The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-05-01

manton Mill Weavers Quit Work This
Morning Because Of the Notice.
A Strike at the Farwell Worsted Mills
at Central Falls.
THE NEWS BUREAU, oLNEYvILLE. !,
No. 8 HaTffnrd ANennA (

No. sHartford Avenue
All uncertainty is removed as far as the
manufacturers are concerned in regard 10
the labor troubles at the Olneyville mills.
The operatives, when they went to
work this morning in the National and
and Providence Worsted, Weybosset,
Saxon, Riverside and Kimball at Man
ton, found the following notice posted,
as decided upon at the meeting of the
Manufacturers Club Monday night.
Notice.
The Manufacturers Club, in view of the
present strike in the National Worsted
Mills, one OF our number, and OF the gen.
eral state of unrest and TO rightly inform
our operatives, join in giving notice that
prices of labor cannot be advanced
by US at the present time.
warrant such action. We are also paving
the highest wages in New England on
our manufacture. When our level OF wages
is generally reached and goods bring a
better price will be the earliest reasonable
moment for us to advance present wages.
On these facts, regretting it, we are
obliged to give notice that our mills will
not open Monday morning, May l3, il
the help in any of our mills are so dissat-
isfied as TO be on strike atthst time, and
TO remain closed until the present scale of
wages Is accepted by all our employees.
stopped Work at Aianton.
At Manton, when the weavers and
spinners entered this morning and read
the notice, they refused TO start their
machines and went out on strike. The
number out is upward of i25. rhe help
In the other mills with mutterings
started the days work as Usual.
but there is strike in the air
and none can fortell at what moment it
may break out and a general strike be de-
clsred in every Olneyville mill.
There is a possibility that the rules OF
the Textile Union viii be complied with
and that body asked to sanction strike
in order that few weeks benefits may be
drawn.
In this case it will be several DAYS be-
fore strike is precipitated. That il will
come from the speech of the National
weavers now out is imminent. More de-
termination than ever is manifest on the
part of the National weavers now
out, to remain out, since the notices post
ed in the mills after the close of the days
work yesterday became known. IL they
persist on this line the manufacturers in
the combine will close their mills for the
reason of their strike alone.
The manufacturers assert that this is
their only safety, as they cannot be
troubled with any uncertainty as TO
whether their mills are to be run steadily,
or only by fits and starts, and the mills
stopped at critical times with heavy loss
TO the owners.
The Strike Becoming General.
Shortly after the dinner hour at the
Wey bosset Mills, today. the 200
weavers and twisters employed there
went out on strike and proceeded
IN a body 10 the gates of the Riverside
nd Iad . y
There are but two mills Il now in Olney-
Vile from which either part or all
OF the employees are not out on strike.
Th se are the Saxon mill on Valley street
and the Saranac mill, and the epidemic is
expected 10 reach thsm within "a hours.
This afternoon an immense mass meet
ing OF ali the strikers is being held on
Merino Flats.
The roaming help have caused such
state OF uneasiness 10 exist among the
operators here that the manufa rturers
have felt obliged TO take the stand and
give out this, their final ultimatum, as re-
CARDS their future action.
Olneyville formerly had the rep
utaticn Of being free from
labor troubles, and iobbera of woolens and
could depend upon orders placed
with manufacturers here being filled
As prominent man stated this morn
ing, "Olneyville is coming TO be feared as
a center OF labor agitation and strikes.
Our market for goods cannot be re-
tanned with the existence of this feeling
and while our decision TO shut down may
seem severe il is our only protection"
There is no question of the determina-
tion on the part of the manu-
facturers to meet the issue al once.
They have given ample notice and il the
operatives do not see fit 10 comply with
their requirements and conclude to
continue at their machines at
he present schedule OF wages
without further agitation, the fac
tories controlled by the members
)f the Manufacturers Club, which in
,ludes all the Olneyville mills except the
now closed, and the Fsrwell |
plant of Central Falls, will close for an
indefinite period on Saturday, the 11th Of |
May, not TO open on the following Mon |
lay morning.
At noon today the weavers and dye !
house help OF the Manton mills walked |
)ut through the big gate holding aloft |
! banner inscribed, "Dye House Scab," |
ind also bearing the name OF one |
II the employees, who refused TO quit |
work. When thai individual went out TO |
Inner shortly aiterward he was not mo-
ested, although trouble was feared.
strike at the Farwell Mil.
PAwTUcKET, II. L., May AT 7 o'clock |
his morning the weavers in the Farwell |
Norsted Mill, Central Falls, 125 i'm num- |
Der, went out of the mill in a body. |
When they entered the weave room they |
we're confronted by the manufacturers |
loticc.
The men did not 60 to work at all, |
o5ay, but went out Immediately and |
leld meeting. Later they sent mes
TO Frederick Farwcn, the presi-
lent Of The company, TO the effect
has fhey did not consider, as tha strike |
n the National Worsted Mills Yas not a
Textile Union one, that the Manufactur-
RS Union had right to shut down other
Mills. They also said that thoy would
lot return, even II the mills we're opened,
ntil they received the wages paid I'm 1898,
hich were reduced, causing n strike, in
which the employers got the worst OF IL
ear ago.