The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-30
GAS BELT LABOR TROUBLES.
No Telling When the Glass Factories
VIII Start Again.
the Indianapolis Journal.

Special TO the Indianapolis JCOTIldl
MUNCIE, Ind, June 29.-To-morrow
night at II o'clock the fires in the two big
window-glass factories in Muncie will go
out for the season, and in each six hundred
men will be let out for two or more months
without employment. 1t is an annual oc-
currence with these workmen, but the
chances of the factories starting on time
in September have always been much
brighter than now, as it looks as If the
fires would not be kindled in a window
glass factory in the country again before
Christmas, if then. The skilled laborers
have been promised an increase, and they
will hold out for an advance of at least IS
per cent, while the manufacturers are in
tending to ask for a further reduction and
the employers were never before in such
good condition to force the men to accede
to their demands, as the trade is even bet
ter organized than are the men at this time
The window-workers have for years borne
the reputation of having the strongest or
ganization of laboring men in the world,
but recently disruption sprang up in the
organization, badly Gripping it. There are
four classes of trades in the organization
blowers gatherers, f1atteners and cutters
The last two named claim that President
ing in the interests of the blowers and
gatherers, and held meeting here recent
ly and decided to organize themselves, and
the blowers and gatherers have made APP
plication to get back into the knights Of
Labor and then prevent the warning faction
from getting INTO the fold. This split will
prevent a united association from meeting
the manufacturers wage committee. The
employers claim s. to IS per day is too
much for the men, and they will surely
make demands never before heard of, as
they have hoped for years to get the work.
ers in just such a nuddle as they are
now in.
There are forty factories in the Indiana
gas belt, and all will close at the same
time, throwing over 20 600 men out of en-
ployment, some with good bank rolls and
others without cent. At the same time
in the green glass factories of the country
and the iron and steel mills Ball Brothers
fruit jar factory, the largest plant of the
kind in the world, employing 1900 hands,
who turn out a trainload of fruit jars each
day, will close for the same period. The
men in this work are asking no increase
this year, and it is generally conceded that
the manufacturers are satisfied but there
is no telling what may turn UP. The Port
dred more, will close. The Hemingway and
two factories of the Muncie Glass Com
pany will not close down this season. The
workmen permit them to run if they choose
in order to permit them to cope with the
nOnunion factories.
Recently the Midland Steel Company an
nounced to it's thousand employees that they
must take a reduction in wages if the mill
run with union labor next year, and this is
supposed to be the condition the country
over, and a general reduction will be made
as a result of prices ruling low. The In
diana Iron Company q week ago made the
statement that the introduction OF ma
chinery was making such an inroad on the
labor of the men that wages must come
down or machines be purchased This mill
employs thousand men. The Muncie Iron
and Steel Company announces that the
scale Will be signed July /, and their mill
employing four hundred, will not stop. The
closing of the factories make a big drop in
business in the gas belt until they resume
here from the East with the building of the
plants since the discovery of gas go back
10 their old homes to spend their vacations