The Portland daily press., 1885-08-04
the LASTERS.
An Effort to Drive Names Shoe
Trade to Lynn.
Great Feeling Among the Operatives
About the Matter.

Under the head of 1.-THE State in yester-
days PRESS appeared the following item
Some weeks ago the lasters at the shoe factory
at Norway organized a branch of the Lasters'
Union. 1t was done under the guidance of visit
ing Lynn organizers. Last week the Lynn Secre-
tary of the association visited this shop and asked
an advance in prices This advance was granted
by the factory managers.
Investigation by PRESS reporter yester-
day resulted in securing the following in
formation which goes to show that a system
attic effort is being made by the Lynn, Mass,
people, under cover of the Lasters' Union to
drive all the factories in Maine, having
branches, or rather head establishments, in
Lynn, out of this State, to that city.
The firm referred to in the above item is
that of L. B. Bartlett g. Co., which is under
stood to be branch house of b. F. Spinney
& Co. of Lynn. B. F. Spinney & Co. en-
pl0y great number of operatives and those
who are lasters are members of the Massa
chusetts Lasters' Union. About 200 opera
tiveS are employed by Bartlett & Co. The
great majority of these people are residents
of and about Norway; many of them are
widows who own their little homes in that
town bought by their wages have their
children employed in the factory, and all
their associations and friends are in and adj
Joining Norway. A few days ago repre-
sentative of the Lasters' Union of Lynn APP
peared in that town and induced the lasters
of Bartlett & Co. to join the organization,
holding midnight meetings for that purpose.
Then the representative went to Bartlett &
Co. and told them they must pay an adj
M 6xxyor 70 hal fI,a,1
paid in Lynn. The firm showed that they
could not afford to do so and further that
there was no dissatisfaction with the present
wages. To this the representative of the
Union replied that the advance wage must
be paid or that all the lasters in the Lynn
establishment of Spinney & Co. would
strike. The firm explained to the Union
man that there was difference in the prices
paid in the two places because the cost of
living differed in each-being much more ex-
pensive in Lynn,-and furthermore that the
cost of transportation and other expenses
made it necessary to make the Icost price of
goods at Norway rather less than at Lynn so
that both places could stand on an equal
footing. To this statement there was but
one answer, accept our figures or your
lasters in Lynn go out. "Then," said the
firm, you force us to go out of the business
in Norway and move to Lynn" 1.-The very
thing you should do" said the representa-
tive, sis to move your business to Lynn" In
these words was revealed the reason of the
movement Lynn is losing its grip of the
boot and shoe business and wants to force
the trade back into her hands again. In
order to do this the Lasters' Union
is made the lever wherever in Maine
there is a boot and shoe shop that is con-
nected with a head house in Massachusetts.
Among such establishments are those in
Norway, Gardiner, Mechanic Falls, Show
hogan, North Berwick, Kennebunk, Warren,
and elsewhere, employing some 5000 hands,
and paying an average sum to these opera
tives, for eight months in every year, of at
least $250,0O0. Bartlett & Co. employ about
200 hands and pay them about $4,000 week
in wages.
In Portland and Lewiston no effort has
been made by the Union yet, because none
of the firms here are connected with Massa-
sets firms and therefore if the lasters should
strike they could at once discharge them and
replace them with non-union men.
There is a great deal of feeling in this
movement at Norway among all the opera
tives employed by Bartlett & Co., and COM
mittee has been appointed to interview the
lasters who have joined the Union, who
are reported to be very much disguised at
the position in which they find themselves
by misunderstanding on their own part
Uban thav ioinad tha Union -ood ooa ;f +1,a.
viii not sever their connection with that
league and thus enable their fellow-opera-
tives to remain where they are.