PART III. THE OMAHA UNDAY BEE.PAGES 17 TO 20. JL JL JL JLJ Vx IT A TJLA JLjTjL . ESTABLISHED 10 , 1 871. OMAHA , SUNDAY JTJGHRUATnT 1.3 , 1 8 ft -TWENTY PAGES. SINGLE COPY FIVE CENTS. A BIG SALE IN DRESS GOODS A Eras Goods Trar section Tbat Will Iring Every Lady in Omaha TO BOSTON STORE ON TOMDRROW. Tliu Sudden l-'nlltirei of n XV tv York Joliliur niul ( li < % Imiiirilliitc Snlo ot UN StDL-lv , HfMilfH ' Tomorrow IN A Sn.VSATlONAI , URI3SS GOODS SALE Every yard n bargain. Every pattern and color the newest stjlo. 8,000 yard * for 39c to We jard. tOO FUM , DRESS PATTERNS FOR $1.03. FOR THE ENTIRE 7 YARD PATTERN. 200 exclusive patterns of our awn Impor tation. No two alike. Very high grade materials. Read on for full particulars. $1.00 New Spring Dress Goods at 30 cents. I'liro wool-I t lurh wldn. \\'tl > n WALK &KKC1K In tln new limy nil Mutesras- tiirt , ( ironiiw , cin'Min niul blues , 'Iht'Honru lii'tiutlful now needs for caily tpr tiK.uml > ro ninn- uf.ii'turuil to sell at { 1. Mon- diiy ilUc a ynid , Gormim Cni-crf Clntli 40 Inclii'S wlilc , sti lolly nil wool , In all the. new shnilisof rich Bray for stylish drosses. At suvTliil price , 4yeu yard The so-vprv-Mvllsh-nnw ' In brown , navy and black ground" , bmtiilllul cmiililimtlmiH of colorH , BO much used for skirts , O/i sale at OUc a yard . Extra Special , nou IIXM.nn JVlT7ViKA'S. OuiitalnliiK 7 ynrdsofpuie henrlcttii , sorse mill mixed oovurti , till \\ool cheviots , tufted and novulty goods , I'ucli pattern contains 7 ynrds , all worth OOo yard , on Biilu on bargain Mmaro at 31.08. for the entire pattern. Many novelties of our own imporjation in silk and wool , only one pattern of a kind imported , on sale at § 2.50 and § 3 a yard. Exceptional Inrsiilns In Enc- llsli tU.\XITIi C-MJTJf , 60 IncliL'i uldo. the mo lse-vlceablo fabric In thii 111:1 : rki't today. Manufactured to sell at f 1.00. Our prlou OUc a yard GREAT INDUSTRIAL STRUGGLE An Impartial Study of the Oontest Now on Between Norik aud South. NEW LIGHT UPON THE REAL SITUATION IVhy ami How \cir JCiinIiiml'M Long ? Suiiri'imu'j- the Cotton .Spinning IniliiMtry IH Tlironlrnrcl Ity I Southern C'omiiftltlnii. The present atrlkc In the New Kngland cotton mills calls fresh attention to a new conflict between the nnrch and the south , an Indiisttlal one tills time , hut one that Is being waged relentlessly and with the chances of success Inigcly on the sldo of the couth. There have been eo many conflicting Btatementn as to the real situation In the cotton trade at the present time , so many differing reasons assigned for it , and such radically opposite recommendations ad vanced for its relief , that only by a careful Investigation of furls at first hand can any Intelligent conclusion bo reached. It Is the result of such nn Investigation , extending over a considerable time atid carried on In the cotton maniifacturliiK centers of the country , that has been briefly summed up here. The facts have been obtained from toth manufacturers and operatives , north and south , and have been carefully checked by n study ot the actual situation as I have observed it. A few facts nro everywhere agreed on. Tlio cotton ( rado Is generally depressed , owing to overproduction. 'Finished ' cotton cloth of the rude that serves as a utandard of prices Is set- line for 2yt cents per yard , the lowest prlco ever known in the history ot the trade , Cotton manufacturers are not making money nt present ; some of them are loslnR it. The situation bears most heavily upcii the New K'liKlaml mill owners on account of eoiitliern competition. The southerners liavu certain advantages which they are inaklnc the most of , and they are not dis posed to Join the New England manufac turers In a general curtailment to rclleto the overloaded market , This In the reason of the present struggle between the cotton mills of north and south , It Is Inteiestlng to see what tlio outcome U likely to bo. 