The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1925-02-13


starvation at an average wage which
some estimate as low as $500 per
week, while each worker is speeded
up to an unheard-of pace, practically
doubling the output of each worker
in some instances, while the 48-hour
agreement of the past is ignored and
forgotten and a movement gains head
way to reduce the child labor age linn
it to, fourteen years, each fact was
known in a hazy way to some isolat-
ed person or community, but the total
sickening significance awaited a gen.
eral movement of the workers for
expression.
Cut Much More Than Ten Per Cent.
The full extent of the wage cuts
already put into effect is difficult to
estimate. In many instances the So
called "ten per cent" cuts, prove lin
the pay envelope) to be 1917, Is, 10
or even % per cent cuts. Apparent
ly the employers are aiming at about
thirty-five per cent eventual reduc-
ton, incredible as that may seem. In
how many cities and towns the pres
ent "ten per cent" cut has been al
ready been applied, it is not possible
to judge with complete certainty, but
after four days search l am able
to give tentative list Of some forty
towns and seventy-five mills where to
the best of present knowledge the re-
cent cuts have taken effect
Strike Action Immediately Possible.
AS to how far the strike movement
has spread, now think the estimate
of 5000 is too low. And certainly
these figures do not have much bear
ing upon immediate future possibili-
ties of strike action. The workers in
each textile mill have been doped with
ignorance of what was going on in
the others, and with propaganda of
pettifogging explanations of their in
dividual superintendent as to the par
ticuiar reasons why their particular
mill could not afford to do otherwise
than steal the bread out of their
mouths. 1870 1850
Now, that, thru the united front
call of the Communists, thousands of
workers are beginning to look at the
situation as a whole, it is entirely
conceivable that one of the most ire
mendous strike upheavals may come
about. All of the elements of the ira
ditional heroism of the textile work
ers are still here. There is almost
no organization, but there are the
makings of tremendous industrial
union in the very fight itself
The list of towns and names of mills
are as follows:
Wage Cuts In Massachusetts,.
AndoVer-Smith & Dove Mills, cut
10 per cent.
5ondsvlIIe-Boston Duck Co., 10
per cent cut Dec. 1.
MISREPRESENTATION & johnson, sur
gical goods, cut 10 per cent.
Fall River-Barnard Mfg. Co.'s mill,
cut 10 per cent Jan. IL, weavers on
strike.
Davis Mills, cut 10 per cent Jan.
~, strike on.
Davol Mills, cut 10 per cent Jan.
-, strike on.
Granite Mills, cut 10 per cent
Jan. IL, strike on.
Kerr Mills Of American Thread
Co., cut 10 per cent Jan. ~, strike
on.
Lincoln Mfg. Co.'s mill, cut 10
per cent Jan. ~.
Parker Mills, cut 10 per cent Jan.
IL.
Probably many other other Fall
River mills have cut, and the entire
10000 textile workers of Fall River
are, or will be, involved.
Holyoke-M eric k -Hadley Mills,
American Thread Co., cut 10 per cent
Jan. IL.
Indian orchard-Indian Orchard
Co.'s mill cut 10 per cent Jan. 10.
Lawrenee-Acadia Mills, cut 10 per
cent, late In January.
Everett Mills, cut 10 per cent in
December.
Lawrence Duck Mills, cut 10 per
cent in January.
Pacific Mills (cotton), cut 10 per
cent Jan. rs, now experimenting
with 72-loom system, probably
meaning further 80 per cent cut in
weavers' piece work scale, requir-
ing doubled production.
Methuen-Methuen Co.'s Mill, cut
10 per cent about Jan. /.
MIddIeboro--N m asket Worsted
Mills (wooD, wages not cut out
right, but speed-up system causes
strike now on.
Mlllbury-Cordis Mills controlled
by Thorndike Co., cut IL per cent.
New Bedford-Here the New Bed
ford Cotton Mfgrs. Assn. on Jan. o,
voted to reduce wages in all cotton
mills 10 per cent, to take effect Jan.
10. There are $1,000 textile workers
in New Bedford, and the cut directly
and Immediately affects about $4,000.
Presumably all cotton mills have
made the cut-too many mills 10 list
but the principal cotton mills are: