The Portland daily press., 1898-01-19
Employers or Employed Show No
Signs Of Yielding.
SECOND DAY OF GREAT CONTEST
IN COTTON INDUSTRY.
Hundred Thousand Operatives Are
Watching Contest Very Closely and
Signs of Weakening on Either Side
Would be Signal For General and I'm
paralIeled Labor Movement.

| Boston, January 1S.-Grim determina-
tion on the part of both sides, coupled
with defined issue between employer
and employe as well as practically an ah-
sence of any sign of demonstration were
the features of the second day In the
great contest in the cotton industry OF
| New England. AS yesterday interest
centered almost entirely in the strike at
New Bedford, where the disturbances of
| yesterday afternoon and last evening led
| to the belief that a similar demonstration
might be attempted today. Nothing Of
strengthened their case by making the
question of fines definite Issue.
| It is just possible that an agreement on
| this question may lead to some satisfac-
tory ending Of the whole matter in that
| oity, although at present such an out
come seems far distant. It was in a
meeting of the weavers union at New
Bedford that the question of fines was
taken up and made an issue by very
close vote. The matter of financial sup
| port to the strikers was also generally
discussed not only in New Bedford, but
4 in Biddeford, Saco and Lewiston, Maine,
andsswhile the union strikers seem to have
no anxiety regarding the next three
/ months, the non-union mon who are out
have q feeling that they may not receive
\ sufficient assistance during the labor
| troubles. In Fall River the superintendent
4 Of the King Philip mill where there is q
4 strike, went 30 far as to agree to remedy
union grievances, but other than this
there appeared no breach in the line Of
4 the manufacturers during the day. The
i hundred thousand operatives in all six of
4 the New England States are watching the
/ contest in New Bedford, Saco and Bidde-
4 ford very closely and any signs of weak
| ening on the part of either manufacturer
| or operative, will be the signal for some
! general labor movement the extent Of
| which will be unparalleled in mill
| history.
1 8 MILLS WILL START.
| Providence, r. L, January 18.-Super-
/ inyendent Metcalf announced today that
the Geneva mills would be started up to-
morrow. He said number of weavers
had been to him and stated that they de-
sired to resume work and he decided to
giTa them an opportunity of doing So.
I i'aare was absolute quiet about the
vicinity of the mill today. 1t is stated
that number of operatives have left to
seek employment elsewhere, but how ex-
tensive any such move was could not be
| definitely ascertained.
| ORGANIZING IN LOWELL.
/ Lowell, Januarg 1S.-At the weekly
meeting of the carders and ring spinners
4 union tonight the membership was in
creased by 80. The recently posted sched-
ules of wages came in for pretty severe
criticism. Tt was voted to assess each
-lx IL.
for the purpose /. of aiding the New Bed
ford strikers. The assessment will
probably be increased If the situation at
New Bedford warrants it, The dnfon Is
considering the sdvisability of atfiliating
with the textile workers of America.
The day mill firemen were organized
here tonight under the name of the Mill
Eirenen's Protective association by Sec
rotary P. J. Grimes of Fall River asso-
ciatian, The new organization starts out
with 178 members. The night mill fire.
men will be organized Thursday fore
noon. 1t was stated tonight that within
a month every class of workers in the
local mills will be organized.
TO HELP NEW BEDFORD.
Pawtucket. R. l.. January ia
special meeting of the mule spinners of
Rhode Island was held in this city to-
night; the primary purpose OF which was
to test the feeling or the members OF Ine
association regarding the extra assess
rnent levied to aid the New
Bedford strikers in carrying on their
work. The vote was unanimous in favor
of paying the assessment, to show the in
rerest the operatives have regarding the
New Bedford situation.
4 All of the back boys employed In the
mills of the Blackstone valley have
voluntarily obligated themselves to an
assessment Of 5 cents week for the bene-
fit of the strikers in New Bedford. There
is no probability of any trouble here In
labor circles, IS everything has gone
smoothly during the past two days.
| RESTORATION DEMANDED.
Salmon Falls, N. H., N. H., January
i1S.-The weavers and mule spinners EN-
ployed in the mills of the Salmon Falls
Manufacturing company. held separate
meetings this evening, and appointed
committees to wait on Agent Brown and
demand the restoration of the former
wages. 1t his understood that If the de-
mands are not acceded to the operatives
will vote to strike.
AFFAIRS IN FALL RIVER.
Fall River, Mass, January 1S.-The