'run M\V I.NCIA.M > suit : . LA. Ittvli > tv of < lit > I'roviilllntc Cuinll- tlOIIM , lUlll lilt * ClIIINt'N , Atk any Now England mill owner the roa- eon wliy ho Is not making money and ho will answer , "Southern competition , " Able Mm further why b-JUthern competition U bo destructive and he will tell you tint the BOntlurner'B advantage lies In the employ- on-lit of cheaper labor , In the fact that he la permitted to run his mill longer houru and < hat he U not hampered by any of the labcr legislation wltti which his northern competitor , ( tipcclally In the state of Matsa. clitisotts , U so restricted. That U hU aide of the case. The operative Insists that the difference between the prlco of labor north and south is not 0 great as tbo manufacturer rcprc- eents H , that the New England operative la moro skilled ttan the workman In the. eouthern mills and ecu turn out 20 per cent' moro work la the MUIU length of time , aud SILK SALE EXTRAORDINARY 1600 Yards of Fancy Silk , Black fatin Duchcssci Ohiffon and PcaudoSoio. ON SALE AT BOSTON ST03E X"o Clutter lionfJront theiini - lier of VnrilH T lip re Ix , the I'rlcMWill Jlnkc It A GREAT RUSH FOR SILKS. Taffeta Silk in a large range of desirable shadeslight and dark changeables , bro cades , small' and large weaves , just the thing for ladies' waists , on sale at Black Satin Duchesse , a splendid qu'il-.1 ' P ity , tlie.se are H mm I fully guaran teed , during this sale at Extra heavy and very wide blaek Satin Duchesse aud Peau do Soie , exceeding fine quality and wide enough to sell i'or Mousselin de Soie and Chiffon , blacks and all colors , 75c quality , in silk de partment at Large plaids in Taffeta Silk , beautiful , harmonizing colors , very stylish for Avaists and petticoats , on sale it TROUBLES OF A GLOAIUIAKER Overloaded with foods and Very Short of Money , Tfo Sacrificed for Cash TO THE BOSTON STORE , OMAHA , lliinilrrilw oT IIOKin < JnckcfNf Cctlico , Suit * , \ VlilchVtll tic On Snlc TotmirriMV n ( > One-Thlnl llio Price They Cunt Hint. ; $75.00 imported Capes , $25.00 $16 00 Silk Jackets $5.00 $5.00 All Wool Cheviot JacliCtS , $1.98 $ NEW TAILOR MADE SUITS 50 now spring tailor raado sults'-oith- or in blouse ollccta or rccfor jnckots , in all wool coverts , servos ntul whip cords or mixed poods , many of thorn made with the silk drop skirts , all perfect in fit and finish , from $9.03 to $25.00. Exceptional Bargains in Elegant Jackets- 200 fine imported all wool rough clmvlntjnrlvOts , manu facturer's price Jo , our pilcu. . . . TiJ > OB ' 300silk lined jackets In tans i greens , navy and black , Unit were marked $15 00 on sulo lit A number of imported capes that were S75 , on sale ut Velour Jackets on sale at Our spring silk Waists have just ar rived in largo plaid and checked taffeta sillcfa nnd plain satin duchessc , beauti fully embroidered , all in Russian blouse effects , on sale from 83.00 to $10.00. BLOTCHY BfeeS , FAILED , While tbo Shoos They Ordered for Spring Trndo Were Boipg Mads , BOSTON STORE BUYS THE SHOES , 'Moorc-Slinfrr ' Shoe&ITK , Co. PInlnil The Shorn nnil Sell Thrm tn U At l\n Iitintenne I.OKN To MONDAY THE SALE IS WIDE OPEN. Every man , woman or child that \venrs shoos Is bomid to bo Interested tn this sale. This entire stock made by Mooro-Shafer , the great Brochport shoe makers , makers of the finest women's shops In this coun try. Every pair of thcso shoes was to bo delivered to Dlotcky Bros. March flrst , con sequently every pair of shoes In this sale Is nt the newest and most desirable shades , colors and toes that can be desired. Not only that hut thla stock was sold to us so cheap that wo will be able to sell you your choice of the cntfro stock of ladles' ' shoos at These shoes were made to sell for as high as 7C.OO , nnil among them you will find All the latest and newest fancy vesting top shoes , with scroll patterns , black shoos , green elioes , purple shoes , tan shoes , wine colored shoes. There Is pot a lady In the land.no matter , how critical she may be , that will not or can uob bo satisfied with the shoes \\Q offer In thissale. , Wo ask you to read this carefully , word for word , and compare shoe for shoe and price for prlco with the ; goods wo sell to morrow. \\'e will not only guarantee there shoes to bo of the latest style , of the bc.st ma terial and of the best makes that money can buy , but we will further guarantee that you cannot duplicate any pair of shoes In this entire sale for IQS than double or nearly double the price ( we ask. We will further guarantee every pair of shoes In this sale to give the utmost satisfaction In wear. Wo will sew