No, Yes

Last week the spokesmen of 27,000 textile workers of New Bedford, Mass., said NO to the State, citizens, manufacturers. Ever since early April, when a 10% cut in cotton mill wages was announced, the seven unions of the New Bedford Textile Council have conducted a strike (TIME, Aug. 13). The former average wage of $19 a week was. they said, scant enough; $17 was unthinkable. Recently the State Board of Conciliation & Arbitration, the Citizens Mediation Committee, decided to compromise. They proposed only a 5% wage cut. The New Bedford Manufacturers Association agreed. Then the textile unions rejected the proposal by a vote of 4 to 3. Still idle were 3,000,000 spindles, 50,000 looms. Mill workers continued to peddle fish. . . . Then the seven unions went to the polls again. Amid the yells of a blatant minority, they voted to accept the compromise. In the two leading unions the vote was close: weavers, 476 to 386; loom-fixers, 286 to 248.

The 25-week strike was over. Although accepting the 5% wage cut, the mill workers obtained an agreement that any further reduction would be preceded by 30-day notice. Estimates of strike cost to workers & mills were as high as $15,000,000.