Evening star., 1935-01-20
TEXTILE INDUSTRY
PAY REPORT MADE
Brings Threat of Second
Strike From Workers.
Raise to Be Sought.
BY the Associated Press.


A long-awaited report on wages in
the cotton textile industry yesterday
brought from the United Textile Work
ers a number of fresh demands and
a definite threat Of another bitter
strike unless they are granted.
The report, an exhaustive docu-
ment covering 10 typewriter pages
was made by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics, Labor Department, in ac-
cordance with the terms by which
the general strike Of last September
was terminated. It said 1t found:
Cd That cotton manufacturers in
general were obeying the wage pro-
visions of the N. r. A. codes, but:
(2) That cotton mill workers still
were among the lowest paid Of any
major industry.
The report, sent to the N. r. A.
for ultimate action or decision, was
entirely factual in nature, making
neither recommendations nor conclu-
SionS.
German Attacks Owners.
It brought, however, from Francis
]. German, vice president OF the
United Textile Workers. the assertion
that "it rips the covers from the
naked greed, the inhuman callousness
Of the mill owners and their manu-
facturers."
German had declined to comment
on apparently well authenticated re-
ports that plans and preparations al
ready were being made for another
Nation wide textile strike in the
Spring, but after reading the report
he declared, in a statement:
IF it takes another strike to ac-
complish something more in the way
of reaching the goal which We have
set, we will know more next time
of how to 60 about. that, too."
He added that on the basis Of the
Labor Departments report. the United
Textile Workers now make these de-
mandS":
Reopening Of the codes, for the
establishment Of wages and hours
and conditions Of work.
Wage increases.
Clearly defined definitions between
various grades Of skill, with wage rates
fixed accordingly.
Ask Shorter Week.
A shortening Of the work week, now
restricted to 40 hours.
While the textile workers expressed
elation over the report, there was
plenty Of disagreement as to which
side, If any, 1t favored.
Manufacturers. perusing the docu-
ment, found this description Of the
industry:
"1. Real average weekly earnings
rose with the introduction Of the code.
"2. The cost Of goods purchased by
textile workers rose per cent in the
North and per cent In the South
from June, 1888, to August. 1884.
There was q further increase to Oc-
tober, 1884.
IS. The curtailment of production
in effect from May to August. 1884,
lowered weekly earnings. In August,
1884, the real average earnings Of
males were S to 8 per cent less than
in July, 1888. The real average earn
ings Of females in August, 1894, were
7 per cent higher in the North and
16 per cent higher In the South than
In July. 1888.
~. Real earnings of almost every
worker were less in August, 1884. than
in August, 1888. In the North the
average real earnings declined is per
cent, in the South Is per cent.
IS. The charge that increases in
the rent of company houses have been
used to offset wage increases does not
apply to most mills in the country. In
almost all mills studied there has
been no change in rents.
"6. In some isolated cases rent ad-
vances have been made which offset,
in those particular mills, average wage
increases for the industry"