The Cotton Factory Times. — 1908-07-31 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

MILL LIFE IN RUSSIA.  WAGES AND CONDITIONS.  A REIGN OF TERROR  The following interesting article is contributed in the current issue of the "Textile World" by Mr. Edward Elsner:—  During the past few years the textile mills of Russia have been storm centres for political agitation. Murders have been frequent, and a veritable reign of terror has taken place. The principal textile district in Russia fs Lodz, a city of 400,000 inhabitants, in Russian Poland. The greater part of the population are employed in the mills. Before the Russian-Japanese war the conditions in Lodz were not especially good, judged by European standards. The working time was 114 hours per day. The wages equal to about the average prevailing in other European textile districts. Strikes were rare, as the Government looked upon these as largely political movements, and consequently suppressed them with great severity. Then callus the revolution, and with it the first strike of political origin, and which had in a large degree the sympathy of the manufacturers themselves. The strikers succeeded, without difficult:v. in obtaining what they demanded. This is-au the beginning of a state of anarchy. in which all discipline in the mills disappeared. In their demands for higher wages and shorter working time the operatives deserved sympathy, but they soon went far beyond these limits. An overseer who did not suit them was unceremoniously thrown out of the mill. The millowners did not dare discharge any of their employes for fear of inciting a riot. Political meetings were held in the mill buildings during working hours. No one dared to interfere with them. In one large spinning mill at Lodz a full set of overseers were shot during one year. At another mill a manufacturer was sitting in his office one morning arisen a delegation representing the operatives came in, fastened the door, and demanded under threat of death the mill-ovrner's sanction to certain demands. After several hours he was released only to be shot dead in the mill during working hours. After this outrage the Government made many arrests, visited severe punishment upon innocent persons, and .finaLly sunk back into the old regime of corruption. The wages in Russian mills are low judged by Amerioan standards. The following are those prevailing in a Lodz woollen mill: Picking TOOllll Headman Is. 74d. per day. Other picker MOTs A nremium• at the rate of Sr. per thousand 1 pounds is paid to the picker men for anything in I excess of 7,2001b5. per day. Wage in the picker room sill average 16s. Bd. per week.  Cardroom : Gard tenter,. 2s. in!. to in. Sid. per day. Each one runs three sets of cards, that is, 9 machines.  Card cleaners A premium of Id. per 1001bs This premium is divided between all the cleaners. The weekly wage averages £1 On. 10d. per week. Spinners A premium of ld. per 100 skeins. Average wage £1 18s. 6d. per week. Defiers A premium of ft!. per 100 skeins. Average wage 13s. sd. per week.  Yarn carriers Spoolers ....... ....... Is. 9d. to 2s. Id. per day.  Dressing room: Each dresser has a helper and boy to replace bobbins. Most of the warps are dresed by hand. • Dresser Helper Machine dressers work by the piece, being paid Irene 2d. to 9W. a section. The price reties with the length of the warp. The average wage for a dresser tender is gl ss. per week. When the dresser is compelled to wait for work to come along he is allowed 2s. id. per day. Warp ~izing.—The wages paid for this work are as follows:  Overseer Helper Reamer Fulling spooler Twisters Finishing room: Sewers that are paid by the piece earn El is. to Li is. 2d. per week. Piece dyers , B. 10d. par day. Wool dyers