The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-04-24
GRIFFING LOCKOUT.
Employees Had a Confer
ence This Morning With
President Williams.
HE REFUSES THEIR DEMANDS
Boycott Threatened--0ther Labor
Disputes-Moyements of
the Coxeyites.

The lockedout employees OF the Grlfflng
Iron Works are making things extremely un-
comfortable for President Thomas Williams.
This morning the pickets who were on duty
near the works prevented the president from
obtaining new pair of Shoes Shortly
after nine o'clock the pickets saw man
going into the works. Believing that he was
laborer in search of work, they stopped
him and informed him of the lockout. The
man told the pickets that President Williams
had sent for him to take his measure for &
pair of shoes and that he had already re-
ceived deposit on the order.
s'But if what you tell me is true,n said the
shoemaker, civilians won't get the shoes. f"
He then invited the pickets to nearby
saloon, and spent the deposit in treating
them to drinks.
The pickets reported the occurrence at the
secret meeting, which was called to order at
ten O'Clock, in the rooms of st. Andrews
Workingmens Association in Armory Hall,
and the locked out employees enjoyed a
hearty laugh
AT eleven the committee which was ap-
pointed by the Central Labor Union of New
York to confer with President Williams ar
rived, and committee of the employees was
appointed to escort them to the works. A
recess was then ordered, pending the result
of the Union Committees conference.
CONFERENCE WITH PRESIDENT WILLIAMS.
The committee was received by President
Williams. who had stenographer on hand
to report the proceedings. The committee
began the interview by saying that the men
had been treated unfairly, and that the COM
pany would have to re-employ them at the
old schedule of wages or else suffer boy
colt.
1sol %I,a% 49,
pany could not pay the old schedule of wages
and compete with the other firms in the
United States. He also said that the Wilson
tariff bill, if passed, would greatly cut down
the profits of the business, and that if he
granted the increase the works could not be
run.
He was caught in q trap, however, by the
committee. When questioned about the ra~
diators he admitted that the Grifing Co.
controlled the radiator manufacturing busi-
ness of the United States and when the
committee compared this assertion with the
one regarding him to compete with the
other firms in the country, he had no ex-
PLANTATION to Offer He also said that he had
no excuse to offer for shutting down the
works. He claimed that the men treated
him unfairly in walking out of the
works as soon as the lockout no
tices were posted up, and said
that they left their work unfinished. He
Sealu no bttOuSub III very uH1tAE lOT LlS1u W
leave him with lot Of unfinished work on
his hands. He refused to give the commit
tee any hope of settlement of the trouble,
and the committee left him with a warning
that if L4 failed to agree to the scale of
wages asked for by themen all the branches
of the building trade in the country would
refuse to handle his goods.
ASSURANCES OF SUPPORT.
The Committee returned to the meeting
room and reported the result of the con-
ference. The locked-out men then, upon the
advice of the Committee appointed COM
mittee TO attend the Building Trades Sec
tion, G. L. q. which will be held tomorrow
evening at Clarendon Hall, New York City
The section, the committee assured the men,
would order boycott.
The committee which was appointed to
visit the Steamftters' Union reported that
1t attended the meeting of the Steamftters'
Union last night and that the steamftters
had decided to send two communications to
President Williams requesting settlement,
and that if their propositions are not assented
to they will boycott the Griffing goods The
aid of the steamftters is necessary to win
the fight, and the report of the committee
was received with cheers.
If the locked out employees were confident
yesterday of winning they are doubly SO to-
day. The works today were completely
shut down, not even one man being at work
inside. A number of laborers were at work
movinfi trucks and cars in the yard, but this
is being done, the locked out men say, to
give the impression that the works are run
ming. Tomorrow morning the employees will
hold an open meeting at Tanners Hall