The Portland daily press., 1898-01-18

1t was useless TO aGt9HlpU 10 hceP UNI
machinery moving with broken crews,
and when the gates were again opened at
one O'Clock the only ones to enter were
those who had been assigned to special
tasks In the line of getting things In
readiness for IL shut down. The dye house
hands kept at work, to clear up the yarn
on hand. and the cloth hall employees
were also retained to finish the cloth
stored there.
Many of the York strikers Joined drives
with their Biddeford fellow sufferers and
the afternoon was devoted to conferences
and mass meeting. The mass meeting
was held in Marble hall and lasted nearly
three hours. 1t was called especially ior
the York operatives who were Wltaou6
leaders in their strike.
Narcisse E. Larrabee presided. lie
made ringing speech in which he urged
the operatives to stand together, and sug-
gested the appointment of a committee to
act as their leaders
T. committee was chosen and TO lt was
assigned the uneviable duty of calling on
to ask the reasons Of so extensive reduo-
tion Of wages, and compare notes with
him as to the probable outcome of the
strike. This committee is expected TO re-
port at an adjourn ed meeting tomorrow
afternoon.
Speeches were made by Noel Beaupre, a
Pepperell operative, Mr.. King, an en-
ploye of the York, and ex-Deputy Factory
Inspector j. S. Bourbon. All of them
were severe in their denunciation Oh the
Arkwright club and the combine of New
England cotton mill directors which
brought about the cut down. The opera
tives were advised to stay out and to
stand together. Mr.. Bourbon was
especially vindictiye. He denounced
Robert B. Knight, Woonsocket mill
owner who took prominent part In the
Arkwright club movement. He declared,
in conclusion, that the political leaders
are ouaking at the outcome of this COM
bine of manufacturers.
Chairman Larrabee followed with a
brief speech, in which he discouraged any
attempt to drag in political feeling on
this occasion. stThe Republican party
promised us prosperity" said he, (which
was to come from the enactment of a
tariff law for which the manufacturers
had been clamoring. That tariff law has
been passed, satisfactorily to the manu-
facturers, and the question now at issue
lies between the manufacturers and their
employees. No political party can be
blamed for this crisis
How will it all end? This is the ques-
ton that is being asked, not only by the
mill hands, but by the business men of
Biddeford and Saco. who will miss the
$4,000 day that these three corporations
paid out to their operatives.
The strikers are banking on the theory
that the Pepperell and Laconia mills are
close up to their orders, and their trade
especially in export drills, will suffer
seriously by prolonged shut down. If
we hold out long enough we are sure to
win.u That is the motto the striking
operatives have adopted as their own.
On the other hand. j. is argued that the
Pepperel and Laconia could pay divi-
dends from their surplus for three years
without the turning of wheel, and that
the managers Of these two corporations
were shrewd enough to foresee this
trouble and to prepare for it.
"Unweignt the rolls, ungang the belts,
and put your machinery into condition
for long period of idleness ," This was
the purport Of an order that was passed
along to the overseers this forenoon, after
the strike was we'll under way.
1t looks like long battle. A move
ment has been started to raise funds to
help along needy families during the
strike. and free soup house is to be
established in the heart of the city.
ONE LEWISTON MILL AFFECTED.
Lewiston, January l7.-The weayers of
the Androscoggin mill did not go to
work this morning, and, to the surprise
of everyone the backboys in this mill