The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1922-06-03


such thing as a friendly strike
yet the inclination is to regard the
contest now apparently at its height
In the New England cotton mill cit.
les as approaching. 'as nearly as may
be, decorous submission of the is
sues involved to the court of public
opinion.
The issues are clearly enough de-
fined. There is not the slightest
doubt among those who are familiar
with the situation as to why the
thousands Of operatives in the mills
are idle. Yet there may be. even
without taking consciously preju-
diced view Of the mater. some rea-
son to wonder why. if industrial and
financial conditions are as reported,
the employing companies should
permit the stagnation period to
lengthen from days into weeks and
months.
. Perhaps it is not possible to take
an entirely unprecedented view of in
dustrial disputes. The inclination
is to be swayed. one way or the 9TH
err. by sympathy for. the worker
whom one may believe to be op-
pressed. or for the employer with a
record Of years of fair dealing and
considerate treatment of his en-
p1oyes. 1t is therefore significa mt
that in the present instance the ten
dency does not seem to be to adopt
a partison or prejudiced view, either
in behalf of the. workers or their
employers.
Taking "a single unit Of the cotton
milling industry as a fairly repre-
sentative example, comprehensive
brief has been made dealing with
conditions in the mills Of the Amos
keaE Manufacturing company In
Manchester. n. H. The plant is said
to be the largest single cotton mill
in the world. and is he chief indus
try in the little city where it is To-
Gated. The pay roll of the mills. in
normal titmes, ccntaians the names
Of some 100000 wage-earners, who
constitute about one-half the total
population Of the city. Their earn
ings represent approximately $780,
900 a week. When employed they
The trouble arose over demand
by the emplos ers that a cut in wages
be accepted. that production costs
might be decreased to meet compel
ing conditions in southern mills, al
though it is understood the employ
ers have made no direct reference to
this competition. The reason stated
was that wages should be lowered
to correspond with and to induce
further reductions in the cost of
living. Possibly there is'need to cur
tail production costs if this compe-
tition is to be met. Possibly not.
1t has been pointed out by the
Representatives of the idle opera tives
that working conditions as they ap-
ply to hours and wages are prac-
tically the same. all things consid-
cred. in the southern mills as they
are contending for in New England,
and especially in the city of. Man
chester. But on the other hand 1t
is shown that in the south with in
the last 20 yeaers the number of
spindles has increased 100 per cent.
to 100000. while in the north tina
increase has been Al per cent. to
oO,776,O0O. This undoubtedly shows
a definite movemen: toward the
south, but it is insisted that there
has not yet been revealed. any de-
preston, so far as net earnings are
concerned, in the. industry in the
north.
Thus the brief shows that in the
last 10 years the Amoskeag concern
made profits of $30,502.459. which
are said to be almost eight times as
much per. year as in the period from
1895 to 1901. 1t is shown that the
dividend paid in 1921 represented
IS per cent on the capitalization as
it stood before 1907, and that the
capitalization has been increased
from 100000 to s44,50o,00O since
1906, entirely from profits. Even
with this it is stated that the present
surplus of the company is $4,000
600
Likewise it is stated that the
stock holders of the Pacific Mills in
Lawrence, Mass, similarly affected
by strike conditions, received for the
wears 1920 and 1921 more than half
the par value Of their holdings in