The Portland daily press., 1886-02-06
LABOR TROUBLES.
The Lockout in the Bates Mill at
Lewiston.
1900 Operatives Out of Employment
Statement of the Agent and the
Loon-F -Fixers.
Especial to the PREss.)

tASfSs
Especial to the PREss.)
LEWISTON, Feb. 5.-The Bates Mill strike
or lockout, or more correctly both combined,
Is the absorbing topic of conversation on
Lewiston streets to-day. The summary and
indefinite suspension of great mill like the
Bates. throwing 1900 hands out # employ
ment in the dead of winter, is a procedure
that may well agitate and dismay all classes
OF this community which is so largely de-
pendent on mill work. The impression con-
Veyed by the sudden and sweeping way in
which Mr.. Pratt, the agent of the Bates,
met the refusal of his forty-fve loom-fixers
to return to work unless Dalton was re-
instated, by at once shutting down the mill
and putting the machinery in order for a long
rest is that the mill authorities mean busi-
ness and are prepared, or think they are, for
a long fight. The mill hands seem to accept
the situation with equal fortitude.
What the Strikers Say.
As | understand it, the position taken by
the loom-fxers is that workman shall not
be compelled to undertake work which is
forbidden by the rules of the union to which
he belongs. Dalton, the loom-fxer, on
whom this trouble hinges, refused to Initiate
new man into the mysteries of his trade
according to the rules of the loonl-fxers'
union which declares that, no man shall
teach another without the consent of the
loom-fxers' union and the same shall be
Knight of Labor. Rather than to do so he
left the mill. To support Dalton in the posi-
ton he had taken the loom fixers quit work
also and the agent responded by shutting
the mill down altogether. The point of
difference between the agent and the loom
fixers seems to be this; The loom fxers
state that this new man was put on in order
to learn the business and supplant Comp
ton loom fXer; furthermore that the agent
had applied to the Compton Company for
two more men, and that this new man when
he found the situation of affairs wrote to the
Compton company not to send them and for
himself refused to ''scab" A collection was
taken up for him and he went back to Massa-
chusetts.
Mr.. Pratt states that the new man was put
on to assist Dalton because he was an in
competent hand. In reply to the charge of
incompetency, first, the loom 1ixers state
that Thompson, the Overseer, requested Dal-
ton, who desired to leave and had worked
out his notice, to remain, promising to give
ulllt UCUGCI WtdN6IS, WHICH WOulu Insure ullIl
better pay. Mr.. Thompson, they contend,
would not have made this offer had he
deemed Dalton incompetent; second, that
Mr. Briggs, Bates machinist on the Comp
ton looms, says that Dalton has done the
work as well as any man they have had
since the looms were put in there; third,
that Mr.. Rogers of the Lewiston Mills, where
Dalton worked three years prior to going on
the Bates, states that Mr.. Dalton first worked
there as weaver and was an expert weaver,
giving good satisfaction in every particular;
he was so. good weaver that Mr.. Kanada
advised his promotion and he was promoted
Mr.. Rogers could recommend him as a re-
liable workman.
But the loom fxers in their interview with
Mr.. Pratt say they did not assume DaltOn's
competency, neither did they demand, as
Mr. Pratt states, his reinstatement. They
simply requested, they say, that he take
Dalton back for two and one-half days until
the fixers' union could call meeting and
investigate the matter. Mr.. Pratt told the
committee if they would investigate the case
and did not find that Dalton was incompe-
tent or the facts as he stated, then he would
agree to reinstate Dalton on Monday and
give him an opportunity to show that he is
competent to do his work. The committee
in reply, inquired of Mr.. Pratt how they
should convince him that the man was com
petent at his work; whether he would take
the word OF the weavers of Dalton's section,
or of the section hands in the room where he
WOlhOu. 14C lSp10u, blC uAcIS say, uU, llC
should take the word of his overseer. AS
the committee regarded this oVerseer's de-
cisi0n as settled in advance against Dalton,
they said they should stand by their union
rules and quit work. Accordingly they
did SO with the result stated above
The Bates fxers explain their position to
be not that of strike. They have simply
quit work and are ready for a job anywhere
except at the Bates mill where they must be
all taken back or none at all. Their leaving
a M Jfof rs harfff
down, and Mr.. Pratt's action in so doing for
the purpose of an indefinite suspension of
work they regard as lockout as against the
weaVers and all the other hands. The throw
ing out Of so many wage workers however
will doubtless bring the matter within the
eognizance of the Knights of Labor although
no action has yet been taken bythem.
Mr. PrattS absence in Boston leaves the
matter at StandStiH, but when he returns
several committees will wait on him when
their interviews will travel outside of the
pending trouble. They will make numerous
requests among which will be one for an in
crease of pay for all hands and a reduction
OF the hours Of labor.
A meeting of the Knights of Labor was
held at their rooms Thursday evening" but
adjourn to City Hall where a meeting was
held which lasted far into the evening"
would add, by the way, that Mr.. Pratt's
statement as published in the Lewiston Jour
IldI, bIldG bllG Vi loom UAcTSh Ill
their interview with him admitted that they
were in the wrong is denied by them in a
card published in the same paper this even
ing.
In Mr.. Pratt's absence no statement of his
side OF the trouble can be gained additional
to that already published. G.
Agent Pratt's Statement.
Mr.. Pratt said ON Thursday (and this is the
statement referred to above that the prima-
ry cause Of the trouble was the obstinate ac
ton of one man, MI. Dalton, loom -fixer-
in No. Mill. For some time past complaints
have been made to the overseer by the weay-
ers whose looms were in charge of Dalton
that his work was not done properly; that
after he had repaired or attempted to repair
their looms they were not in condition to do
good and rapid work, thereby reducing the
pay of the weavers, and that the number of
looms out of repair was increasing so fast
that their work was seriously affected. I'm
der these circumstances it bee anne necessa-
ry, in order to keep up the work, to put an
assistant in to help Dalton on the repairs.
This was done, and Dalton refused to have
anything to do with the assistant, or to allow
him to do any work in his section, saying
that if the assistant remained he should
leave; and he thereupOn did leave his work
and the mill on Wednesday. On Thursday
morning committee of the Knights of La
Dor and loom-fxers waited on Mr.. Pratt and
demanded that Dalton be reinstated. Mr..
Pratt said that it was his desire to retain in
his employ all who were competent and did
their work well. But" asked he, do | un-
derstand that the Knights of Labor indorse
and sustain incompetent and unreliable
men?" He was assured by the committee
that they did not. Mr.. Pratt then explained
to the committee that Dalton was incompe-
tent and entirely unfit for his work, and that
it was absolutely necessary to put in an as
sistant, as the section was running behind
He further said that he was willing to leave
Dalton was competent or not to the weavers
running the looms in Dalton's section, and if
the weavers said that Dalton was compe-
tent loOm-fXer that the looms in his charge