The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-11-17
1T IS DEVOID
OF TURMOIL.
Marlboro Strike Conducted In
an Orderly Manner.
ALL QUIET AT The FACTORIES
Executive Committee Makes Statement In
Reply 10 That Of Mr.. Howe.
THE RENT OF TENEMENTS REDUCED.
Report That Il Was The Intention Of the Shoe
Manufacturers to Reduce Wages 40 Per Cent
Denlsd---kO Change in Situation.
THE RENT OF TEREMENTS REDUCED.

Marlboro. Mass, Nov. 1.-THE manu-
facturers show dlsinclination to give
out any official statement of their posi-
ton, but one individual manufactures
who 10 willing TO talk says they will
not enter into any controversy with the
labor officials, which is interpreted Go
mean that the manufacturers will not
meet the representatives of the union
for a general discussion OF the situation.
Another manufacturer says that what
ever they have done so far has been done
for the best interests OF Marlboro. They
want nothing OF ouarrelsome nature,
and believe in keeping quiet and allow
ing matters TO cool down.
Everything has been quiet about the
factories and a stranger would see moth
ing 70 indicate that strike was in prcg-
ress. The $. IL. Howe company paid of
its employees yesterday, but there was no
unusual crowd about the shops, and
there was no undue excitement. Sew
eral socialists have been in the city at
tempting to secure halls in which to ad.
dress the operatives, but thus far their
efforts have proved unsuccessful A
new labor paper made its appearance
yesterday as an outcome of the strike.
The executive committee of the strik-
ers gave out a statement last evening in
which they expressed themselves freely
In regard 10 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 Mr.. Howe uses the
same illustration OF cost price-90 cents
10
petitors goods-as in 1893. when Mr..
Howe asked for a 10 percent reduction,
and said on the public platform that un-
less he got IL he would be unable to do
business. The committee assert il to be
common knowledge and admitted by Mr..
Howe that the following two years were
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
Is entirely possible that Mr.. Howe may
be mistaken now. 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 men
be at all accurate. then MIR. Howe should
meet them upon the basis Of arbitration;
and they further suggest that the sta
tistics 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 committee regret Mr.. Howe's state.
ment 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
ings of friendliness toward the striking
employees are reciprocated by all, and
say that 1t remains a mystery to thr~1
how Mr.. Howe and Mr.. Wright have
become go changed that they now de-
clare against the organization OF labor,
while they have always advocated it
heretofore.
JoHil ~ rye 'i'e VI 'i'N
ers against whom n strike has been de-
clared. has reduced the rent of his ten
ants percent, and the Marlboro Buil@-
Ing association. in which Mr. Howe is n
heavy stockholder, has also reduced the
rent of its tenants.
One OF the manufacturers states that
the rumor that it was the intention TO
cut wages 40 percent is not true: that
the desire is simply to equalize wages.