New-York tribune., 1922-02-14
10000 Strike
In New England
Cotton Mills
Join $4,000 Already Out i'll
Rhode Island in Fight
OF 20 p. c. Pay Cut and
Longer Working Week
New Hampshire Tied Up
State Guard MobiIizcd and
Big Amoskcag Plant ut
Manchester L. Picketcd
Spccln1 pisnotch To rhe 1,lh,,..


BOSTON. Feb. 13.-Morc than 10000
New England cotton mill operatives
went on strike day, forcing mum
Der Of plants to close and seriously
GRIPPING the textile industry. Those
who quit to-day joined $4,000 who
have been out in Rhode Island for two
weeks.
The walkout was in protest against
wage cut averaging 90 per cent,
which, it is estimated, affected half
of New England's cotton mill opcr-
atlves. The reduction became effective
to-day, in most eases. In New Hamp-
shire, where about $4,000 struck, the
strike was called in protest against
restoration of the fifty-four- hour week
in place of the forty ght-hour week.
Lowell and South Attleboro were the
only bay State textile centers affected
by the strike, although 90 per cent
wage cut became effective in the Park
Hill ~,acturing Company mills in
shire was state wide. The Amoskcag
mills in Manchester. known as the
largest cotton mills in the world were
closed, and the Nashua and jackson
mills IN Nashua were shut down. Only
few hundred of the sc, 900 persons
employed in the Granite State Cotton
Mills remained at their benches and
looms.
Thirty Rhode Island Mills Involved
Thirty plants Of various textile
processes in Rhode Island we're in
volvcd in the strike to-day The plant
of the Jenckes Spinning Company, at
Fawtucket, Was one of the textile units
forced to cease operation. This plant
had 1000 employees.
in Lowell about 5000 went out. The
Bay State Cotton Corporation opened
its mills and asserted it had enough
hands to keep the plant running, but
AS the loom flXcrs were out it was gen
orally believed the plant would be
forced to close shortly. The mills Of
the Hamilton Manufacturing Company.
employing 1000, did not open, the com
pany having previously announced its
ihtentlon not to open in view Of the
expressed attitude of its EMPLOYEES to-
ward the wage cut
Ncwburyport reported that both Of
the local mills, the Warner division Of
the Bay State Cotton Corporation and
the American Tire Fabric Company,
were running AS usual. They employ
.o6oIr,ei sumo SIX thousand hands. At
the Warner mill the 90 Der cent ware
cut went into effect to-day. but at the
last minute the Tire Fabric ueople
called off their scheduled readiustment
of wages.
Manche ster, N. H., announced that AS
only a few hundred reported for work
to-day at the Amoskcag and Stark
mills, the agents Of the two mills an
nounced they would be closed indef-
lnltely, as the small number of hands
old not Justify putting the machinery
lii operation
200 Pickcts Parade
Flckets were on duty from the OPEN
ing hour, as we'll as the police, but
tnerc were no outbreaks. Al noon
apouI @oo plckcts paraded up and down
IN .tont or the m'lls. accompanied BY
cautions from the police not TO loitcr
: announcement was made in the Man
cAes'er press that Amoskeag omplovc -
would be paid for the past week at
garage owned by the company. Union
ofhclals have been in session all d,v
under the direction of Vice -prcsjdrnf
starr Of the United Textile Workers
10 direct the progress of the strike
stat'oh plckcts and receive reports from
~ .nc 'at'cr' ne union received word
mat membcrs of the Cancellation board
IN Washington were coming to Man-
chester this week
AdJutant Howard at Concord \ u
has made all necessary arranrements
tor calling out the State Guard. ovan 10
the point of halting tho order for ;te
demohllzation. The dcmobilizat;on
VII be deferred until the striNc is
Harvard Hand" Remains
Wilmot Whitney, n former Harvard
University pitcher. now learning The
cotton industry from the bottom nnH
at the jackson Mills, Nashua. was nno
of the few that did not 20 out A.
whitney is also a special police oficcr
nc feared his going out might he con-
strued as = strike sgainst the state
Maine reported tho wsoo cut as ron-
orally accented and tho mills runninr
as usual.
A. Attloboro. Mass. tho strike OK
tended to-day to tho Home Bleach and
oNc Company plant, about onc-hfth Of
the $50 employees remaining out,
I Iher' WAS some shouting by Che strik
ers at those who went to work. but
nothing approaching y serious demon.
stration developed.