up'any rip which may happen even six months or a year aftar the shoes have beentoughtj oil free of charge. If there should be n flaw In any pair of shoos , we will give you a new pair free of charge. In the next column , we- will Rive you more details of how the shoes will be sold. BOSTON STORE , OMAHA. * The greatest nnd most progressive , and liberal shoe dealers In the west. BOSTON STORE SHOE SALE The Entire Stock of Shoes Mnda for the Bankrupt Pirm OF BLOTCKY BROS , OF DES MOINES , ( in Oi Snlc > Tomorrmv nt IloMoit Store At Ifnlf Price , nt I.r 1'linii lln I'rlcc ornt yearly llnlf HIP Price , Tlicx Were finite Kor. Sensational Shoo Bargains. On our main floor on great big bar gain squares and pilot ! up on cases nil ever the shoo department , you will find the Bloteky Bros , stock of shoes. In addition to this , wo will plaoo on sale thousands of shoes nnd oxfords re cently purchased ut nn Immense sacri fice from n number of eastern shoo man ufacturers. Table No. I MOO pair ladies' new black and tan f * fn oxford ties , made to | ] U U retail for $2 and $2.50 , go at Table Nd 2 500 pairs ladies' shoes made to retail for § 2.50 and § 3.00 go at Table NO. 3 GOO pairs ladies' line shoes , black and tan , wine and grcon , made to tail for Sl.OOand cvnn up to $3 , go at Table No. 4 700 pairs ladies' new tan , till kid and fancy vest ing top shoes , _ > at Table NO , 5 SOO pair ladies' line hand turn ed , Rochester made . hocf , made to retail at $3.00 , Table NO6 00 pair ladies' 'ancy scroll cut vesting top , nserted cloth top , and plain cloth top , also all kid op shoes , made by kloore Shafer and other fine tochestor houses to retail at $ . " ) and $0 a pair , your choice for SHOES AT BOSTON STORE Nowhere in the World Can Men Find Such Qood Shoos for so Little Money AS THEY CAN AT THE BOSTON STORE Uvcrr Pnlr In AVnrrnntnl niul livery PnJr Gunrntitcetl Solil lly I'm Vnr Atioiit Hnir ( lie Price You Would Pay IMxcn litre. THERE IS NO MAGIC IN THIS SHOE SALE. U Is just simply that the shoes wore bought nt such a prlco nnd In such n man ner that \vo can offer them to you ot the prlcovc do and stll make money. Men's ' $3 00 Shoes for $1.59 1,200 pair men's nice calf shoes in lace and congress , in every size , and every style of too that is worn and a few tin shoos. All of which bet black an.l tan were made to sell from $2.50 to $ y a pair wo will pivo you the choice of the entire lot at SI. 5 ! ) Men's Shoes at $1.98 $ , worth $4.00 On a bargain square AVO place a number of men's line shoes , undo to retail for at least SI , some oust oven more , but wo will you your choice Monday at SI. OS pair , and guaran- oo overv pair to be the bifjpcst bargain in men's shoes over placed on the counter./ Men's ' $5 Shoes for $3 Right horc wo wish to say that no man need desire a hotter fitting or bolter inniK- aior n hotter quality shoe than these which we offer for $3.00. They wcro positively made to retail for ? 5.00.Ve c.in oft IT > ou choice In all the different shades of tan , nnd all the different kinds of calf skin , whether plain calf , hex calf , Harvard oilf or any other kind of calf , In single , double or triple soles , In ( ilaln lining or calf skin lining , and re- pai-dlcss of the fact that they wore made to sell for $ T.00 , we will frivo you choice of the entire lot at 83.00 . that the present depreealon In the cotton Hade la duo to general overproduction , for which a reduction of wages Is no remedy ct all. That Is his end of the story. Be tween the two lies the truth. A few figures will show moro plainly than Moids the present extent and distribution of the cotton manufacturing industry. There tre In the United States , In round number * , 0,000,000 cotton spindles. Of tfacee 3,500,000 O.K ) In the city of Fall Hlvcr , Moss. , whlcn Is the largest single manufacturing center. Theie are aboi't 12,000,000 In all New Eng land and In .the neighborhood of C.COO.OOO In the south. This 5,000,000 represents almost entirely the growth of the past decade. They are chiefly dovotcd to the manufacture of the courser and cheaper grades of cloth. Eighty of the clghty-ono mills In Fall Hlvcr are also devoted wholly or in part to this class of goods. In other Now England towns most of the mills are employed In the making of "odds" or "fancies , " the finer grades of cloth. Therefore , whllo all Now 'England ' has felt the effect of southern com petition , the lines arc drawn most sharp ! ; between Fall river and the south. In order to form an Intelligent conclusion profit , or nt least without losing money , whllo his northern competitor cannot do &o. In the matter of hours the southern mill owner also enjoys a certain advantage. In Massachusetts the- mills are prohibited by law from running more than fifty-eight hours per week. In the south the regular running time , unrestricted by law , Is sixty- six hours per week. Since nearly all woilt is paid for by the plecb It Is obvious that the hours of labor do not affect this Item. The saving to the manufacturer from run ning his mill longer hours comes In what Is known as "flxod charges. " Under this head are placed assessments , taxes , Inter est on capital , the pay of salaried officials and all such expenses as do not vary whether the mill Is running eight hours or eleven. By working eleven hours instead of nine and two-thirds the southern manufacturer Is able to Increase his dally output and so spread his fixed charge. ? over a larger area of production. In other words , the pro portion which this Item forms In the cost of each pound ot cloth is lesa In the south. This may seem a. small matter , hut In n. business where profits are figured so closely stt they are In the manufacture of cotton goods It may make the difference of caus- Al HOMES OF TUB FACTORY WORKEHS. as to which party to the contest will win In the end It la necessary to examine briefly the advnntagcu claimed for each. XOIITHKKN A.\'I > SOUTHERN WAGES. To begin with , the southerner undoubt edly has an advantage In the matter of unges , which are always a large factor In determining the cost prlco of the fiatahed product. In computing the manufacturing cost of cotton cloth the best basis IB found In the cxpetieo of a pound of finished cloth , which Includes about ceven yards In the standaid grade. Figuring In everything that enters Into the price of making , a pound of standard print cloth costs the New Englnnd mill owner 10,25 cents. At 2U cents per yard ho receives for it 15.75 cents. In other words , under the scale of wages In force up to January 1 , he > vus losing money on e\ery yard of cht-ap print turned out by his looms. In this IC.Uj cents about 5.50 represents the cost of labor. In the southern mills the labor cost U from 4 to 4.DO rents per pound for the BJIIIO data of gooJs. The Importance of this single factor at this time can readily be seen from these flgurci. It means that the southerner can make cloth at 2J4 cents per yard with Ing the books to balance on the right Instead Oi the wrong sldo at the end of a year. OTHER SOUTirEIRN ADVANTAGES. Other advantages on the side of the southern manufacturers are cheaper power , owing to their proximity to thn Tennsssco coal fields , cheaper laud for mill sites and lower taxes. It ls likely that these are off. tet , however , by the cost of machinery , which is 10 per cent higher In the south than In Now England , the greater cost ot marketing their goals on account of the higher charges of commission men , and the higher rates of Interest which they are compelled to pay for such money as they need to carry nn their business. It has been often affirmed that the south has a great advantage In having the raw material tight at the doors of the mill. This contention holCa gcd for the coarser grades of goods , which ran be produced from the cotton gronn In the upland districts where the mills are Altuated , Hut In making the finer goods , which require Imparted cotton or the long staple product grown on the coast , the long haul by water to New Eng land Is scarcely moro expensive than the short haul by rail to tbo mill * of the sout'i. On tbo other hand , New England enjoys certain decided advantages which her south ern rivals have not as yet been ohle to wrest from her. One ot theseIs the greater economy with which her mills are conducte-J. It Is beyond question true that there Is less waste in them than In the southern mills. Another Is tha better means for maikotlng the finished product measured by the convenience and coat of transportation facilities. Another