The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-04-06

BY WILLIAM D. CLARK
 United Press Stan Correspondent Copyright 1936, by United Press)
 Hartford, Conn, April 6-CUP)-- The textile industry in Connecticut has been literally taking 1t on the chin for the past five years and only those mills capable of wealth ering the long period of labor un- rest, financial losses and price wars are in position to look to the fu- ture with any degree of maintain ing a healthy survival.
 In the face of general rise in employment in other lines of man. ufacture in the Eastern Connecticut valley, there has been a steady falling off among thS many mills which make up the principal source of income of a majority of workers in this section.
 The United Press conducted a survey of 109 textile and 30 other mills in this region, covering a pe- riod of five years. The analysis showed that textile employment had slumped 8.89 per cent, while other industries along the Thames river and Quinebaug valley reported an increase of 55.33 per cent. The general increase in all lines amounted to 2.32 per cent.
 InduStry's Rise
 General industry's small rise in this region, the center of the states cloth manufacturing activity, was found to be attributable mainly to She comparatively small number of persons employed outside the textile field.
 In 1930, there were 17,82O persons employed in cotton, silk, Rayon. Velvet and Woolcn making, in plants scattered from Wilsonville, near the Massachusetts state line, to New London. At present only 16,235 are working in mills at Putnam, Grosvenordale, Danielson, Plainfleld, Moosup, Jewett City, Norwich, New London, Groton, Mystic and other smaller communi- ties. Figures represent decrease of 1885 employables.
 Indicative of how small 0 part of this sections populace is employed in other industries, 3,770 were en- ployed in general industry in 1880. At the present time 5,856 are on the payrolls outside of textiles, and few were absorbed from the latter.
 The increase of 5533 per cent in general industry during the past five years would seem to indicate a trend toward diversigcation of in- duBtry were 1t not for the fact that the Electric Boat Company at New London contributed virtually all of the increase by raising its payroll figures more than 400 per cent.
 In 1930 mill labor represented 84.85 per cent of the total em- ployes. Now the figure stands at 73.50 per cent.
 Labor Difficulties
 While general industry was pick ing up, several large textile mills at Danielson, Moosup and Plainfleld were closing, due to labor trouble, government restrictions and south- ern competition.
 In these three areas, where 6,190  were employed in 1881, there re- mained today only 3,825 at their looms, Q decrease of more than 60 per cent. Four large plants were completely wiped out and many other smaller ones were seriously crippled.
 Labor unrest was found to have had a COunteracting effect on the NRA. This sort of agitation persists despite the fact that wages range from $4 to $5 higher per person weekly than in the large mill cen- ters at Fall River and New Bed ford, Mass.
 Outside interference of labor was declared recently by Gov. Wilbur L. Cross to have been the biggest factor in the closing of the Lawton