The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-01-18
Program Of Operatives
is Carried Out
ALLEYEs ON oNNEwBEDFoRD
II Is the Great Storm Centre of the
Labor Struggle.
SMALL-SIZED RIOT TOOK PLACE.

Boston. Jan. 1S.--The fight between
employer and employe in the New Eng
land cotton mills is on. and what 1t will
lead up to cannot now be told. The
great corporations in New Bedford are
silent and thousands OF operatives are
idle. while here and there discomfort
fcropped out all day, the most serious
being at Biddeford, Me-. where 3200 per-
sons refused To work, thus closing two
mills. and at Lewiston. where one mill
was crippled by 400 operatives staying
out.
The general wage cutdown is estimated
TO effect 125. 900 persons in about l20 mills,
although several mills have previously
adopted the new schedule and several
others have given notice OF immediate
reductions. Here and there dissatisfac-
tion was brought TO the notice OF agents
and overseers over minor grievances,
and i'm most cases these were either rem
edied or an inquiry promised.
Today finds textile operatives every
where intensely interefted in the New
Bedford struggle. for here the test OF
strength and endurance will come, and
upon the outcome will deperd the ques-
tion OF an Industrial battle the entire
length and breadth Of the New Eng and
states. The chief point in this battle
will be discipline. and the first command
of ogranized labor brought well nigh per-
feet obedience.
Yesterday rassed quite peacefully, but
one incident is, In some quarters. feared
as a forerunner OF the odds the strikers
will take If they are driven To despera-
ton. There was missile throwing at
the gates Of one mill which apparently
was done by persons who took an over
joyful view of the success of the first
move and thus emphasized the jokes
they were cracking at the expense Of the
officials.
From the point OF view OF the mill
owners the New Bedford situation is
now a lockout. Intervention by the
state board OF arbitration this week is
hardly likely TO be allowed, and no
overt act on the part OF the strikers and
no attempt to open mill is expected for
a number OF days.
The New Bedford strikers will receive
strike money from, operatives elsewhere.
but the sum total will be reserved until
a protracted battle brings on want and
hardship which the unions will then try
to relieve.
All the New Bedford mills opened at
bell time as usual. When no help came
In lights went out. speed stopped, over
seers and second hands prepared to
make everything snug and mill gates
were closed Indefinitely. The labor
unions did little work yesterday except
TO carry out plans OF campaign which
will he developed only as faint hearted
weavers seek TO return to work
OF the other strikes little has developed
In them as yet to forecast the future.
The Laconia and Pepperell mill workers
In Biddeford struck because they were
anxious 10, while the weavers in the An
droscoGgin mills, Lewiston. simply took
matters into their own hands, regardless
of other departments
These two strikes, while on identical
issues, VIII serve only as minor fights
along the line, unless the strike fever
grows and they become the nucleus of
a general fight in Maine cities
One other minor fight now on is that
at burlington, VT, where the Queen City
mills shut down indefinitely because The
operatives refused to accept the reduc-
tion. This trouble, however, began a
number OF days ago. but reached the
acute state yesterday.
Taking the days events throughout
New England II may conservatively be
said that things came to pass Just as
expected 1t IL the immediate future
which awakens apprehension.