The Cotton Factory Times. — 1909-09-10 (Manchester, Greater Manchester, England)

DEFENCE OF THE WEAVER.  COTTON WASTE IN SEWERS.  OUTSPOKEN LECTURE TO MILL  Mr. J. Sager, of Mrleeton, near Chorley, gave a lecture on "Loom Production and Tackling" before members of the Preston and District Mill Managers' Association at the George Hotel, Preston, on Friday evening. Mr. W. Gregory, J 2., presided. Mr. Sager opened with a reference to the high standard of cotton goods that had been set in Preston, a standard, he said, unsurpassed by any other town in Lancashire, but he now had feelings of doubt—though he hoped he might be wrong— that in future Preston would require to remodel her system of cotton manufacturing, or other towns would outstrip her in the cost of production. He had seen tendencies, he said, in his visits tape few of the mills in the town that the methods used were too antiquated to enable them to compete with some other towns, who had been wise to adopt methods and machinery which very much reduced the cost of creasing. Technical education during recent years had had its influence on the rising generation in the economical production of the fancy trade, of which Preston had I had the honourable lead in the market. The Lancashire trade year by year had been pressed more into fancy and particular goods, and in his opinion this would continue? Referring to a recent statement by a Preston alderman as to weavers stuffing tons of spoiled cotton yarns down the sewage deposits, the lecturer said if that gentleman would place henself in the position of these mentally weak weavers he vi-ill riot only find that they are between the devil and the sea, but also between suicide and forced deception. "I will tell him why. Preston is morally do pendent on other Lancashire towns for its supply of cotton yarns in cops. It is tumbled about by the spinners in their conditioning rooms, afterwards packed and crushed in skips, and again tumbled about in lurries and railway wagons. When this yarn is given out to weavers the cops are not in- a fit condition for the weavers to use economically. The weaver is compelled to adjust or force these cops on the shuttle skewer, and these skewers may not be the corresponding size to the holes through the cop. Added to this, the picks and shuttle boxes on the loom may be seriously out of order, and under these conditions it is impossible for any weaver to-be econOrnical, an very large cop bottoins are made, along with the cops breaking in the middle and 'plugging' off the skewer, consequently about one-hall the cop is wasted. "Now, as weaving is the last department whore all the defects and faults made in other departments are found, the weaver comes in for most of the chastisement, because all the faults are now exposed. So when waste is made tho officials by habit blame the weavers. A weak-minded weaver cannot reason it out, and, is at a complete loss how to prevent this waste. She is afraid to ask her tackler to remedy it, and even if she finds courage to report it, the tackler is puzzled to find a remedy, and oftentimes Completely fails. May. I ask Alderman Smith, as a practical man, if a weaver delivers in a can full of these broken cops to an official who chastises and•fines her for the loss brought about by thp defects named, what would he do if ho was the weaver? If the Corporation of Preston wants a remedy, as all sane people do, let them ask manufacturers to provide the material in good order, and insist on good tackling, and follow it up by teaching these weak persons how to be careful. Then, I can assure him, he will escape from between the devil and the deep sea, and the Corporation will have no more trouble with their pumping engines at Freckleton sewerage farm."