Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-06-24
1T MAY END TODAY,
Arbitrators in the Whit|ock Strike
Advise The Girls TO Return
MEET At LE|GH-ST. CHURCH.
Some Points Have Been Conceded !;
Others Were Not Well Taken.
GIRLS CALL UPON MINISTER'S.
Grievances of the strikers Reduced
to Writing and Submitted to Mr..
WbitIOck by Revs. vi. A. Jones, j.
l.. Cooke, and II. II. Collier.
GIRLS CALL UPON MINISTER'S.

led the bunch-breakers. rollers, and pack
ers employed at the Philip Whitlock
Branch of the American Tobacco Com
pany TO strike on Thursday.
The three clergymen chosen by the
girls TO investigate their grievances and
advise them as 10 what course TO pur-
sue will strongly recommend that they
return to work at a meeting which is to
be held at Leigh-Street Baptist church
al o'clock this morning.
Some of the causes which led to the
strike have been removed, others have
been mitigated, but the arbitrators found
that in most OF them the requirements
of the factory were entirely reasonable
and not a little misunderstood.
Scarcely two hundred and fifty girls Of
the twelve hundred employed in the fac
tory returned to work yesterday. Mr..
Philip Whitlock himself was at the fac
tory by 6 o'clock, and the gates were
kept open until o'clock, only known
agitators being excluded.
SCENES AROUND THE FACTORY.
There was a crowd round the factory
until o'clock, and the Ieaoerc Of the
strike were industriously trying to per-
suade those who were inclined to go to
work not TO do so. Their arguments were,
i'm many instances, successful, for they
were strongly endorsed by representatives
Of labor unions, who pledged the finan
cial support Of their organizations in
event of a prolonged strike.
Mr.. Philip Whitlock and Mr.. Henry
Gordon both attempted to make short
addresses, but the girls would not listen
TO them.
Later on the suggestion that their
grievances should be laid before Rev.
j. +. Cook, of Hoge-Memorial church;
Rev. VI. Ashby Jones, OF Leigh-Strect
Baptist church, and kew. Il. b. Collier,
the pastors of the churches with which
a large number of the girls are connect
ed, met with the favor of the fair strikers.
and a committee Of six was deputed 10
confer with the clergymen
As result of this conference the
grievances of the girls were reduced TO
writing, and the arbitrators went to the
Whitlock factory, upon the understand
ing that their decision in the matter was
to be considered final by the strikers.
THEIR GRIEVANCES STATED.
These grievances are as follows:
"The rules are Of such a character that
work as we will at the present rate Of
pay it is impossible for us TO make living
wages.
TO dock girl 10 cents for talking is
surely great grievance.
"TO lose our work simply because We
forget TO bring our ticket or tag with Us
when We carry it in is unjust and unfair.
ITO make us carry our blocks across
the room when at times many Of US are
physically unable TO do so. Is very hard
and TO take insult after insult from negro
men. is too much for US TO stand any
longer
I'm view of these facts. and in view of
the small wages we have been receiving
even though there has been no fall in the
price of cherOots until the last month
or so, we are not willing 10 80 back TO
work unless these rules are modified and
we are paid cents for breaking punches
and u Genus for rolling"
In the mean while the packers held q
meeting and decided to strike for higher
wages. The following paper was drawn
up and adopted:
1.-THE packers have this complaint 10
make: BY the change that has been
made in the sale of the cherOOts from five
for 10 cents TO three for cents, they
have twO-hfths more work TO do than
formerly, and they therefore request that
they be given % cents instead OF 10 cents
per thousand for packing them"
CONFER WITH MR.. WHITLOCK.
AS the arbitrators were about TO leave
for the Whitlock factory representative
of the labor organizations came with
request that they would wait until a com
mttee from the unions could accompany
them. This request was denied. The ar
bitrators were very cOurteOusly received
by Mr.. Philip Whtlock the manager; his
nephew, Mr.. Edward Whitlock. the cash
Ter; and Mr.. Lipscomb
The complaints were taken up one
by one, and every possible Iacih,y W..
granted to the arbitrators to investigate
the pros and cons
The rule against talking was declared
to refer only to boisterous conduct, ana
shouting, which was calculated TO create
a panic. n visit TO the WOrk-rOOms. where
the girls at work were freely conversing,
proved this to he a fact. The objection
to the "slug" which is put on the punches
Of chcroOts made by each girl was ex-
planned, and the reason given for the |
rule, but after some discussion Mr.. Whlt-
lock agreed TO suspend this rule for |
month, unless the need for its enforce
ment shall again become evident. J
DONE FOR THEIR GOOD.
The third grievance was that the girls |
were compelled after filling five moulds |
10 carry them some distance. Regarding |
this Mr. Whitlock said thar he would |
prefer as a financial question for them |
not 10 do this, as the time lost by expert |
abor was considerable. and he would |
rather employ inexperienced help 10 do |
il. He was actuated solely, he said, by |
for the health OF the girls. |
He thought il much better that they !
should walk around occasionally instead |
IF sitting for hours without taking any
exercise. The point was raised by Mr.. |
Cooke that the moulds were probably too
heavy for them to carry. Mr.. Whitlock.
had five. the regular burden.
weighed. and II tipped the scales at
pounds. He also stated that
, number OF members OF the railway |
surgeons In session here a few weeks
ago had been through the factory and |
highly endorsed 1t as health measure.
The committee conceded In Mr.. Whit
locks views, and went on TO the next
,oint. which was that the girls were in
suited by the negroes in charge of the
stock when they went 10 get the same
Mr. Whitlock met this grievance with a
statement that the men had all been dis
.harged, and said that summary justice
you'd be dealt out In future IL any dis
courtesy on the part of the coIored help
we're reported
NO INCREASE IN PAY.
The demand OF the bunch-breakers for
IN Increase In their pay was met with Il
cry emphatic refusal, on the ground that