Is her firmer hold on the market , ere account Of the fact that slio h < w been much longer In "the trade than lias the south. This consideration applies wl'h moro weight to the mailing of the finer grade9 of cloth , where the value of an estab lished repulntlon and a well known trade mark Is greater than In the case of the cheup prints. Having thus summarized the main points of advantage enjoyed by each of the two iisctlcus , from 'which ' It may bo seen that the south lias a decidedly better condition so far s the production of cheap prints \s \ concerned. It Is Interesting to note what measures the New England manufacture's thojnpelves propose In ordpr to restore their Impaired supremacy. ' TUB MANUFACTURERS' PROGRAM. When the Arkwrlght club of Boston , which Includes nearly all the leading manufac turers , Investigated the subject last Decem ber , the only Immediate remedy they could suggest was a reduction of wages. In ac cordance with this recommendation , a gen eral cut of one-ninth , 1J 1-9 per cent , was ordered , to talto effect January 3 , 18'JS. This was what led to the present strike. Tlio Arkwrlght club Investigators further suggested that to relieve the situation tha MuteachuseUs' flfty-olght-hour law should be repealed , permitting tlio mills to run longer IIOUIH , and that sonic , ot the other restric tions Imposed upon them by labor legislation should bo removed. . It U safe to say that they will have cUIIlciiUy In carrying out this piogram , The labor tinlons will fight aty such measures with ill their power , and they are a force to be-r qkoned with In Hay state politics , ji The labor of New Borland Is thoroughly organized Into unionst ml Is ra'clfpally illf' forent In " - ' of'the " character froin ) that south , Its leaders are ahrewd and conservative I men. They have noMjmpathy with the j schemes of anarchists tin socialists. They have no hatred for their ) * mployors , but they are determined to got the highest price that the market will yield IB return for their labor , and they liavo'inoi ey and votes with which to fight any ho tl < bills that may be IniioSuccd In the le-gtolajure , No matter how satisfactory or alluring the plan of repealing ! exUtrag labor legisla tion may appear to' thoi manufacturers , U Is scarcely worth considering by the outsider If It cannot ho put Into effect. In my opin ion It cannot be done In'Massachusetts. ' What other solution' tp the difficulty Is there which will permit tbp owners to operate their mills at a profit aid to continue thn Industry which has jnada New England rich ? / 1 CAN HOLD TUB TlpJEn GRADES. Not all the mills are losing money. Those In K-'w Ilodford pil < ] an average dividend of 7.3 per cent last ycjr. Those of Fall River , token all together ! averaged a little over 3 per cent. TVio tnllte employed In turning out thu finer grades of goods gav- ' a fair return to their stockholders , It it only tbo older mills nnd tl'iose engaged ir\ \ making cheap prints that have fallen beMnd in the race for business and profits. Some of tha old mills are equipped with machinery that is years out of date , They must he refitted If they are ever to become paying properties aga'n. ' The conclusion of the whole matter Is sim ply thisUen with , reduced wagca the New England mills cannot continue to BIIC- rersfully compete- with the outh In the making of coarse grade goods. Their only recourse will bo In tbo fnd to turn their rt- tentlon to the finer grades In which the superiority of their gUll | , ago and position will for a long tltno to corao give them an advantage. The dcm pd ( or a better grade of print goods Is apt to Increase In proportion tion to the demand for the cheapest kinds , and the New England mills will hove n better chance In this field than in the man ufacture of cloths for which the demand is decreasing , in competition with rivals possessing natural advantages which they cannot equal. And such a move will bo fought by tluj manufacturers already in this line of produc tion , but It Is better for the New Englandf-rs to recognize the situation and to make the moat of the advantages which they still possess than to seek any relief that legisla tion can give them or to be finally driven from tbo field in rout. TJIR SOUTIII2U.V STOKV. Knu < or Jii < lu > Soiilh'M IndusfriiU ' .Strength. In the Industrial struggle now waging be tween north and south In the cotton Indus try It Is most Interesting to note the posi tion of labor la the two sections. At the outset It may bo said that the condition of the cotton mill worker has been very generally misrepresented. They are not starving to death either In New Bedford , Maes. , or In Charlotte , N. C. Most of them are cheerful and well behaved , have good food to eat and good clothcfi to wear on Sun days. A good many of those la New Eng- Engllsh , 35,000 French Canadians , and 15,000 Portuguese. The rematadcr are nntlvo Amcr. Icnus , but they form the business popula tion , and few of them work In the mil's , whllo almost all of the others are so em ployed. In New Bedford and the other cot ton spinning centers the proportion Is about the fame. MIIJj HANDS .NOT NEGROES. People who hear continual reference to the "cheap" labor of the soulti usually imagine that reference Is had to ciegro labor. The eaten operatives of the south are not negroes. They arc whites , natives drawn from the niir- roundlng country ; in short , they are from exactly the same class that first went Into the New England mills thirty years ago. It will not do to ray off-hand that they are Inferior to the New England mill hands. In Ifce matter of Intelligence they do not. suffer by comparison. They are more vigorous , more accustomed to hardship and can endure more. Man for man , too , they can turn out as much work unless It Is In mule spinning , where long experience gives extra skill and deftness. Wages are lower In the south ; how much lower Is a matter of dispute. The New Eng land mill owners claim that the difference amounts to 40 per cent , but a careful ex amination of the most accurate figures to be obtained leads to the belief that this state ment Is exaggerated. The following table of comparative wages has been compiled team a great number of figures gathered In dlffereM mills of both sections and represents a fair " 3 E = TSi 2 ' " WORKING AT THE LOOM , land own bicycles , and eorne have pianos In their homes. They are poor , to to sure , they receive small wages ; few of them are able to save anything. But on the average their position Is little. If any , worse than that of workers In other trades. There Is a marked difference between the workmen of New Eaglauii and those of the south , The former are distinctly a factory typo , whllo the latter retain many of the characteristics of their earlier agricultural calling. Heretofore wo have often aeon and heard American workmen protecting agalret "cheap" foreign labor , but this time It la the foreigners who are raising the outcry , and their protest Is against "cheap" imtlvo labor. The factory population of New Eng land Is almost wholly made up of the for eign horn. The city of Fall River has a pop ulation of about 100,000. Or tola 20,000 are average for each dlntrlet , though of cour i there are slight variations from thU list In almost every mill. COMPARATIVE TABLE OF WAGES , Bouth , North. Loom fixers tS.OOtof.OO $10.00 to2.no ] W ' < iverH c.00 7.00 to S.oo Slafchern 8.00 9M I > rawlnir frames a.oj r.fl ! ) Ciud itrlpper C.OOtoC.Ol C.M ) to 7.M Bpetder tenders 5.rx ) o.M UofferH , b.ickhoyu , , . , 2.00 to2.SO 3.W From this table U will be seen that the wages of northern operatives are about 25 per cent higher than those of the southutiers. In the north mule aplnncro , wdo are the beet paid and most skillful operatives , re ceive about | 15 per week. The figures for this branch of the work are not given for the south , fcr the reason that very little yern U spun on mules there. They are utcj SHOES IN THE BASEMENT 1GOO Pnir Men's ' , Women1 ? , Child's ' , Youth's , Bojs1 and lufnnts' Shoes. TOMORROW-BOSTON STORE-BASEMENT \Voin Mi' 91.00 Minrn for .Ml c / for T.ft'l I.llltt * G for Mir , niul So On. If you wnnt shoos for little money , nnd get lots for your money nnd wlthnl him Rood sliocs for > our moner. try the Boston Store Shoe Department In the Basement tomorrow. Nearly nil tlnvo goods uro oil sale on bnrg.ilu squares. You \vill lincl Ladies' HOn 1 § 1. 