Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1898-11-19
FIGHT TO A FINISH.
Strike on In Good Earnest at Marl.
bOro

Marlboro. Mass. Nov. 11.-There was
pleasure manifested NJ labor hsaduuar-
tiers last evening when it became known
that William Inskip. head secretary Of
the International Boot and Shoe Work
sIs' union of Great Britain, had been
upprisrd of the labor situation here, and
that he would time his leaving England
so that he might appear here Su, day.
Dec. l. and deli an address before the
strikers. secretary lnskip Is delegate
to the annual convention OF the AmeIi-
can Federation Of Labor, which Will next
month hold its annual uonN ention at
Kansas city.
The money question Is now receiving
the most serious consideration at the
ha nds of the members of the joint coun-
ell. and ways ard means are being de-
vised to secure funds to aid the strikers
in case the strike is "A prolonged one and
assistance is required. 1t is divulsed
that the situation here will be brought
to the attention of the American Fedora
ton of Labor at its annual convention.
and that it has ALREADY been impressed
upon the mind of President Gnmpers.
The strike will, it is expected. be one
of the most important matters affecting
labor interests in this country which
will be- brought before the convention.
The petition to the city government
asking the calling of u mass meeting.
and suggesting that the city council
extend an invitation to the manufac-
turers and labor representatives to dis
cuss publicly their differences, with the
| view of giving the public a more definite
conception of the reasons held by each
side of the controversy, will be acted
| upon next Monday night at the regular
| meeting Of the mayor and board
of aldermen. 1t can be stated
upon unmpeachable authority, and with
| the Endorsement OF the shoe manufac'
turers. that they will not be drawn into
any discussion of the situation.
| The paramount question in the com
munty is when are the manufacturers
| likely to open their factories. A re
| Porter was informed last night by the
manufacturers whose employees are now
| on a strike. that the factories are closed
and they will not be opened again until
the help is ready and willing to return
! to work and deal with the employers
individually, or through Il shop COM
mittee, as indicated in the original state
ment of the manufacturers, which state
| n-nt was the cause of the strike.
| This means that there will be no con-
ccssion whatever on the part Of the
! manufacturers. no matter what length
| Of time may elapse before the mixers
are prepared to ask for employment and
agree not to be represented in theii
dealings with their employers by any
| labor orga nZation.
| The executive committee of the strik-
ers gave out a statement last evening in
| which they expressed themselves freely
in regard to the published interview with
Mr. Howe, in which he stated at length
his alleged difficulty in selling goods In
competition with other firms. The COM
mittee states that Mir. Howe uses the
| same Illustration of cost price-9O cents
on his shoes, and SO cents on his COM
petitOrs gOods-as in 1893. when Mr.
| Howe asked for 10 percent reduction
and said on the public platform that un-
less he got it he would be unable to do
business. The committee assert it to be
| common knowledge and admitted by Mr..
Howe that the following two years We're
the most successful of his career. In
| view of this remarkable success. follow
| ing upon an unsuccessful request for re-
duction in wages, the strikers feel that it
H. entirely possible that Mr.. Howe may
be mistaken nov. AS special reasons for
taking this view of the case, they assert
that in 1893 the country was in the throes
OF financial panic, while at the present
time the country has experienced two
years of prosperity, and prominent men
on all sides are freely predicting in
creased prosperity as a result Of the
recent elections. with further boom in
all Industries incident to the termination
of the late war with Spain. The COM
mittee assert that If Mr. HOwes illus
trations of equalizing wages between the
five dollar men and the two-dollar me
be al all accurate then Mr.. Howe should
meet them upon the basis of arbitration;
and they further suggest that the sta
tlstics of the earnings of shoe workers
as published by the state and nation
should be revised to include the wages
stated by Mr.. Howe and thus raise the
| average
The COMMITTEES regret Mr.. Howe's state.
mert that hot meetings are being held,
and state that all meetings of the strik
ers have been orderly and all conclusions
reached after calm consideration. They
assert that Mr. Howe's expressed feel
| lf IA OF Iii inn
employees are reciprOcated by all, and
say that it remains mystery to them
how Mr.. Howe and Mr.. Wright have
become so changed that they now de-
clare against the organization of labor,
while they have always advocated ii
heretofore.
John A. Frye, one of the manufactur-
ers against whom strike has been de-
clared. has reduced the rent of his ten
ants percent, and the Marlboro Build
ing association. in which Mr.. Howe Is a
heavy stakeholder. has also reduced the
| rent of its tenants.
One of the manufacturers states tEat
the rumor that it was the intention ia
| cut wages 40 percent is not true: that
the desire is simply to equalize wages.
When the labor leaders We're informed
of the attitude Of the shoe manufacture.
ers they simply replied: "All right. il
means long. stubborn and bitter fight
Beyond that nothing was said.
Boston, Nov. 1.-THE state board OF
arbitration and conciliation held ses.