The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-02-14
ALL VOTE TO STRIKE
REPRESENTATIVES OF TEXTILE UNjOUa
UNANIMOUS
Movement Which, If successSuIIv
carried Out, VIII Close Every
New England Mil and Throw
$4,000 Operatives Out of En-
ioyment-Change of Tactics.

BOSTON, Mass, Feb. 13-At meet
ing today in this city of fifty-ffye rem
resentatlves of textile unions in New,
England, it was unanimously voted to
recommend that all unions call out the
operatives in every cotton mill in New
England - Nc"
The meeting was practically the ont
come of the recommendatfGn w6inb
PRESIDENT Gompers made to the Fedora
tioh OF Labor last Sunday in which he
urged the different unions to unite ON
soHle settled policy regarding the mill
situation in New England. AT that
iheetlhg a committee of three was an
pointed TO take charge of the matter
anu aIter a conference this committee
recommended that a general maatino,
% pe held TO take definite action. Today
tne representatives of the Various ma
.lollal textile associations assembled
III II, ire wells memorial hall and for four
hours discussed the situation from
every standpoint. The primary obieCt
" Lhe meeting was TO devise some
iuelhod OF rendering assistance IN the
New Bedford strikers. Ii was nointed
Out To-Day that If the strikers at New
bedford could hold out for four weeks
"llhout receiving more than twenty
cents per operative per week in The
way or outside assistance. other mill
oPTid dllVes could stand a similar strain
10 one voted against the motion
that the different unions should order
d general strike in every cotton mill IN
New England until satisfactory ad-
JuStment of wages could be ARRANGED
II now remains for the various ma
tloHdl unions to take action on the
recommendation, but what this actfo,,
will be Is a matter of coniactura 70
all should acquiesce and vote to stril,a
I4''oVo operatives would undoubtedly
cease work, and the manufacture Of
cotton goods throughout New England
would De at a standstill IT, on the
otHer hand, only a few unions should
Vole 10 strike. the refusal of the others
would still keep a large portion of the
mills in operation
1hasmuch, however, as the meeting
was the outcome of President Gompers'
suggestions, and as he admonished the
members of the Federation of Labor to
JON hands and assist the New Bed
Iolu strikers. it seems probable that
| nearly every union will carry out the
recommendations, and that one of the
greatest strikes ever seen in this coun-
| try is impending
Change of Tactics.
NEW BEDFORD, Mass. Feb IA
From the point of view of the New
Bedford strikers the action taken bv
| viz NOlilNi CilCe VI lGAllle unions In B0S-
ton today is scarcely likely to be re-
ceived with joy. inasmuch as it Is
against the policy adopted at the
| meetings Of the executive committee Of
| the National Spinners' union-to Wit,
| that New Bedford should be made the
| battle ground and until the conclusion
| of the strike here the other textile CEN
ters should remain at work, thereby
! acquiring the means to assist the New
| Bedford operatives In their struggle
Then, at the conclusion OF New Bed
! ford's fight, the plan was, that, wheth-
! er New Bedford won or lost, the strike
| against the general reduction should
| be extended in one district at a time
until the whole of New England had
been covered. In view OF this plan
which, at the time of its adoption,
seemed to meet with general acquies-
| cence, the action of the conference. It
| would seem, is direct change of tao
| tics.