Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-12-14
81 TELEGRAPH
AlncxouI 500.


PEovDgyGE. Dec. ts.-The wooiea mill
district Of Providence never experienced
a aay similar to yesterday. workmen were
.sisheartenes3. Hill ewnsrs were RECENT
less ard women and children wrpt in the
streets of OlaeyvIiie. weps from hunger
and from eoid. The situation Is one that
has no equal in this city since the panic OF
1887.
Six thousand people have been OUT -
weeks on strike for return of their old
schedule of wages. Dependant upon the
earnings Of this Number OF operatives are,
f. IS estiInased, 1890 people. The strikers
are without resources, and financial aid
rolls Ia slowly. Ia arrears In their rerEs
aud store hills. with the thermometer
near zero, and with little or no faef on
hand, the operatives now, that they are
shut out from returning TO work, have, as
q rule, but one course left. and that is TO
sppiy ut the city Psorhouss for aid.
Such il the condition among the strikers
that the chief of police has reason 20 antici-
pate trouble, A. the operatives are heeonl-
iagAesDeratf ,stld every ayaile bic officer has
been summoned 10 his station To be ready
for a special call in case any attempt is
made TO injure the property Of the FaiH
Gwners.
The strikers hell meetings yesterday,
but were at sea ~ to the best course 10
pursue. The executive committee voted
10 do business with the manufacturers 50
a combine, but when they started out TO
visit them they were again disappointed.
Charles Fletcher of the Providence Ns-
ri0nal mills did nnt appear. and it was
g.. D ay ipt, of yhk. Rfy.sr
side mills was In Boston. Nothing could
then he done but await the return of the
two leading manufacturers The business
| men met and voted to take no further
part in the directing or bringing about Of
& settlement unless requested to do 50 by
the parties interested.
Farweirs Statement.
Superintendent Farweil of the Saranac
mills said: 1T is a lockout now and must
no longer he called strike. Had the
operatives nj the meetings held Friday
aud Saturday last voted 10 return to work
| and not have tried to toy with the mill
owners this action would not have been
taken. The idea sof closing their mills
was not decided upon until Monday,
because up TO that time all negotiations
| had been conducted with the idea OF re-
suniing work, and il was expected that
| the resumption would occur Monday
morning. The delay in accepting the
terms on the part of the strikers gave the
manufacturers an opportunity of learning
| q feature Of the plans of the strikers
which had not before been appreciated"
The strikers. he said, are all massed to-
| gether in one large organization. They
also have organizations OF trades and
shops. They planned to go to work in the
| Providence National and Saranac mills
| and continue the fight at the Weybosset
and Riverside mills. Those who were
| going to work in our mills were planning
| TO aid those who We're TO stay out from the
others,n he said with such an organ
| ization as that il was evident that there
was going to be trouble. and the mills
| could not undertake to fight them indi-
| viclually. If it had permitted that, it
| would have resulted in dissension among
| the manufacturers.
If we had resumed work in the National
| and Saranac mills and the fight was long
| and bitter against the other two, then we
| would have been forced to break from the
standard scale, which would have forced
us turn to make further concessions
| which we could not afford TO make.
| Therefore it was necessary for the manu-
| facturers to stand together, and on learn
| ing of the determination Of the strikers to
| resume work at our mills and continue
| the fight Mt the others, the mill owners
| agreed to keep together
Mr.. Farwell stated that no settlement
| would now he made except general set
| tIrment, and added: II know that there is
| going TO be trouble. and regret it very
| much but knowing it | am forced to
| recognize all the more the necessity for
| the manufacturers to stand together
| The strikers through their executive com-
| pittee will issue an appeal to the public.