Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-05-06
ALL HANDS ARE OUT.
The Strike Of the Newport News Ship
Yard haR
Y ARE DETERMINED.
THEY
Fully Twenty-Five Hundred Have
Quit Work-An Unsatisfactory Con-
the Crowds Orderly.

NEWPORT NEWS, May J.-(Speclall-
As far as can be ascertained at the
present time, there are not 100 men ar
work in the yard OF the Newport News
Shipbuilding and Dry-Dock Company.
This means that there are over 1900
men out Of work. The streets are
crowded with the locked-out employees,
who are still determined to remain idle
in preference to submitting TO the clock
system Of registering. The painters, pat
ternmakers. and iron ship-workers, who
were the only ones to leave the yard last
night without turning in their keys, re-
ported in their several departments at
o'clock this morning, handed in their
keys, made no attempt TO resume work.
and left the yard without the least biz
OF disorder. The joint committee ap-
pointed at last nights meeting TO wait on
Superintendent ;. y. Smith met the lat
ter to-day at noon The men who are
effected by the lockout have thoroughly
organized, and VIII give out but little for
publication TO newspaper representatives.
ARRANGEMENTS were under way all the
morning for meetings at the opera-house,
Armory, and Moss Hall this afternoon.
AT these meetings the report Of the COM
miltee which waited on Superintendent
Smith was heard, speeches which were
applauded 10 the echo were made by the
leaders. and it was decided TO take neces-
sary action 10 maintain the strike with
out causing trouble Of any kind.
RESOLUTIONS.
The following resolutions. which were
adopted at last nights meeting at the
opera-house by acclamatOn, will convey
an idea of the sentiment predominant
among the wOrkmen who seem to think
that they have not been fairly dealt with.
we, the employees of the various
departments of the Newport News Ship
building and Dry-Dock Company. assem-
bled. offered and adopted the following
resolutions:
Whereas the Newport News Shpbuild-
Ing and Dry-Dock Company have. by
notice given their employees 10 under
stand that they must hereafter ring up
a clock for the purpose Of keeping their
time-first, before i'm the morning. SEE
cOnd, after T. NJ; third, before 1245 u. NJ.
and fourth, after the whistle blows at
g p NJ, and
Whereas, the above notice nowhere
states that they will pay their employees
for the extra time which the notice in
wolves; therefore be II
Resolved. That we endorse the action
taken by the employees in the different
departments who have turned in their
keys.
"Resolved, also. That we, as n body
assembled, refuse to ring up these clocks
or c0untenance any system which Will
entail an extra hours labor without an
extra hours pay"
NOT SATISFACTORY.
Your correspondent learned tonight
from one of the committee that waited
upon Superintendent Smith to-day that
the conference was entirely unsatisfac-
tory to the IDLE employees the latter
having asked for the unconditional abOi-
ishment OF the Bundy clock system of
registering, and Mr.. Smith having in
formed them that the company would
not consider their request. on the ground
that the system had not been given a
trial.
At the meeting at the opera-house this
afternoon the large assemblase Of work
ingmen endorsed the action of their COM
mittee. and unanimously decided TO
stand of until the clocks We're taken out
entirely, and the old system brought into
vogue again, or another system used. by
which they would not be compelled 70
labor more than ten hours each day. and
would get ten hours pay. Indignation
meetings are being held throughout the
city tonight. and the principal streets
are throngel with excited crowds. The
workingmcn will probably make no
trouble whatever. unless II becomes alb
solutely necessary, IN order TO keep out
side help from filling their positions.
VERY ORDERLY.
The men are acting in a very orderly
manner, and one thing very commend
able IS nouced-they are generally re-
framing from drink. From the present
outlook all prospects OF a compromise
between the employers and employees is
out Of the question for the next day or
two. unless the former see ft 10 recede
from their present stand and grant the
workingmen all they ask for. The re-
pair and construction work now I'm hand
at the yard is such that the company
cannot AFFORD 20 have the entire plant
idle for any length OF time. and, in order
10 carry out their contracts, II the men
refuse 10 go in, 1t may become nsces-
sary 20 employ outside help. Such a
step would undoubtedly precipitate
trouble. which would be difficult TO abate,
as the men who have turned in their
KEYS are fully 800 strong.
Although there are no signs Of dis
order. the police department has tax n
extra precautions against trouble by