Report Indicates Textiles Industry Declines Locally

The New England Governors' Textile Committee, headed by Seymour E. Harris '20, professor of Economics, recently reported continuing losses in the textile industry.

In an annual review submitted to the six Governors of the region, Harris described the history of the industry's difficulties as related to current problems.

Labor, Government, and the textile communities themselves were urged to cooperate with the industry in measures to protect the 170,000 jobs directly involved.

Over a period of 100 years, the report stated, New England's share of manufacturing employment has fallen from 32 to 9 per cent and its share of textile employment from 65 to 18 or 19 per cent. Although the proportionate declines are about equal, the region has suffered much more from the decline of its relative contribution to textile jobs than from the relative decline in manufacturing.

Manufacturing Competition

The reason given for this handicap is attributed to the greater attraction for jobs in other industries as compared to textiles. Despite the reduction of jobs, a textile labor scarcity does exist. Harris recommended a wage high enough to keep workers attached to the industry and yet not so high as to bring unemployment.

Federal activities, both in foreign and domestic affairs, were cited as harmful to manufacturers. Excessive tariff concessions on woolens and worsteds, made at Geneva in 1948, were a factor in the 50 per cent decline of this segment of the industry. A partial compensation for this policy is an agreement with Japan to put a voluntary quota on cotton exports. "Our position," Harris stated, "was that the burden ... of solving the Japanese problems should not be put excessively on cotton textiles."

The committee, established by the New England Governors' conference in 1952, suggested improvements in research and managerial talent. A further remedy was seen in raising salaries in low-wage areas such as the South, "which would help us to compete fairly."