The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1924-11-10
SOUP KITCHENS,
Bread Lines IN
TEXTILE Center
Expect COP. Prosper
lily for Fall RiUer, Mass.
By ART SHIELDS

Moderated Press stan Correspondent.1
FALL RIVER, Mass, Nov. 9.
There were bread lines and
soup kitchens In Fall River last
winter: bread lines and soup
Kitchens are the prospect
again the coming winter in this
textile city of 100000 spindles.
The industrial depression fell
on Fall River fifteen months
ago. In other New England cot
ton cities unemployment aver
ages fifty per cent.
Suffering Is Widespread.
In Fall River the ratio is two thirds,
IN other cotton cities the unemployed
nd destitute got assistance from
friends and national clubs. In Fall
liver the suffering is so widespread
nat the city has had to spend more
taan half million dollars already this
year on poor relief.
walk thru the department stores Of
Fall River Saturday night when trade
should he lively and you see clerks
standing around waiting for the Gus
toners who are few and far between.
FAN River is perhaps the most glar-
ing example Of republican "prosperi-
ty" in the country. It is an old man
ufacturing city. dating back to the be-
ginning Of machine production in this
country. It's industry is protected"
Yet the workers are hungry-in acute
distress-and there is no good reason
to believe that conditions will improve
this winter materially.
Wages Less in South.
Fall River mills specialize on the
ooarser cotton print goods. This is
the field affected most by southern
competition and Fall River, according
~, is harder hit than any other New
England city by this rivalry. Recent
ly, the Newburyport and Pawtucket
mills have gone south and the big
American Printing company is about
to erect plants in the same region.
Hours range from So to so in the south
and wages are several cents an hour
1ess-smal as they are in the north.
The American Federation Of Textile
Operatives, a conservative independ-
ent union, run on the craft council
basis, has considerable membership
IN Fall River, also in New Bedford,
Salem and several other New Eng
land towns. But, unfortunately for it.
self, It has no connection with the
southern industry. It's Fall River
members are mostly out Of work to-
day. During the 1922 strike this I'M
ion did not attempt to pull out the
mills in Fall River or its twin city,
New Bedford, while the mills across
the Rhode Island border were shut
down by the United Textile Workers
Union and the Amalgamated Textile
Workers Union. But the Fall River
and New Bedford unionists did con-
tribute thousands of dollars to help
the strikers.
Monsignor James r. Cassidy,
prominent Catholic priest, spoke from
the pulpit against a proposal Of Will
lam L. S. Brayton, treasurer Of the
Sycamore Manufacturing company to
lengthen hours and cut wages for the
alleged purpose Of meeting southern
competition. Cassidy told the people
that inefiiciency OF management is the
greatest trouble with the Fall River
mills.
Opposes Undertakes.
I'VE want mill conductors, and not
mill undertakers," said the priest.
The Brayton family is one Of several
in Fall River that have inherited their
mill properties from generations be-
fore. But hereditary ownership and
efficiency have not gone hand in hand
ct Fall River.