The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-12-10
WOMAN AS AN ARBITRATOR.
Miss Clara Fisher Succeeded in Set
Ting a Factory Trouble.

That Miss Clara j. Fisher, Of Milford, the
first woman ever chosen to act as expert as,
sistant to the state board of arbitration ana
Cancellation was able in the recent difficulty
between the B. H. Spaulding company, OF MIL
ford, and it's employees to fulhll ner duties 10
the satisfaction OF both sldes resumes TO n 81
freedom from petty prejudices, as well as 10
her large-minded sense OF justice, says the
Boston Globe.
Miss Fisher is a pleasant faced young
woman something over 80, who lives with
her aged aunt in the pretty little manufac-
turing town of Milford, the picturesque name
of which makes one bark back to the days
when rushing stream rather th !I roarins
steam turned the wheels of the mills.
Graduated from the town high school, MISS
Fisher came out into the world Win a pretty
clear notion that she would IKE TO DC d
teacher but the fact that Just at that time d
friend was entering upon work at the hnowl-
ton f1.aw factory, in nelghDorlne Co"hi ue
cided her to enter mill life. o.
In a wear or two her duty to her aunt; 1or
whom she now tenderly cares, called her pach
IN Milford and after temporarily WORKING III
n village dry goods store she accepted the Pc
sition of overseer in the straw factory Oh d.
n Snaulding For nine years she acceptapiy
fIied the Mace. having charge of a room In
which sixty women are employed DurinS
these nine years she became conversaht Will
every detail of the work or making stIaW
hate and although it is now two years anu d
IoIf since che left the work. no one could nave
more thoroughly understood the eAplo!eS
side of the question than she does. .o
Miss Fisher is young woman vi iai 80.
than ordinary girl determination anu ali amp
ton During the latter part OF her service
as forewoman she studied to mt herseIr 10 De,
! come a stenographer, and ultimately secured
a good position in Milford at this WORK.
whereupon she resigned at Spaulding s.
Miss Fisher had always been very Popuiasr
with the girls working under her at Spauid-
ms and at the time of the recent strike
the employes called upon her repeatedly ana
asked her to serve them as assistant TO the
board Of arbitration She at length accepted
and promised to serve to the best OIL her
With the man appointed by the board at
! the suggestion of Spaulding. the employer
Miss Fisher visited, besides Spauldings rae
! tory, six other similar mills, comparing the
| work and the conditions with those at tne
! factory under consideration. At all SIX the
! investigators were received with courtesy,
! on,y two out of the six refusing to give
! information. They withdrew as politely as
| possible 49,
Miss Fisher found the surroundings in the
| factories inspected all that could be desired
| and the relations between employers ana
! employed extremely pleasant In no factory
| visited had there ever been strike, dill
culties been settled quietly to the satisfaction
of both parties -.
In two weeks the board of arbitration, with
! the assistance of Miss Fisher and the other
| expert. settled the Spaulding difficulty salts
| factorily the sewing of 100 yards of straw
being the unit adopted for payment For her
| services to the board Miss Fisher and her
| coworkers received each 81 day and ex-
| penSeS.