Norwich bulletin., 1922-01-17
.pANELsoN

Ns<sess were pestsd at the -ciiis Il
FgsO cuinSearg company here and at tbs
s.iIIS o. tie Wauregan company. IN Wau-
l1eaz. Monday morning that there w!l.
Dc . reduction from the present wage
Uesie and that the working hours at the
giants will be increased from 4s to 5s
hours each week. effective Monday next.
January -.
TO many Of the hundreds Of operatives
% these two big plants the announce
Hasnt did not come as a surprise, for
eerditions IN the cotton textile field IN
he north have been In such serious
state for many months that it was recog-
Aized that a revision in wages, down
ward might be Looked for at any time.
While the notices do not state any def
mite amount Of the reduction to be put
% force, the general opinion, based on
information gained from apparently re-
liable sources. is that it will approx
mate 20 per cent, gross, though the
actual shThkage in the payroll will be
1bcut 8 Ia per cent. the remainder Of
tbs loss to the operatives being made up
n the seven extra hours per week that
thew win labor
Sharp and disastrous competition from
southern mills ms1ufacturiu the same
grades Of standard fabrics as are pro-
duced al the Ouineoaug and Wauregan
mills Is held chiefly responsible for the
unvelcoule changes TO be put in effect
hire However. there was no alternative
excepting the closing OF the mills, and
The management Of the biz plants II
this territory shrink from that.
IN the south for months past wage
scales cut so per cent. from wartime
Itandards have been in effect, as well as
lonTer working hours. These southern
mills. as has preyious'X been pointed
sui IN this column a re offering the idan-
deal Fonds manufactured in Daniel
ron and at Wsurersr to New York COM
mission rnen at less than the cost. OF
proSuction IN the north. and az the same
tin. the SOUTHERN mills have been earn
t6g o 'FrnatT proet. NaruraIlv. the south
s-u mills have +aA~ eettin- the h',9'uAss
whila the ou'$ raug and v1''lre@4n
plants have co-tinu:d 10 manufacture
goods for which there he's been no mar
let and which have been piled up II
-s=e!uende1s quantities.
J. Arthur Atwood Wsuragan. in who's
hands the destinies Of the two loca
mills rest, IN so far as successful manu-
featuring -a71 sale Of their products !!
concerned, was v,sibly pertur3ed Mon
da1- over the .necassity.. Of reducing th'
wages and Increasing working hours. ~
one regrets more than he the need @
taxing such drastic means Of headin!
out n what Is a serious condition for
northern cotton mills. not on'.' in thi!
vicinity. but as well is every cotton tex
tile center. great and small II the New
England states.
Speaking for TIE WaureEan conra~!
and the .ouinebaug conn7apy. J. A. At
woad said to The Bu:ladz:
The condition in the textile tnduztr,
n New England IS su-ll, owing n1ainlg
70 southern competition where they rll'
lolEe. hours and the pay is much low
or, that the mills in New England mus
either reduce costs or go on short time
Tie south n many pieces has gon'
back to pre-wsr wages and even tn
large manufacturing ceuters IN the sout
are only about 50 per cent. above Pre-
war wages, which at that time war
much iawer than WAGES IN the north. La
nor today N our mills in the north 1