Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-10-25
Mills Of GEORGIA
EXPAND SCHEDULES
ON BRIGHT OUTLOOK

Especial Leased WIRE TO line JouFnal~-Copy-
right. 1871
NEW YORK, Oct. 22.-The cot
ton goods trade was sharply divided
today in it's reactions to the an
nouncement that the Amoskeag
mills. one of the largest cotton
manufacturing plants in the world,
had decided to pass its quarterly
dividend. The statements from New
England which accompanied the an
nouncement laid stress upon the Sc
verify of the textile depression. In
other sections some close students of
the situation profess to see various
other considerations in the move as
well.
According to the goods trade here,
the response to the opening of the
Amoskeag spring ginghams at prices
practically equivalent to those of
last year, has not been entirely salts
factory. Buyers undoubtedly eX-
pected a marked reduction of prices,
and southern mills which have an
nounced their spring Bingham prices
have made these reductions in many
instances.
In the south, the La Grange, Ga,
cotton mills started this week on
twenty-four- hour schedule. Griffin,
Ga, interests have formed a COM
pany to erect new $750,00O mill.
and extended activities are reported
from other southern textile plants.
Hundreds of mill executives, gath
cred at the Greenville, S. c., textile
exposition, report a better outlook
in the industry.
Planned Wage Cut
1t is generally known that the
Amoskeag company has paid divi-
dends in late years from surplus
rather than earnings. This, it IS
stated, is due partly to southern mill
competition, partly to high wages
paid opera tives, and partly to gen
eral textile depression. The company
entered negotiations month ago
with it's employees for 70 per
cent wage reduction, with assurance
of d five-day week. The operatives
agreed to a 10 per cent cut but the
company evidently deeming that saw
ing inadequate. left wages as they
were.
Labor men see in the passing of
the dividend another step in the eff
fort to force a reduction of wages
in New England.
For example, the Arctic and Royal
mills of the B. B. & r. knight COM
pany in Rhode Island, have resumed
on a full-time basis after long
shut down with wages II IL per
cent under the former scale. The
Thorndyke mills, of Massachusetts,,
also have resumed on a siX-day sched-
ule, having deferred an eleven per
cent wage reduction until other mills
take similar action. They had been
on a three day basis.
1t is remembered, in connection
with the passing of the Amoskeag
dividend that the American WOODEN.
company took similar action about
month ago. Irrespective of the
objects which dictated the move, the
fact remains that since that time,
the goods of the leading wooden in
terests have moved with increasing
rapidity, prices have been advanced
seven times on mems spring goods
and six times on worsteds and
worsted and wool combination fab
RIGS. A number of lines have been
sold up and withdrawn for mthe mar
ket Whether the Amoskeag action
will offer stimulus to Bingham sales
remains to he seen.
Competitive Basis Seen
Many textile men, however, de-
clare the call for ginghams at pres
ent is not sufficient to occupy all
bingham mills and prices must be
placed on a competitive basis in con
sequence.
One of the chief blows to the Amos
keag earnings undoubtedly came
when the Tutankhamen vogue for
printed silks and cotton supplanted
einghams in many markets. Reports
from many jobbing centers this fall
state that ginghams still are in re-
latively poor demand.
Although Paterson silk manufac-
turers are still troubled by the strike
which has been under way for some
time, producers cf silk goods in gen.
eral report an excellent volume of
business. Raw silk dealings in the
Oriental primary markets have been
heavy. as have the shipments of raw
silk to this country. In the new
spring printed silks. the Oriental,
Persian and Egyptian motifs have
given place in some lines to the
influence of modern architecture and
geometrical patterns are popular.
Artificial silk manufacturers are
straining plant capacity in some CEN
ters to supply the call for their prod
uct.