The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-08-28
TEXTILE STRIKE
0UTGROWTH OF
MACHINE ERA
81 100000 = A = Day Walk
Out Directly TraCeabIe
to 0verproduction.
BvCnf'edPress

-
By Cn"ca Press
NEW YORK. Aug. 2s.-Behind
decision Of the United Textile Work
ers Of America 70 call a million
dollar-a-day' strike. involving 400
600 70 $40 900 workers in from 1.I50
20 $500 mills from Maine TO Ala
bama. lies the story Of a SUPER
mechanical industry. hindered by
overproduCtion and the competition
Of cheap Iaobr.
The strike cost in wages is esti-
mated roughly az $1,000 900 a day. II
effective.
The trouble IS older than the 1929
debacle that brought its difficulties
to a head. or the NRA which sought
to correct them. Il parallels the
growth Of the machine age.
Direct cause OF the strike is a
deadlock over the powerful union S
demand that employers raise wages.
lower hours. cure the evils Of the
''stretch-out. and adhere faithfully
70 the letter Of controversial section
Of the NRA, which provides for
labor the right TO bargain collec-
lively.
Violations Are Charged
This section. the unionists charge,
is being violated by mill owners
countrywide
Employers. on the other hand, say
they have observed the NRA. The
cotton textile industry was the first
TO codify under NRA. Wages were
raised 10 sl3 a week minimum for
the north; SD for the south Work
hours OF f1fty-four to seventy we're
reduced TO forty. Child labor was
abolished.
Unions claim that the sI2-s13
minimum has been reduced to So
S9.75 Is answered by the 25 per cent
production curtailment ordered
twice within a year by the code
authority.
While employers point to the fact
that the textile industry never be-
fore enjoyed a forty-hour week,
workers charge the machine load
had been increased to the point
where the average man is doing
more work an hour than ever be-
fore. Labor demanded a thirty-hour
week 70 provide more employment;
capital reported insufficient work
for the thousands already on pay
rolls
Production Is Curtailed
Production, under NRA, first in
creased, then was ordered curtailed
for several months. Continued
apathy IN the market brought the
second CuTtaIlment order last June 4.
Younger union members demand
ed a nationwide strike. Older heads
Of the union. which claims to repre-
sent 100000 workers in the cotton
textile branch alone. refused. The
wiseness Of their counsel was borne
out when mill owners indicated that
business conditions would make the
enforced shutdown most welcome.
Subsequently. the now famous re-
port Of Leon Henderson, of the Rus
sell Sage Foundation, on the cotton
textile industry was released. 1t
contended that under existing con-
ditions there is no factual or stats
teal basis for any general increase
in cotton textile code wage rates E"
The report claimed textile workers
enjoyed a y per cent increase in
purchasing power over 1929. It was
denounced as misleading" by union
officials. who declared the statement
was predicated upon higher wages
than the industry received.
Employment Up 30 Per Cent
Chairman George A. Sloan of the
Cotton Textile Authority, in an ad-
dress. claimed:
A 40 per cent increase in employ
ment between August. 1888, and
May. 1884. as compared with the
similar pre-code period.
The claims left union leaders and
the rank and file in anything but a
pacific frame Of mind.
The union, announcing it was
bolstered by 500 new locals and 100.-
900 or more new members. convened
in New York early in August to de-
eide upon a strike. Southern dele
cations, led by the group from Ala
bama, where a cotton textile strike
was a month old, demanded SYM
pathetic action.
Now Is Time for Action
Leaders. prophesying that 100000
workers would answer the call, de-
clared that now is the time for
action" Delegates answered by is
suing a mandate to their executive
council TO call out cotton workers
before Sept. l. The other divisions
subsequently were ordered out in
sympathy.
A five-man board Of strategy was
appointed. headed by Vice-President
Francis J. German Strike head
quarters were established at Wash
ington. and in various regions where
the industry is strong. Leaders con-
fidently hoped for mediation in the
threatened strike. but this week that
hope faded and the strike was set
for Sept. l. or sooner.
Mil owners frankly are apprehen-
sive. A strike on Sept. l will find at
least LOO cotton textile mills. ready
to begin heavy winter production.
closed down. Should the other
branches walk out IN sympathy. the
nationwide strike would involve al
most 700 wooden and worsted estab-
nshments and more than l.400 silk,
rayon and throwing mills.