Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-17
STRIKEO FSTEMMERS,
SOME THREE HUNDRED NEGRO HANDS
REFUSE TO WORK.
A Change in tho Basis Of Fay They would
Not Accept-ThcIr Claim and
the Facts.

MOST OF Tue HtSroeS cmpiOycu AT Tue
Richmond stcnmcry OF the American
Tobacco Company. corner Of Twenty-fifth
and Cary streets. went on strike yes
terday or rather. refused to go to work
At the usual hour.
When the hands quit work Friday after
noon they were informed that. beginning
YESTERDAY. they would be paid on the
basis OF 31-2 cents per pound for the
stems instead OF on the basis OF the
strips taken from the stems. Mr.. w. j..
Walker explained. or thought he had ex-
planned. that the change would not be TO
their disadvantage. and they promised
10 10 TO work under the new system
Saturday morning
During the night, however. Che vast
majority OF them changed their minds
about 20 or 60 kept their promise. The
rest ioafcd on the streets In the neighoor-
hood of the stemmery end did good
deal OF talking and grumblng, but there
was no violence and no disorder.
SIDE OF THE STRIKERS.
when asked why they had quit work
they claimed that under the new system
their wages. which up 20 this time nave
been satisfactory, would be reduced ifon'
one third TO one-half.
sf.hfs claim. however. Mr. Walker denied
emphaticaliy when seen by Dispatch
reportcr last night, and In explanation
Of the companys side Of the case mace n
detailed statement. I'VE have" SAID MT
walker. been having trouble for some
time with the strips as delivered 10 'he
scales by the steamers. We have 1oubi
that they were pressed into inc DoNes
conveying them to the scales, thus cauS-
ing the tobacco to retain the moisture
that was In II and to mat together An
other trouble has been that stems were
frequently found nested in the STRIPS, ana
nc the strips were only removed four
times a day from each stemmer 10 the
scales II was difficult TO discover by
shom tho nesting was done. Heretofore
stemmers have been required to Tie up
their stems in bundles of from three 10
three and a half inches IN diameter, ana a
third trouble has been that the snort
piee cs OF stem that had not been strlppen
clean would be concealed IN the centre Oh
The bundle, and the tobacco sticking 10
them. and which is worth p cents per
pound. would be sold at stem prices-t''a1
is, 70 cents per 100 pounds
WANTED TO CORRECT THIS.
.Jn order to correct all this, we salo
IN the sternmers that we would hereaite'
take the strips from their tables eish'
times per day, instead OF Tour tiines' %
previously. thus preventing the tooacco
from being matted: give them IL cents
por pound for stems, and not require
tbsm to tie up their bundles. inns.
however. was not done until we had
figured out the percentage OF stems, ana
the percentage of strips produced from
hundred pounds OF leaf. and endeavored 70
make IL price per 100 on the stems that
would be equivalent to the price per
100 on strips. Our object was not TO save
money out of the wages of the stemmer'
but TO increase the legitimate proilt as
represented in more satisfactory con-
dillon of the strips for handling and the
tobacco that stuck to the short pieces OF
stem The change Is an advantage 10
us, but still greater advantage 10 the
stemmer. for the reason that he gains IN
his days work the fifty or sixty minutes
formerly consumed in tying up hls
stems 1870
RESULT OF YESTERDAYS WORK.
Yesterday some firy or sixty OF the
force went 20 work They started In at
745 A. NJ. and quit at IL A. Nj. In THIS
timc-3A hours-the slowest stemmer,
woman made % cents. and the fastest
made b2is cents Those who went TO work
were satisfied. and said they would re-
turn Monday morning and bring their
friends.
IL" continued Mr.. Walker. talked
myself hoarse trying TO make the strikers
understand that the change, so far from
being To their d sadvantage, would beneht
them. Mr.. John Pope also made them
n talk lie told them that the change
was not for the purpose OF injuring them.
but in order to lpneft the company, and
that II after trS1ng II for one or two
weeks they found they We're not making
as much money as they had been
making under the old system, the latter
would be restored. However, persuasion.
logic, and figures were alike unavailing."
Mr.. Walker gave calculations to show
that the change could not work 70 the
disadvantage OF tho steamers.
No violence is ant sipated. though Cap,
Jain Peasants. OF the First Police Dis
trlct, said last night that he would have
some of his men about the stemmery
Monday morning. Mr.. Walker is conf
dent Of securing as many new hands as
he needs.