50 Shoes for 0 U b Mon's $ L .00 Shoes for Hoys' Shoos for Mines' nieo Lace TRft Shoes j'or I J u Liiilo Gouts' Shoes J'or Infants' ' Shoos Rfl i'or dub Small sixes in Ladios' Slippers , worth * ! . , , go at Ladies' very iiifo Dongola Shoes , in button or Q lace , I'or y blisses' , Ladies' and J Child's Rubber Boots ut ) . Ladies' Storm Rubbers fifto - , a ft < | I for l\s\3 \ Men's 75c Goodyear Glove Uubbors i'or And many other bargains equally na great. i BOSTON STOIti : . OMAHA , ICth nnd Douglas Sis. only on the finer grades of work , of which llltlo Is turna : ! out In the south cs yet Of course the comparative statistics of vnges give no indication of the rolntlvo pros perity of the workers , unkas they nrc taken In connection with the cost of living In tho. ! wo sections. It will be Been from the fol lowing table that , when the weekly cost of living Is taken Into account , the southern , opsrntlve Is relatively as propspcrous on his. smaller wagrs as is the northern workman with his higher pny. The ( Iguits uro com puted for an oidlnary family : South. North. Jti'nt SldO } 2 10 Foul 350 5 00 Totals $1 JO $7 ffl Tills I a lire Into account only the hare necessities , the cost ot clothing being prac tically the same In both section ! ) . When one KOCH beyond thcso Items the situation in dif ferent families varies no much that compari son IH Impossible. In general It may bo talil that the additional rciiirointiiln | of Ilia nnithcrn operatives are greater than thosu of the southerner. The table Is of value chiefly as showing that , if it comes to a pinch , the southern mill hand can submit to a reduction of wages as well as the north erner. COSimilATIVB SKIU * It Is the claim of the New England labor leaders that the Now England hands are moro hkllled and more productive than the southern workmen , and hence that they filiould lecelvo higher wages. AH has been said , this IB probably true of miilo spinning , but mule spinning Is not practiced to any great extent tn the south , nnd Is not under dlccusslon horc. In other tranches of tlio work this "sklllrd labor" argument Is falli ble , as It has proved fallible In many other trades. This fact In whown by the history of the Now Hngland ( owns thcnuclves. At first the operatives were nil nntlvo Americans and Hngllsh. Then came the 1'Vench Cana dians. They were denounced by the work men already In the Hold , and for many years were contemptuously referred to a "tio ! Chlncso of N w England. " Jlut they stuck to their tasks , do'ng ' their work satisfacto rily , and accepting the pay that wta offered them without grumbling. Today they nra employed In every branch of the cotton spin ning Industry , and am looked upon as a very satisfactory class of workmen. When the whaling Industry of Now Ded- ford declined and the town turned Its at- tcntlcn to cotton spinning , tliu Portuguese who had drifted to tliu place from the western Islands , sought employment In the millu. It was a sort of work to which they were unaccustomed , and thuy wcro looked upon as unskilled laborers. They still till the most poorly paid positions , but they nro nhlo to accomplish such work as Is given them In a way that satlsflCH the manager * . The truth la that mwt of the work carried on In n cotton mill does wt require a high order of Intelligence or skill. Aside from mule spinning almost any process can bo loomed by an ordinary laborer In two weeks , So that the skilled labor argument of tlio labor leaders Is not to strccig. Nevertheless , the opcratlvcn are not to to condemned for flchtlng against n reduction of their wages. Thulr pay Is already rela tively lower than that of the southern workmen , nnd there Is force In their argu ment that If they permit the Industry to become adjusted to a lower scale of pay It will bccomo Impossible to rcstoro the old ralo even when the general condition of the trade Improves , Whatever the outcome * of the present strike , unl < s the owners volun tarily restore tlio old stale of wages , It In likely that the approach of summer will sco a general strike among the cotton workers of New England , when the question of a reduction of pay will bo fought to a Ilnlsli. The whole case , as It stands now. nlm- ply goes to show that In the production of cheap cotton goods both tliu manufacturer ! end tbo workmen of the aouth have the best of the situation. , , 13. W , 1IA.YO.