Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-03-01


at last decided to draw a petition respect .
fully asking for an increase of ten per cent. .
in wages and 10 receive their money every
two weeks. The petition was prepared al
some leuEth. 1t set forth that rs the men |
had at all times stood by the company and .
in view OF the returning prosperity and good
times all over the country, they considered
themselves justihed in asking an increase of
wages.
\ committee of the wurkiegmen in the .
shop were deputized To present the petition
to the officers Of the company and Respect
fully call their attention. This was done.
No immediate reply was made by the Off
GERS Of the company 10 the petition, and
the members of the committee were in
formed that it would be considered. Fol
lowing this the helpers and laborcrS in the
shop put in their petition for an increase of
ten per cent in their wages also. No init
nation of the course the company intended
10 pursue was received by the men until
Saturday evening when they were paid of
to the number of between 800 and 400 and
Informed that their services We're no longer
required. except the few of the men who
had refused 10 sign the petition asking for
the increase in wages. Their discharge
came like a bOmb-Shell to most of the
men and their faces were the pictures of
diSmay when informed that they were no
longer wanted. \ few tried 10 laugh it of
and assume an air Of hravadO.
but the most of them took
in the full gravity of the situation
and were very sober. After they were paid
off. knots of three and four workmen gath
cred on the streets to talk over the situation.
The wholesale discharge came like a clap of
thunder from clear sky. In their petition
the men had not threatened 10 strike if
their demands were not acceded To- and
they probably would not have done So had
their request for an increase been refused.
They supposed that their demand would
have been either complied with or refused.
and never dreamed of the action which was
taken.
No trouble is anticipated There was no
trouble when the men were paid off, and
they accepted the situation with cUmpara-
tive cOolneSS.
RumorS of the company'S action imme-
diately spread through the city. and there
were the widest rumurS on the streets CON
cerning the affair. Some persons said that
the entire force At several Of the largest
shops had struck. and the most
,rauarally acgapt..I ,.rn,;,t nf ,b,. al mir
at the maIIeablr shop was that it
was a strike. This was not true,
in any sense. II was what is called in the
technical language pertaining Ia labor af-
fairs lockout" Ii is understood that
none of the men who had any hand in pre-
pLrng or signing the petition will Ice taken
back.
1t is not known what action will be taken
by the Knights of Labor in the premises.
One of the lodges of this organization held
a special and secret meeting al their hall
over Lputv's meat store. on Market street.
last night. Their action could not be as
ccrtained. and il i not known whether the
order will notice the Malieablc Iron Com
Knights OF Labor have six lodges and a
membership Of over 5000 in Springfield.
and if this order take cognizance of the
matter theIe may be trouble ahead.
Ii Is understood that most of the places
will be filled on Monday by Springfield
men. if enough can be secured for the pur-
pose, and by men from neighboring cities if
there ART not sufficient here to ill them. No
trouble whatever i anticipated, and the
firm expects to have things moving along
smoothly aS usual next week
The above account was the one current
on the streets last night, among the Mallea
bic Company workmen, and is as accurate
aS could he secured from snch courses
GLOBE RErUBLIC reporter made an effort
to see the president of the company, Amos
Whiteley, last night, but found him not at
home after calling at his residence several
times An interview was had with ali at
tache of the concern. however. and he sub
Stantiated the above report IN the essential
details
No event of the kind for years
has created greater general interest
and the subject was the one
topic of conversation at the hotels and on
the streets last night. \ vast number of
opinions As to the policy OF the move were
expressed.
Springfield has during her entire history
been Sngularly free from labor troubles;
thpra have. u.y.r haeu any striL.s ,r l,rl.
outs of any consequence, and To this a.
much As anything may be- attributed
Sprimgheld'S wonderful success aS a manu-
featuring city. Another fortunate thing
for Springfield is the absence of foreign
wurkmen-the Poles. HungaranS and
other nationalticS that have created 50
much trouble in Springheld'> sister manu-
featuring cities The Springfield working
men are mostly sensible American citizens.
and many of them have won homes for
labor
Condition of Matters To-day Monday.
The molder> and labnrers lockout at
the Champion Malleabe Iron Works was
the one subject of interest to-day in this
city. Groups OF workmen could be seen .
upon our streets discussing earnestly /
among themselves the merits OF the Situa-
tion. There can be no Disgusting of the
fact that there i now deep feeling among
the late employees of the Champion Nal
leahIe Iron Comr my that they have been
treated unfairly by their late EMPLOYERS.
Several Of the corkmen were seen by a
GLoBE-RErTBIIC reporter. They talked
freely about the lockout, but exhibited no
whatever To be unjust or severe
toward the firm beyond the expression of
their candid opinion that the firm was un-
just and acted with undue haste upon their
petition. Said one of them: Our wages
were very low. With them we
could SuhSiSt only. meet the mere