Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-22
BELGIAN BLOWERS.
Another Batch of 100 Foreigners
Bound for American Shores
TO SUPPLEMENT THE HOME TOILER
They Are Supposed to be Under Contract
and May Go to Michigan.
WHAT PRESIDENT CAMPBELL THINKS


hands of Homer L. McGaw, the we'll
known labor advocate, and who has prose-
cuted the investigation of the reported
glass workers. another and larger batch OF
foreign glass workers are now on their way
to this country. Most of the men are sup
posed to be on their way to the window
house of Louis Bletz & Co., at Deiray,
Mich. The firm has been trying to hire
Belgians to deplace the Americans at their
factory. The latter, they claim, have be-
come too independent for them, and they
would rather have Belgians. The foreign
ers are not so particular about wages and
hours of work. and the firm claim they give
better satisfaction in every way.
When they shut down their factory for
the summer all the American blowers were
told that they were not needed at the next
fire. The mortar teaser, manager and pot
maker of the factory went to Toledo and
Glfin to try and secure some Belgians who
were there, but they could not hire the men.
Among the men discharged were Rhinehart
Kindburg, an employe who mad been there
for II years, and Robert Walker, who had
been preceptor of the local assembly.
A SURPRISE IN STORE.
Last Saturday The DISPATCH mentioned
the fact that the company had an agent in
this vicinity looking for Belgian blowers,
but it was not supposed at the time that any
attempt would be made to bring men from
Europe Mr.. McGaw claims to have au-
tboritative information, and the following
will appear in this weeks issue of the Nd-
has fnH
a determined stand against the Jeanette
blowers, and will fight the present case:
From reliable sources we are informed that
l6O blowers, gatherers and cutters have ar
ranged to come to this country in body from
Belgium. They have secured reduced rates on
sage for America from Antwerp on Saturday,
August "a. This would bring them to New
York on August 81, and to Pittsburg. Jeannette
by the first or second of September. Our infor-
nation is corroborated by Belgian who had
been in this country for some time, but who
spent his vacation in his old home, and mas Just
returned. These Belgians are, however, re,
ported to be coming on their own means. and
as yet no evidence has been secured OF any con-
tract. 1t is not thought that the Manufaetur-
ers' Association is bringing them over, as the
members of that bouy claim that in the present
condition of the glass market it would be un-
wise for them to resume. IL is stated that some
where Biitz & Co. have discharged ali their old
blowers and openly stated thoy would hire only
Belgians in the future, because the firm be-
lieves them to be more manageable.
MAY GO TO JEANETTE.
Whether any of the men were intended for
the second tank at Jeanette is not now posi-
lively known. Had all the manufacturers re-
sumed on September 1 it is probable that
Chambers, Mckee & Co. would have fo und it
difficult to get tgood blowers to work on the
nnd rrR11 fHau vu0
average on pot furnaces. 1t would then have
depended upon the action of the executive Off
GERS of /. A 200, whether these prospective
immigrants would have been recognized as
union men. or taken into the organization.
They could not have very well refused To grant
these new corners the same privilege which
'nsS SSonld the Manufacturers Association how
ever desire to hire these men, and work op
scale of their own, 1t would lend color to the
charge that some arrangement existed by whlcn
these men were brought over in the nick OF
time A cablegram sent to Europe August IL
ithe day the wage conference ended SO abb
ruptly), to the proper agents, would have been
given ample time to arrange matters.
If this were the case, legal measures could
not be evoked, for the simple reason that
James Campbell and his Executive Board have
set precedent which virtually nulllfies the law
which has hitherto served as barrier. 1t would
in addition be harder to prove a contract in
this case than in the case Of the English glass
blowers.
1t is evident that in a short time President
Campbell and the official organ will have no
cause to complain about the scarcity of window
workers.
President James Campbell, of the Win
dow Glass Workers Association, was seen
in regard to the above, and asked if he had
any knowledge of who the men were. Mr..
Campbell was inclined to believe that the
16O men were Belgian residents of this city
vino were coming back from Europe, where
they spent their vacation during the shut
down. Mr.. Campbell said:
ST have no knowledge of the men coming
to this country, and if they are strangers I
think we would have heard of it. 1t does
not make any difference, however, who the
men are. If they have travelling cards from
their different assemblies, they can find
plenty of work here. If they are not pro-
vided with union cards, they may as we'll
not come.
"When the factories shut down in June,
about 300 Belgians and Englishmen left
this country to spend the summer at their
respective birthplaces. think the 160 men
who will sail on the 29th are part of this
crowd. None Of them have come back yet,
and as it is approaching The time for the
resumption OF work, it is very likely that
these men are Belgian residents of this
country. They go to Europe every year in
the spring and come back in the fall sea-
son."