New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1856-10-28
STRIKE or THE SKIRT-UEAVERS

The iouneymen skirt-weavers in this city, TO the
number of two hundred men, met last evening at
Mlleman's Hall in Seventh avenue. Mr. JAMES
SH,REEY. President of the Association presided and
T. Smith oficia,ed a. Secretary. II was stated that
nearly one hundred men in the employment of M-ssrs.
Bates & France struck three weeks ago to prevent
reduction OF their wages. They state that they
empoyed from fourteen to fifteen hours lay, weav-
;ro Simmer skirts at g. - a dozen. Half dozen
was good dsy work and their wages through the
year would not average over - week Each dozen
skirts require .t} yards OF cloth yard AMI quarter
wide TIE majority of the wOrkmen in the employ of
the above firm bad been put to work on Winter
skirts at satisfactory wages; few, however, VINO
were still al work on Summer shirts were told that
their employers would only pay 81 dozen for tlls
kind of work during TIE Winter. InceDsed at what
II ey regarded great Injustice the whole ct the work
men in the employ of Bates France LETT the factory
determined TO do no more work for tlem until they
would agree to pay the cid prices to all OF their hands
VI on al kinds of work.
Mr. GEORGE SHERwIS, one of the workmen, thus de-
scrbed the mode Of doing business in tkis factory We
struck because our employers attempted to make re-
ducton of l2i per ceut upon our pltifu earnings. Al
though this was tried on few merely II
had succeeded il would have soon been el'
tended 10 all This firm is VIGOROUSLY mean,
as | will show During seventeen weeks IN the
wear they Ceduct from each mans pay lO cents
a week fer fuel 10 the factory. Next they de
duct - cents a week for loom hire. From the poor
females who labor twelve or fourteen hours day at
tho stunning wheel for 3 cents they deduct cents
n week for wheel rent and then rob them further by
giving them SO cents instead of lOO cents for dollar
In addition to these extortions they do not pay the
wages when they are dueso netines letting them 90
uptaid for two months or more. Tiey have not paid
half hcir worlmen and there is ill balance OF be-
tween 500 and $500 due to us from them. Instead oil
weaver taking home his 50 or 81 on Saturday night,
he gets 3 or 50 account, and the balance "neh lie
4 ,....t,,, Of nlIsp ra "a
EMPLOYERS keep good company fare sumptuously, and
ride in their carriages. While we pine and sarve,
they are rolling in wealth and enjoy every comfort IN
life.
not work in the factory but keeps hs looms at home,
stated that Il il firm the first to pay spinning girls
at all; they formerly paid by the weavers Ihen,
AZ outodOor wesvers had to pay tor the use of tne
looms their rent their tw inc, and for fuel 70 keep
them warm he did not zee why factory wesvers should
not be taxed for the things asoelse one would have
to work at u great disadvantage. MIR. Morough wa
not popular and his remarks received but little sym
patty.
great deal Of stormy discussion was had about a
motion by Mr.. MoRRoUGH to appoint three men a
Committee to make amicable arrangement with
the employers. The msjority-whlch We were III
formed constituted the employed portion OF the meet
ing-would listen to II, but secuted down. Mr..
NJ said that il the only rational mode OF pro-
cedure At the present appearance OF Things, the
strikers would find their places filled by otheEs in y
few days unless they adopted some such plan. he
said men must eat, and their families needed food.
Holding out for three four weeks longer from work.
with nothing in the cupboard was easy 'heory ~ c"t
difficult in practice. His remarks concurred in
by number of elderly men; but the Secretary
inerposed. He could not stsnd any such motion at
all. The employ ers had ho.ted the blood red pirate
hag-,hey had declared var to the knte-from them
therefore, shonld come the white flag of truce. He
was in favor of breaking down the employers trampng
on their necks humbing them, degrading and crushing
them out until they forced to work at the loom
with their injured fellows once more. file would do
more work at the loom for less than the price asked
foI-aDd he moved a. a substitute for Mr.. Monoughs
motion hat the weavers inform their employers that
they were ready to go to work at any time for the
prices which prevailed during the past year. This
still in progress when rel OTTER left at II p. m.