The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-02-12
BALTIMORE. Feb. g..

70 the Editor Of the WoEKmsmAN's Advocate.
THE HOWE MACHINE STRIKERS.
From . gentleman, has just arrived
in this city, from Bridgeport, Conn,
your correspondent has learned that
the strike against reduction OF wages
by the men in the employ of the Howe
Machine Company is still in progress.
with fair prospect of success, if the
men can sustain themselves few weeks
longer. The business Of the gentleman,
NJ. W. Woodbury., is to solicit aid from
the workingmen Of the various cities he
may visit On Thursday evening he
visited
THE JoURNKYMEN cooPERs' UNION NO. 2,
Before whom he made the following
statement In the month of June
last, the employees of the Howe Machine
Company at Bridgeport, Conn, after
having on several occasions submitted
to q a reduction Of their wages to a
point which compelled them to work
beyond the limits Of human endurance,
to earn sufficient for the support OF
themselves and their families, were no
titled that their pay was again cut down.
Finding it to be utterly impossible for
them to earn living at any lower rate
Of pay, than that which they were re-
ceiving, resolved to quit work which
they at once did, and formed q union
for their own protection, which was
called the Mechanics Protective Union
of Bridgeport, Conn. After they had
been out four days, the company finding
they (the men) were determined to
stand up for their rights, came to the
conclusion to resume work at the old
prices, and asked the men for Gods
sake to go to work. Since that time
the men continued to work, until the
18th of Dec. last, when about four
o'clock or one hour before the usual
time Of quitting, the following notice
was posted up on the doors of the fac
tory: Such is the general stagma-
ton in business, and the difficulty in col
Letting money, that the company have
decided to stop most of the work in the
factory for the present. They will pro-
coed therefore on Monday to take &C
count of stock, and to make several
repairs Of boilers, &c. There will be
no machine or bench work done on
sewing machines on the first and Sc
cond floors and shuttle room after to-
night. We intend to start work again,
on these floors as soon as possible, with
limited number of men. Meantime
we intend to pay the men their dues as
soon as they can be made out.
j. w. Tower, Sec., Co.
/ Dated Bridgeport Dec. 18Th, 1852
"Now it is not to be supposed that
even if the company was poor, as they
hint they were at the time, that they
were ambitious to advertise it in such
manner. As subsequent movements
have shown, the plan was to break up
the union of the men,so that they could
cut down the price Of work. After q
few days the company started their
factory again, employing such few men
as they could, who would work for next
to nothing, and hiring in other words
hands who went to work for $l25 and
81 per day, in the vain hope that even
tually they would have thei: pay raised
to proper sum per day With rare
exceptions the old hands refused to
60 to work upon such terms, and they
are now out for the purpose Of regain
ing the prices which were guaranteed
to them last June. As near as can
learn not more than fifty Of the old
hands are now at work, nor do they
propose to resume work until they can
do so with fair and reasonable pros
pect of earning sufficient for the sup
port of themselves and their families"
Mr.. w. here explained the working
Of the union machines, and stated that q
combination existed among the various
machine companies to keep mp the
prices Of the machines. The price of
manufacturing these machines vary
from seven to fifteen dollars, and they
are sold in the markets at sixty-fve
dollars piece. Mr.. Woodbury. made
stirring appeal in behalf of his Bridge
port brothers, to the generosity of his
hearers, entreating them to stand by
them in this their hour of need. Al
the conclusion of Mr.. WIS ad-
dress, the President Mr.. Schroneck,
said that they were in full
sympathy with their fellow wOrkmen in
all parts of the union, wherever the
iron heel Of oppression, or the grasping
hand of capital attempted to crush
them. But their Treasury was in a
very low condition, being young So
clety their bank account was not large,
and they had drawn on it to the amount
of one hundred dollars to aid their
brother coopers in Cleveland, Ohio, but
nevertheless they would do something
for him. They consequently passed a
resolution to take up a collection on
Saturday evening in the various shops.
THE CIGAR MAKERS 10 THE RESCUE.
On Friday evening Mr.. w. visited
the cigar makers before whom he laid
his grievances. The union donated
fifty dollars, with promptness, which,
under the circumstances, challenges the
admiration Of all good men. They had
already sent one hundred and thirty
dollars to their brothers in Cincinnati.
THE GRANITE CUTTERS FOLLOW IN THE
WAKE.
Saturday evening we paid a visit to
the GraniteC Cutters Association. When
we got to their meeting room they
were engaged on some important bust
ness, and as soon as it was finished we
were admitted to the room, when Mr.
w. stated his case to to the meeting.
The President, in reply to Mr.. W.,
said the Granite Cutters was an asso-
citation formed on different principle
to many others now in existence. They
l. :