Evening star., 1925-01-22
NEW WAGE SCALES
IN TEXTILE MILLS
Reductions Accepted in Near
Y All PIants-0utlook
Much Brighter.
BY j. c. ROYAL.
Special Dispatch to The star.

Special Dispatch to The star.
BOSTON, January 22.-Practically
all the textile mills of New England
now are on a new wage basis as a
result of downward revisions ap
proximating 10 per cent on the
average Mill operations are increas-
ing and plants now are working at
a higher rate than at any time since
last June Just how wage reductions
will eventually work out is still a
matter of conjecture. There is 4
feeling on one hand that the textile
work ers unions have received some
what of blow. on the other hand
it is vigorously asserted that the
unions have been playing the game
and that acceptance of reductions in
dicates no weakness but a willingness
to aid employers to meet unfavorable
conditions.
Although conditions in the last year
IN the New England textile field have
been characterized as the worst since
the Civil War, unemployment at no
time has been as severe as might
have been expected. This was due
largely to decisions on the part OF
most manufacturers to operate on a
time basis rather than to close
entirely.
Much Less Unemployment.
cotton ClOln HlaUuldCIuFSIS Sulltltu
most yet, according to the Mass2chu-
setts Department Of Labor and In
dustries, less than 1915 per cent of
the operatives in the industry in this
State were unemployed the first of
this month. The statement would in
dictate that about 90, 800 of the 111,OOO
cotton mill operatives were on the
payrolls of Massachusetts mills.
This, however does not depict en-
tirely the severity of the depression,
since many mills We're on schedules
calling for not more than three days
work a week.
Earnings under such conditions
cannot be uniform. Officials OF the
National Association OF Cotton Manu-
1acturers point out that wages vary
in different mills and that while the
unions have fixed rates, these are not
always followed. Before the wage
revisions the union scale, for example,
called for S33.75 for 4S-hour week
for loom tixers. Warp twisters aver
aged $3.50, slasher tenders, $31.73;
twist attenders operating IL sides,
$2S.45, and doffers, 1881. for full
working weeks. 1t is probable that
In most cases reductions slashed off
10 per cent from these scales.
Wages Are still High.
Wages stiu are on a relatively higA
basis. Taking the average earnings
in 1913 as a basis of 100, pay advanced
to 26S.77 in 1920, was cut to 20S.3 in
1921, jumped to 235.74 in 1928 and
now stands at about 213. In other
words, present wages are about 10
per cent over the pre-war scale. Raw
cotton has doubled in price and cot
ton cloth has advanced so per cent.
Manufacturers say that failure of
cotton cloth prices to keep pace with
increases in wages and material costs
is responsible for the condition at the
industry at present.
The outlook, business men here say,
IS better than at any time in a year
Wide sheeting manufacture now is
profitable for low-cost mills. Fine
goods mills are reported doing better
than breaking even. The Dartmouth
Manufacturing Co., for example, is
sold ahead comfortably for the first
time in two years. according to latest
reports. Operations in New England,
which dropped under so per cent of
capacity last July, are now proceed
ing at a 65 per cent rate, with further
Improvement predicted.