The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-18
NO AGREEM EN- 7.
Founders and Mould.
ers Are Still at
Loggerheads.
ARBITRATION BOARD
Meeting at Providence Yes
terday Was Without
Results.

The arbitration board in the mould
ers strike left Worcester for 1'rovi-
dence yesterday morning at 1857
o'clock. According to the version at Ia
Dor headquarters, news reached that
place early yesterday morning that the
board had agreed to recognize the
union card, abolish piecework, and
countenance shop committees The only
matter of dispute was the price to be
established as a minimum rate.
Stephen A. Holman, manager of the
Holyoke Machine CO., was loath to be-
lieve that the founders had made any
concessions, and when he arrived at
the Bay State house for a verification
of the report, the arbitrators had left
for Providence. Mr.. Holman used the
long distance telephone for nearly an
hour. He received a letter from @. P.
Letchworth of the National Founders
association, the contents of which
seemed to give him the vigor of youth.
A member of the Founders association
in Cleveland Ohio, was called III on
the phone, and Mr.. Holman's CONVEX
sation was presumably in regard to the
report that concessions had been made
by the founders. 1t was evidently his
object to get prominent members of the
association to protest to President
Letchworth at the establishment of a
precedent which would indicate at the
start, that the Founders association
was not possessed of the power of the
Moulders' National union.
Mr.. Holman left the city in the early
part Of the afternoon and he Is be-
lieved to have visited Providence,
where President Letchworth is acting
as member of the arbitration board
in the moulders strike there. If he
met the national president the nature
of the discussion must have been in
regard to the report that the founders
representatives on the Worcester board
of arbitration had made concessions.
Late last night The Spy man talked
over the telephone with Providence
newspaper men, who had interviewed
President Letchworth in regard to the
report that the founders had agreed to
recognize the union card countenance
the shop committees and abolish piece
work in the Holyoke Machine Compa-
ny case, President Letchworth replied:
I'VE have agreed to nothing in the
Hoiyoke Machine Company case; at
least that is what the founders in the
board have reported to me-"
Manager Holman conversed with
representatives. Of the most prominent
founders in New England, and it is be-
lieved that he will withdraw from the
National Founders Association If con-
cessions are made by the founders. In
this move he is supposed to have Sc
cured the backing of prominent mem
bers Of the association. Mr.. Holman
emphatic2!ly declared in an interview,
few days ago, that he would not rec
ognize the union card. At that time he
said that he intended to abide by the
decision of the board, but he was
positively sure that the founders who
actcd as arbitrator would never agree
to recognition of the union card.
When the board of arbitration left
Worcester, Walter c. Fish of Lynn, who
acts as district chairman of the Found
ers' arbitration committee notified J.
p. F. Frey, chairman of the executive
board of the local Moulders' Union, and
member of the arbitration board, that
if the Providence matter was settled
in a few hours the Holyoke Machine
Company case would be argrs1. Mr..
Frey left for Providence at noon yes
terday.
Walter c. Fish was obliged to return
to the General Electric Company plant
at Lynn, of which he is manager. The
pattern makers in the foundry, 27 in
number, are locked out, the corporation
officials having given them the alter
native of leaving the foundry or con-
tinuing work at the present rates. Mr..
Fish will probably return to Provi-
dence today, when the arbitration board
will meet at the Narragansett House.
President o. p. Letchworth of Buffalo
N. Y, c. L. Newcomb of Holyoke and
w. o. Barber of Cambridge were the
members of the Founders Association
on the arbitration board at Providence
yesterday. the session beginning at 9. 90
o'clock. Vice-P Presidents Valentine and
Roach and p. T.. Mahon of the Provi-
dence Moulders' Union argued the case
from the moulders' view.
AT o'clock last evening the meeting
was adjourned with no action taken.
J. P. F. Frey and Vice Presidents
Roach and Valentine did not return to
Worcester last evening. The result OF
the Providence arbitration board meet
ing win materially affect the result OF
the case in which the Holyoke Machine
Co. is involved, as there will probably
be no radical changes in the rulings o!
the boards.
The Providence Moulders Union de-
mands S2.75 per day as the minimum
rate, and yesterday President
Joseph Valentine said that that rate
would be asked for in this city instead
of the SO rate as originally intended II
is believed by labor leaders that the
Bay State House meeting was called
to enable the founders and moulders
to get brushed up on matters relating
to their organizations.
One of the singular phases of the
tangled affair lies in the fact that the
union foundries have signed an agree
ment for one year with the Moulders'
Union. BY the terms of the agreement.
the founders are obliged to pay SO per
day as a minimum rate to moulders in
their employ. In the advent of a set
tlement of the Holyoke Machine Co.
case, it Is likely that less than SO per
day will be named as a minimum rate.
The union founders are between two
fires. Not enc of them is willing to
gamble on the outcome of the strike.
and they are aware of the fact that
Vice President Valentine has named
S2.l5 per day as the minimum rate in
the Holyoke Machine Co. case.
Interest in the arbitration board
meeting at Providence was intense at
labor headquarters last evening. While
waiting for news of the happenings in
the Rhode Island capital. the strike
situation in Worcester was discussed
Yesterday the pickets at Rice. Barton
& Fales' induced one of the moulders
in the foundry 10 come to labor head
quarters last night. He went to work
in the foundry yesterday morning
having arrived the night before from
Woonsocket. The moulders did not have
TO plead with him when the facts of
the strike were given, and he left for
Boston last night. About a dozen mould
ers saw him off at Union station.
Daniel A. White of Boston, ex-vice
president of the Iron Moulders' union
Of America, and a popular man among
members of the local Moulders' union.
has announced that he will come to
Worcester irrespective of the national
officers of the union, and arouse inter-
est in the moulders' side Of the strike.
He is expected here today He will I'M
doubtedlv centre his first eeforfs ,tro,,