Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-19
PUDDLERS QUIT.
OVER TWO HUNDRED BeLLE-IsLE oP-
ERATVEs TEMPORARILY IDLE.
waiting to See what the Harrisburg Men
win DO Before They Accept the
Reduction I'm Prices.

About two hundred and fifty OF the men
employed in the puddling-mills OF the Old
Dominion Iron and Nail-Work Company
on Belle Isle are temporarily idle.
This number embraces both white and
colored operatives, the former being pud-
dlers, helpers, and rollhands.
The men stopped work on account OF
reduction in their wages from "a to 1915
per ton.
For some years past the puddlers here
have, by their own agreement, been PAID
the wages gwen by the Harrisburg lPa-)
mills. but on March I'd the prices in Har-
risburg we're reduced TO the above figures
and notice was given by the Old Dominion
Company that they would follow their ex-
ample.
CLOSED SINCE SATURDAY.
Last Saturday all the operatives employed
in the puddling-mills on Belle Island
through a committee notified the officers OF
the company that they would not come to
work on Monday, as they desired first to
find out whether the Harrisburg puddlers
we're going to accept the reduced wages
offered them.
Since this time the puddlipg-mills on the
island have all been shut down, but the
other departments of the plant are still IN
operation, and the business OF the COM
pany is in no way incommoded, as there Is
an abundant supply OF iron on hand 10
furnish the mailing mills.
WAITING FOR INFORMATION.
While these departments are closed the
withdrawal of the men is not by any means
considered in the light of strike, and as
one of the employees of the company said
yesterday, they are simply waiting Tor
information" although it is equally true
that they are doing this at their own ex-
pense. -,
The men seem to have no i'll will towards
their EMPLOYERS, and il is believed that II
they find that the Harrisburg employees
have accepted the reduction in wages they
will imme distely return to work.
WILL PROBABLY RETURN IN FEW DArs'
Mr.. John d. Baird assistant superin-
.endent of the works, said yesterday TO
DISPATCH reporter that he expected the
men would return TO their work in few
DAYS. and that the company could easily
afford to wait for them. The other de
partments Of the mills were still busily at
work and could continue so for several
weeks. as they already had abundant ma
terial prepared and waiting for them.
NOT INCONVENIENCE IN THE LEAST.
II am perfectly willing to wait month
for the men" said Mr.. Arthur Is. Clarke,
president of the company, for we have q
large supply of muck bars on hand, which
have been prepared In anticipation OF the
coming summer, when the weather IS so
warm that the operatives cannot stand the
heat.
1T has been our agreement to pay the
men in the pudding departments the same
prices offered heretofore by the Harrisburg
mills. In nearly all of the eastern mills
the wages of the puddlers have recently
been reduced, owing to the great expense
at which they are run. Those IN Harrls-
burg, however, still continued to pay, "a
per ton until few weeks ago, when they
notified their men that this would be re-
duced TO S3.75. We then followed their
example, and the men here stopped work."
by NO MEANS STRIKE.
Mr.. Clarke said that he had not been ap--
preached by any of the operatives who mad
stopped work, and that he did not know
what they would do in the matter. as he
has not taken sufficient interest to ask.
Il expect. however" added he, that the
men will probably return In few days, as
thew are, of course, receiving no pay.
They have TO work very hard, and l guess
thew are really very glad to get few days
rest. although it is rather bad for them to
take il now when the weather is so pleasant.
Later on. when the summer comes on, they
will not be able to work. We will be able
10 fill all our orders while the men are
away"
One of the operatives who had stopped
work was asked by the reporter what was
their object in striking" He said that
the men did not strike" and that they
were simply waiting for information from
Harrisburg.