Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1892-05-12
LOOKING BRIGHTER.
The HallowelI Strikers Encouraged
at the Prospect Of Victory.
The kennebsc VALLEY Central laher uaiea
TO Be 0rsasi1ed b Lscai uaieas.

! LsfSSaAi 10 the hENSEREC JOURNAL.
/ H,LLowELL, May IL The striking
I granite workers courage wen, up with 4
sudden bound today and Il general increase
| in their belief in ultimate victory can be
noticed The causes of these Improvements
spring from the results of the joint meeting
af Tuesday and At the session of the Granite
Cutters Union this morning. At botf
meetings other trades were strongly repre-,
sented and plans were perfected for thu
( organization of kennebec Valley Ceutra
I Labor Union. which will have its head
quarters in this city. The three local gran
/ lie workers unions and 10 others located in
/ Augusta, Gardiner and Manchester, will
compose it at present
I This central union will be under the gen.
eral jurisdiction of the American Fedora.
/ ton OF Labor and will therefore receive the
I support of thousands of men in this State
alone. The granite men here will have
assistance from Massachusetts and New
! ork and will also receive the active sup
/ port and aid of from Is 900 to 20, 200 work
ingInen in this State who are engaged in
different trades, trades in which there have
/ been no strikes for years. These men
stand ready with full union treasures to
come to the financial support of the granite
workers. They are also ready to be
assessed p cents each per week for the
I support of the strikers.
! The intention is now for each of the New
England states to carry along its own gran
ite strikers and so avoid, for AS long time
as possible any necessity for their calling
upon the National union for aid 1T
! thought that in this way the men eau be
carried along for many months The other
unions realize what this fight means and
understand that victory ON the part of the
manufacturers would bring IA battle about
in which all their resources would be
called upon.
The undoubted result of todav's consul
tation will be TO prolong for many, many
mouths the granite trouble throughout New
England unless the companies should with
draw their demands for change of dates.
From now out the great American Fed
Grafton of Labor will be in the fight. The
knights of Labor in New York have de-
clined 10 handle non-union stone and so
these two powerful organizations will use
every possible method TO bring pressure
upon the manufacturers.
FROM u Weil-khONn business man OF the
State, formerly in the quarry business, a
Journal reporter learned today that the
New England Granite Manufacturers As
sociation will be sustained by bhilders and
contractors generally throughout New Eng
land. On their side no means will be
spared to gain their point From letters
| have received and from what | have been
told. know that the Association stands
ready to spend many thousands of dollars
in this fight. have heard people say that
the matter will be settled in two weeks. But
they are wrong. 1t is more likely to take
two years than two weeks. | wish we could
see the end of it, was part of what he said.
Another leading man said to the reporter
that, this trouble will teach powerful
lesson to everyone as to the advantages of
arbitration and cooperation. Neither side
dares to trust the other" he continued
Some method must be devised so that they
can trust each other. or the fight will re-
occur and re-occur. A little injection of
the Golden Rule into the situation would
greatly improve matters, Under the pre-
sent way of regarding things both are right
but really the companies should withdraw
their demands and the men should mOdcr-
ate theirs. and honestly believe that the
latter would do so if the manufacturers
would give them the chance. They only
want to do the fair thing, | think
The Granite Cutters union meets again
today in their hall and tomorrow, FRIDAY
forenoon, the delegates from the IS unions
will meet here and will organize the Central
Labor Union. Saturday at p. NJ. the
three local unions will hold a joint mass
meeting in city hall and will listen to ad-
dresses from prominent labor men from
different parts of the State