The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-23
SIGNS OF AN EARLY SOLUTION
AUGUsTA's MILL STRIKE MAY DE
SETTLED IN A FEW DAYS.

Mr.. Kerr Wants the City TO stand n
Reduction In the Price of Water
Power and Let the Amount Go ON
the Salaries of the Operatives in
the Factories-PropOSition May Bc
Political Play to Embarrass May
or Walsh.
Augusta, Ga, Nov. 22.-The mill sltua-
ton in Augusta is believed to show signs
of a peaceful solution at an early day,
though there have been no material
changes to-day. except in the prevailing
spirit
The conference to-day between the mill
presidents and the committee from the
operatives, accompanied by Mayor Walsh,
was long and friendly and ended with
the following proposition from the manu-
facturers association: The necessity
which required us to adopt the new sche-
dule of wages was the severe competition
OF the Southern mills located outside Of
the Augusta district. in the Carollnas. To
show our good faith, we make the foi-
lowing proposition to our operatives: II
your committee win ascertain the wages
paid In these Carolina mills. so that QUE
association can verify same, we will glad
ly make a comparison of these wages with
our schedule. and will guarantee to pay
our operatives per cent. more than thu
amove named operatives receive
I'VE. the undersigned presidents of tho
mills in the Augusta district, hereby agree
not to discharge any of our hands on ac-
count of the present lockout, or on ac-
count of their afiation with any labor
organization"
mass meeting of the operatives this
afternoon received the report Of their COM
mittee and were again addressed by Mayor
Walsh, who advised them to go back %
work tomorrow and remain at work whila
| pursuing any Investigation they saw it
| 10 make into Carolina mill wages
1t is difficult to keep municipal politics
out I'm Augusta, and Dan Kerr who was
| defeated by Hon. Patrick Walsh for May
| or year ago, has come forward with n
proposition, which his political adver-
sarles are unfriend.y enough to charac-
terlze as a grand-stand play for political
effect.
The factories in Augusta pay s525 per
! annum per horse power for the water
| power with which to operate. The city
owns the canal and the sale of this water
power IS one of the substantial sources
Of municipal revenue. Mr. Kerr now pro-
poses that the city reduce the price OF
water power (Which is the cheapest in the
| country to the nominal price Of 81 per
| horse power and that the money thus
saved TO the mills be devoted to the wages
| Of the operatives. In other words, that the
| city lose It's revenue and reimburse the
/ operatives for the cut in wages
/ such a proposition, there Is the specific
objection that the city Is now putting in
a new system OF water works under a
contract for 5000 000 and the revenue from
the canal Is needed to enable the city 10
meet its obligations.
II Is argued by Mr.. Wnsh's friends that
Mr.. Kerr's proposition Is meant to per-
/ suade Tie ia boring element Of his deep In
terest III their welfare and at the same
time TO embarrass Mayor Walsh. IL Mr..
! Kerr's proposition Is rejected, he can point
to il as what he was willing TO do for tho
laboring man. but which was defeated by
the Walsh administration.
If. on the other hand, II should be adopt
ed It would mean a serious shortage in
municipal revenues and an embarrassment
10 Mayor Walshs administration. That Is
the way the proposition is sized up by the
| ant-Kcrr!tes.
At this evenings mass meeting. however,
| the strikers. declined to accept the PROPOSE
tion from the mills presidents and APP
pointed d committee to go before the City
| Council tomorrow afternoon aud urge the
adoption of the Kerr proposition.
It will be remembered that when Mayor
Walsh was elected there remained in the
| City Council a majority Of members who
| were Kerr men, and that on division In
Council the votes stood ten to six. This af-
ternoon the champion Of the Kerr plan
stated TO the meeting there would be ten
| votes in Council for the proposition. This
is not believed to be true, however, and
| Mayor Walsh stated to the meeting that
the proposition Is absurd and impossible
| and II passed by Council could be enjoined
by any property holder in the city, and
| surely would be.
There Is strong hope that after the City
| Council rejects the Kerr proposition the
| operatives VIII return 10 work. They are
in no condition for maintaining a strikes
| being without money or supplies to sup-
| port them IN idleness.
Ii is generally felt in the community that
the proposition Of the mill presidents, that
| If the reduced wages are not per cent.
above wages in the mills outside the Au-
! gusta district they guarantee to make
them so, puts them in a position the OPP
oratives cannot successfully fight
The only weak point in the position OF
the mill men Is that the cut does not in
cude the salaries of officers and bosses.
If it began with the presidents salary
and came all the way down upon all alike,
there would be no point of successful at
tack.
The conduct OF the strikers has been
quiet. orderly and highly commendable.
and there Is strong hope tonight that they
| win resume work very soon.
SCHOONER SWAN SEIZED