The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-30
0 NJ IN TIE STRIKE.
TWO VITAL rs IN THE NEW ENG-
LAND CL0TH MILLSLABOR TROUBLE.

TWO VITAL zorro rs IN THE NEW ENG-
LAND CLOTH MILLsLABOR TROUBLE.
nHru. HARRIET FiciertuE. . Niece OF n Iady.in-
wsitinG to oueen victorian Hmpetuonu. but
Not Pepuiar-sars. Maria Hindie. the
other One, = Duxes. wensaniy Person.
PROM the Boston Transcript.
NEW BEDFORD, Jan. 2l.-0ne Of tho most in
t~erestine features Of the big cloth mill strike
has been the bringing forward to the notice Of
tho public OF two women leaders. Both are
weavers, and both are members Of the Woavcrs'
Protective Association, as the New Bedford
weavers' Union Is known. Tho more prominent
10 Mr.. Harriet Pickering. whose voice and man.
ner on two different occasions have carried the
weavers with her. almost against tho Judgment
of the mon who composed the Executive Com
mittee OF tho union, the committee which gen.
orally maps out tho plan which the other men,
bers of the union follow. In personal appear
ing. But a second glance at her pale thin face
reveals the source Of hor power. Her black eyes
somsvSst drawn. shows the determination Of
II don't believe in strikes generally said
tive, "but I do believe that in this strike we
have a Just cause and, am willing TO fight It
This expression of determination is character.
! "no S Sn rr%an would be the motto Of the
weavors. at least, and they would hold out until
the last against the fines system; which; largely
Mrs. Pickering is an English woman, a repre-.
many years the union spirit has been rife among
4 tn sS %O IN tbis In inf sn . si thse Mrs. P IaSIS 3 % %na
brought, up. Unionism was bred In her bones.
S %ei Som sss s %s' s 3 yssss f fsa f f%sstd pas s% snS f even
since she has been tied down to tho shuttle and
Some Of the New, York people" said Mrs.
New, 10 a servant ut the Queens palace. She Is
R RSs I t ssSy'n L b Spt comes q ssas ss l fssllnr w Sie. I h sss
bigger in The old county than 1 am here. But
It is now come years since Mrs. Pickering
came 70 this country, and most OF her time on
| she should WELD q considerable Influence, es-
start. When the Weavers' Particulars bill was
before the legislature she was engaged IN the
ence upon the legislators,
The manufacturers know me- she said.
tbMf' ! am R AZ ef I had o. lo thS%dd a the P Snsy nhow
bill through / was blncklisted a tone mill because
l was caught copying the particulars from tho
under an assumed name. and everything went
Outside atSDt The mill Mrs. Pickering keeps much
apart from her fellow workers. She is a close
student Of economic 81 rona; %SeStissPPs s, and n ! her rh fHyySTito
Socialist in religious belief. The Christian
Soeialists are not At all prg eminent in Pan America rhsS
flourish In Considerable numbers,
while Mrs. Pickering is not in the least ieal.
opinion that they are selfish for power. and she
gives this as q reason why the unions are not
% 70 sss : ssso%pIlsssS. aI END We w Sro io i sRS d 4 eoS,
bine we must do it with a combine" is her
areunent; Here: rs elsewhere; we are divided
the spinners' Union, and when the manufacture.
ers have any business with us II is with
body. An a~maleamation Of the whole could
make its terms with the manufacturers
t6ines' cannot be made. I am in favor Of doing
what the cloakmakers of New, York have done,
banding together and actually drawing up a
with the understanding all around that that
contract should be no more violated than any
with our, employers. and can dictate terms %
what they offer unless 1t suits us"
In spite Of her acknowledged power Of leader
snlp, Mrs r1 piSssri WitS a0 sse mot %.i see% bot to of p tbe
weavers. For instance. when she arose to I'D,
dress the mass meeting at which she forced the
ever. that the Kisses did not in tho least alter
| u solC IA IG a aiit. NiCii
she had finished, her flood of elouucnce. the en-
%bodiment Of nervous energy. had completely
swayed her hearers to her way OF thinking.
Somewhat different in her manner, although
quite as effective, is the other woman leader
M M1s, M thS st HinaI has = %ndsm p YorkssTre w Thls is
although a long residence in Lancashire before
fSD iTsd to this nn;o GSsnt iSe has ist th Sep. + M insti Hinl
die were to tell her age she might say that she
were 35. but there is no need to ask her. Suffice
the confinement OF the mills has not taken away
tho sturdy matronly beauty which she pos.
resent 1 a widow@a ndd.1 When speaking at the
strikers meetings. lays aside the golf cape of
mixed goods which it is her custom to wear on
While Mrs. Hindle is a firm advocate of the
fines issue. she is thoroughly loyal to the Execu-
submit to their Judgment concerning the policy
Of pressing, the issue at this time;
quite different from that which marks Mrs.
Pickering. She is calm and logical, and except
at times when she rises to q point of excitement,
As she speaks 1t is rather difficult to follow her
at times. since she lapses into q combination of
diences, however. are. asa general thing. large.
ly made up of people who have come from Mer.
We we're not. entirely prepared for the he
the. mere pittance given us for working from
half-past O In the morning until q at night we
have managed to lay something by for a rainy
day. But IL another cut-down comes after this
the warehouses; will not. only have to bc OK
tended, but tho prison -houses MS well. The
manufacturers have brought upon themselves
something which will whip their own backs at
tho finish. IL worse comes to worse, they will
find that one English woman. before she will
submit to the cut-down, will not BIO too proud
to beg"
So much for.these women. Neither Ia a Joan
of Arc. AZ some Of the sensational papers would
have their readers believe. When this present
excitement Ia over they will return to their
work in the mills, just plain weavers. each with
the power to think and speak for herself.