Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1893-10-11
Situation Yesterday.

PROVIDENCE, Oct. 1l.-Richard Mciuy,
chairman of the managing committee of
the big strike, last evening made the fol-
lowing statement TO reporter, which
represents the sentiments of the 6O00 op-
sratives concerned in the trouble:
1--WE figure that we can win the battle
IN two months We are prepared, finan-
cially. to stay out that length of time BY
Dec. IL will be necessary for the manu-
facturers to begin work on heavyweight
goods. The looms must be started, and
the weavers will not return TO work until
their demands are complied with.
"We are fighting not alone for our own
bread, but we are fighting the battle of
the whole country. The successful appli-
cation of the Cutdown In Olnevville would
be the signal for similar action on the
part of the manufacturers Of Philadel-
phia, wooden manufacturers OF Massachu-
setts and of the various other sections of
the country.
"Our fight is for a principle affecting
weavers throughout the country There
fore should our own pocketbooks give
out before the fight is won, | think there
is not the slightest doubt that woolen
employees throughout the country will
ooms TO our aid with funds.
"The cutdown Is unreasonable. We
have carefully considered the various lists,
and find that the weavers' reduction will
average 80 per cent, During the time
that we have been working short time the
price of the necessaries Of life has gone up.
house rents are advancing, and everything
co-operates to make IL a cut which we
cannot and will not stand.
ave are out for higher wages, and we
are going 10 get, II possible even better
ones than the scale before the cut We
want the Philadelphia standard - two
mills for a pick-and we shall not return
to work until we get 1t, or something
better tnan the miserable pittance we are
offered.
"There will be no conferences with the
mill owners just at present, however. We
are getting thoroughly organized before
deciding on plan OF action"
Organization Going On.
The grand plan of the strikers Is now TO
thoroughly organize every department of
the mills. The weavers are TO be taken
first, organized by mills, and then ANAL
gamated into Providence Weavers'
union, to join proposed national body
of weavers.
1t is uncertain yet whether the body will
Join the Federation of l. ibor or the Tex
tile union. The plan is To thoroughly or
ganize the weavers here, following all
over the country. or course, all depart
ments of the mills are out here, but 200
Of the 5000 being weavers. But the weav-
ers are the skilled workers, and without
them 1t is useless to attempt to run the
mills.
Following out this plan. the weavers Of
the Riverside mills, which employ about
325 men and women in the weaveshops,
met in the armory at ll.3O. Papers were
provided, and large proportion Of the
weavers enrolled themselves for the pros.
pective union.
At the same time the Saranac mill
weavers were meeting in Carlisle hall, en-
gagged in the same manner as their fell ow-
employees at the armory.
In the afternoon the armory was filed
with young girls. These were girls em-
ployed in various departments of the
wooden mills, mostly drawer tenders,
twisters, spinners, carders and spoilers
They spent the afternoon In organizing as
the Olneyvile wooden workers.
The drawers-in and handers-in, who are
weaveshop employees, meet today at the
armory, as will also the burlers aud
sewers, all for organization. In the even
ing there will be u big gathering in the
hall
Every day this week, with the exception
of today, the armory will be open from y
a. m. TO II p. m, and will he occupied by
various bodies from the different mills, all
engaged in the work of organizing.
The strikers are realizing their weak
ness in not organizing long ago, for just
such a contingency, aud they are pre-
pairing to make amends for their negli-