be great question for dispute at the coming meeting. The larger proposal is intended for coun- ter-act on the southern wage rates which are in most cases in excess of the New England reduction. The coming meeting and the accompanying results are being looked forward to by all lead ing labor and business interests of New England and particularly of Massachu- Setts. As cut in wages is considered the only alternative to shutting down the cotton mills, reduction, in the wage scale is inevitable. How much of a cut there will be dits receptoin are thoughts which are being eagerly en- tertained by all those interested.