Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1879-06-27
THE FALL RIVER STRIKE.
The PriyatiOn and Losses that il Will
lnflict.


A Fall River letter to the Providence
Journal, June Is, says: During the
time the agitation about the strike has
continued the more provident among
the operatives have been making pre-
parations. Some of the spinners in
the committeeman to-day were telling
that they had got two or three barrels
of flour in reserve, and they were ac-
quainted with many of their members
who had been doing the same thing.
1t was surprising to find how calmly,
yet confidently, they viewed the affair,
and il there were not another aspect of
the case one might be disposed to re-
gard the contest with comparative in
difference.
The number of spinners in COMPARE
son with the total number of opera
tives is small. 1t is said that the total
number of mules in the city will furnish
employment to eight hundred and
ninety-six spinners, and it is estimated
that there are in addition to the "regu-
lar" spinners about two hundred "sick"
spinners. These latter are spinners
who are in attendance at the various
mills ready to serve as substitutes for
the regular spinners, who may be alb
sent from their work through sickness
or from any other cause. The num-
Der of spinners belonging to the union
is said to be at the present time about
eight hundred. In two mills belonging
to one corporation there are very few
union men, but it is said that they will
also tender their notices tomorrow with
the others.
Had five mills only been struck, it is
not probable that the wide cloth mills
would have been included in the lock-
out combination of the manufacturers;
but the resolution to strike includes
these with others. OF course this will
make it much worse for the local trad
ers. The secretary, however, says that
he does not think that there is very
strong feeling in regard to the wide
mills, and if the spinners employed in
them manifest any reluctance to strike,
the wide cloth mills would be very
much disturbed about the matter.
Both spinners and manufacturers
calculate that the strike is sure to last
two months, though it is Impossible to
see how most of the employees outside
the spinning department can endure
that long. Of course many Of them
will be compelled to apply to the city
for aid, and already the mayor and the
clerk Of the board of overseers of the
poor appear to be disconnected, in view
Of the alarming condition into which
many families must be plunged.
There is no change in the attitude of
the manufacturers. The thought of
yielding does not occur to them. They
refer to Lowell, Lawrence and other
places where strikes are almost unheard
of, and where no union among the ope-
ratives in any department exists, and
our manufacturers claim that they can
not compete with those places so long
MS they are handicapped by the condi-
tons powerful trades-unon would
impose upon them. Their objection to
meet representatives of the Spinners'
union, or consent to arbitration, is that
it would tend TO the building up of the
Spinners' union, and while none Of their
competitors are subject to terms inn
posed by such n combination of their
workmen, the union would make them
carry weight that would handicap
them out Of the race. If they allow the
union to get fairly astrlde of them, they,
like the over-weighted Parole, will be
"unplaced."
The manufacturers may be mistaken
in their opinion in this matter, but new
ertheless, this is how they regard it, and
their objection to recognizing the Spin
ners' union by an official interview, or
by arbitration, is solely on this ground.
They put it thus: "Would it be safe to
place ourselves absolutely in the power
of the Spinners' union? To yield to the
demand of the union would be practi-
cally to place the reins of management
OF our manufacturing interests into the
hands of the Spnners' union, and we
cannot afford to do that"
s-
You are walking through forest.
n,,