The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-25
TWO STRIKES now
TROUBLE AT FOOT, sCHULZE &
CO.'S SEEMS TO BE GROWING
APACE.
SENIOR MEMRER IN CHARGE.
READY TO TREAT WITH STRIKERS
AS INDIVIDUALS, BUT HADN'T
A CHANCE.
THE MEN WISHED 1T OTHERWISE.
Men Employed by the Minnesota
Tailoring Company Have a Dis
agreement About Wages.

DEVELOPMENTS in the strike situation
al the boot and shoe factory of Foot,
Schulze & Co., yesterday, indicate that
the labor troubles are growing apace.
Silas B. Foot, of Red Wing, the head
of the concern, arrived at his place
of business in this city early IN the
morning and began an investigation OF
the cause of Thursdays strike. He
passed through the various depart
ments of the Establishment and con-
versed with the employees who were at
their work, but from none of them
could he learn just why the thirty-siX
men and seven boys in the 'bottoming
room had quit their jobs. Then he re-
turned to his office to await develop
ments. They came slowly.
About o'clock Mr.. Foot received
word from Supt. Mcmahon that seven
trimming cutters, all boys, had joined
the strikers. The veteran inanufac-
turer passed the report over with the
remark that he was sorry for the
young men, and then he set about to
fill the places left vacant by the strsk-
ers. There We're a number of appli-
cants for work, and some of them Mr..
Foot sent to the bottoming depart nent.
Before the day was gone the force in
this room was large enough to keep
things moving.
But, while Mr.. Foot was active at the
factory the strikers were equally Vigi-
liant at Assembly hall. The executive
committee of the boot and shoe work.
erS' union, met at an early hour with
Chairman L. N Mitchell presiding. Aft
er a long conference it was decided to
communicate with Mr. Foot and let
him know that, in behalf of the strik-
ers, the committee was willing to meet
with him at it's headquarters. Later
in the day he received a letter from
the committee informing him that, if
he desired a conference, the committee
would receive him at o'clock in the
afternoon. Mr.. Foot read the letter
The committee was on hand at Assem-
bly, hall at the hour it had appointed
for the meeting with the gentleman,
but he failed to put in an appearance.
During the remainder of the afternoon
the committee was in executive session
and again last night it sat behind clos
ed DOORS
The final result of these meetings was
the unanimous decision to take extra
ordinary steps to bring Foot, Schulze
& Co., "to time" The big fight against
the firm is expected to be inaugurated
this morning when, if the plans which
the committee laid last night are car
ried into effect, the union men in the
cutting department of the factory,
about thirty-five in all, will be called
out. If this step does not bring about
an arbitration of the strikers alleged
grievances the threat is made that be-
fore the middle of next week they will
compel the firm to close its factory.
And While the strikers are so active
members of the firm still claim that
they do not know why the men are
striking. Yet in addition to the charge
| which the men make against Supt. Nc
Mahon, that he has been discharging
union men to make places for non
union journeymen they brought up the
| additional cause for a strike yeSter-
day, which is that they intend to com
pei the firm to use the union label on
| all goods manufactured. Theodore A.
| SchulZe was seen at his home last
night in regard to the developments of
! the day, but he said he could see no
material change in the situation from
| Thursday. He had not heard that the
| cutters were liable to be called out
this morning.
| "Of one thing I am certain" said he,
and it is that Mr.. Foot does not in
tend to give the factory over to the
union. He is most determined on that
| point. AS to the strikers / think he is
willing to meet them as individuals,
but not as union men. He will not
| confer with any committee from the
| union and when he received that letter
this morning from Mr. Mitchelps men
he simply gave it no concern after
reading it. Mr. Foot has been among
the employees all day long and he had
learned pretty we'll by this time who
are the firms friends and who are not
His determination not to recognize the
| union is unWaVering and before this
| trouble is over that will be fully
j demonstrated. If the strikers have a
| grievance they have not stated it to
Mr.. Foot. To be sure the executive
committee was kind enough to invite
| him to meet with its members this
| afternoon, but Mr. Foot refused the
| offer. He will not deal with the union
I think that, If the strikers should
| come to him as individuals, he would
treat with them, but not in their
capacity as union men, and I doubt
very much whether he will wait long
for them to come to themselves. In
fact, he has intimated to me that after
| tomorrow he would fill the vacant jobs
| with other men, AS to stamping oul
goods with the union label, Mr.. Foot
| has not expressed himself. But when
he says he will not treat with the union
or with the strikers as union men,
conclude that he will not have the
union LABEL
Mr.. Schulze said that Chairman
Mitchell used to be employed at the
factory and that Mr.. Foot and Super
intendent McMahon had both always
regarded him a good workman. T. C.
Moss, president of the Boot & Shoe
Cutters union, who is also taking ar
active part in the strike, was also ar
employe at the factory Mr. Schulze
said that he thought it was Mr.. Moss
whom Sllperirltendent McMahon drop.
ped from the pay roll-of the firm about
three months ago. He was not posi-
tive about this. but since Mr.. Moss
name had become SO prominently con
nected with the strike he was inclined
TO the opinion that he was the man