The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-09-22

work them about 10 hours each, PAYING
them salary of $ls week. We arc
practically frozen out now, but I do not
think. it can last. 1t has never been snc.
cessful, this attempting to work Italians
as steyedores in seaport cities. They arc
not large enough and cannot stand the
work. Three cars that they take two
hours to unload, we require IS minutes
on each one to empty. believe several
propositions were made to some Of us
Monday evening, but we will still hang
together.
eyes, it will come pretty hard on some
of us. but we can hold out until the Eng
lish steamer season all right and there
will be plenty of work at 30 cents. Last
winter the Allan Eand Dominion lines
took all the best men and theElder- DENIM.
ster andsThomson companies had to take
the leavings. They will be glad to get
experienced freight handlers and as there
will be at least one-third more steamer
business this season than there was last.
and with prospect of line of boats
right through the summer, we shall be all
right.
Another said: .We had good crowd
of freight handlers on this wharf. The
company has had many of them for u
good long time; they havesweeded out. the
poor ones and only those. were left who
earn their 80 cents an hour. There were,
perhaps, half dozen that were not of
much use; these never received 80 cents
an hour. I think they will find big
difference in the way their freight Is
handled"
The officials1would give no definite re-
ply as to whether the Italians would be
dismissed and the old men re-instated If
they shouldsdecide to accept rs cents per
hour.
A large crowd of sightseers gathered
in the sheds yesterday afternoon to watch
the new men HANDKERCHIEF. Boss Steve
dore Clapp didn't look really pleased. 1t
is not very satisfactory to express your
opinion to man and be rewarded by a
vacant stare, for of course, an italian
can't be expected to..understand English
very well.
Two policemen were on hand yesterday
afternoon for little while, but they said
they did not fear any trouble. from the old
men.
The confidence of the strikers that they
would win the fight and be asked to 60
back to the company at 80 cents an hour
was strengthened yesterday after they
for sometime. Theylcan't stand this sort
of thing long" said one of the old men.
| Even the dagoes will get sick of their
| job before Thursday night Gomez. :"
Three of the strikers weakened yester-
day and went back to work, but they are
the only ones who have shown a DISPOSE
ton to give up the fight. "It's 80 cents
looking young Irishman, who seemed to
be the leader of the strikers. "It's q
pretty tough job at 80 cents an hour and
don't know as am very anxious to &c
back to work at that figure again when
can make 85 and 40 by waiting until
the English steamer season opens
The Cottage City was delayed in sailing
last night, but she finally got away al
right and with an immense cargo Of
freight on board. AS soon as she haG
pulled out of the dock the John Englii
was backed into her berth and the worl
of unloading her cargo at once com
nenced. h r.
| At 10 o'clock last night the Italians
having been at work since O'Clock il
the morning with very little rest, wer,
YEARLY trundling big boxes and bale
out of the John Englis. The men wer,
very nearly done up on account of THU
long stretch of unaccustomed work an(
i things were moving very slowly indeed
The doors of the big freight shed wer,
all securely fastened and this Is rather
unusual at this time of year, but tn,
wharf and Commercial street, were de
| serted