The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-04-04

Vi staying out Of work for an indefinite
period because even as good an over
seer as Mr., Pickens chose to leave his
loD, the more especially as Overseer
FicKens refused to come back at all.
Neither was he in favor of striking
IN the face of raise in wages. He was
Hot so sure what he would do il
the WeaVers were required to run six
looms, but he had no assurance that
mat story was true. With some of
ms friends he made the proposition that
the strikers hold a meeting, The pro-
position met with favor.
! The mass meeting convened in a
! mouse on Greene street at l o'clock p.
m Strikers to the number of $50, were
/ present. James H Ennis was elected
chairman.
| Mr.. Ennis made talk in which he
reviewed the situation. He advised the
appointment Of a committee to deal
with Superintendent Richardson. The
strikers voted that the chair appoint
Ennis named Dennis Callahan, William
Donellon, Henry Nolan and Michael
ferguson a committee to serve with
| the chairman. The committee was in
| structed to seek the retention of Over
seer Ptckens to ask for an increase of
Z mills on cut of cloth, and to protest
against the use Of six looms.
AT o'clock the committee was in
spokesman. 1t was well understood
that Pickens was determined to stay
out, so not much was said about that
matter.
Superintendent Richardson said that
he could not possibly pay mills more
for cut of cloth. He exceeded the
wishes of the directors some $4,000 in
the original increase. There was $4S-
900 divided among the laborers in
fair, square, honest way.
| The committee was much impressed
by the sincerity of the statement. They
conceded the point about the Z mills.
The question of the six looms came
next That was easy. Agent Richard
son said it was not in his plans and
| never had been to make the weavers
operate six looms instead of four or
five looms The committee reported
back to the meeting advising the oper-
atives to go back to work. A vote on
the question, Shall we go back?' was
taken by reclamation. The ayes and
the noes came out in about equal vol
ume, but the noes seemed to be the
loudest.
There was where Ennis came out
strong. As chairman, he declared,
THE ayes have It,"
Doubted" said voice from among
| the men who wanted to stay out at
| least g. month.
Nobody has any right to doubt the
| decision of the chair" replied Ennis
He was afraid of the result and wanted
to gain time. Anybody could tell that
the ayes had it,"
| Nevertheless he finally consented to
a vote by showing hands. 1t was a
critical moment. Only a few of the
strikers voted. The women, for the
most part. were passive, and merely
willing to do what the men should de-
eide to do. Ennis could not see from
where he stood. He went among the
| strikers, counting. "Thirty-slx to 10
against the strike he finally an
nOunced.
1t was moved and carried that all
hands go back to work tomorrow
morning. Undoubtedly all hands Will
it being understood that Mr.. Richard
son assured the committee that mo-
body should be discharged or molested
for the part he or she took in the
strike.
Tonight everybody is unQualifiedly
pleased with the result Of things. What
would surely have become a disagree
able, not to say ugly situation, Is aV-
erted by q little tolerance on both sizes.
1t is merest truth to say that Super
| intendent Richardson is more popular
with the employees Of the Lancaster
mills tonight than any agent mas been
| for many years before.
The weavers in the No. 2 mill actual
w have had their wages raised. Before
| the raise was thought of each weaver
| had charge of four looms. A week
work was from "a to 20 cuts of cloth
J for which 81 cents cut was pald. Al
! terward Ave looms were given to each
weaver, with the stop motion attach
ment. This is a mechanism that au-
! tomatically stops the loom when the
! thread breaks. II is presumed to en-
able the weaver TO run more looms una
| weave more yards of cloth in the same
number Of hours.
With five looms the weaver was tax
I ing off 80 cuts a week at 26 1-2 cents d
cut. With four looms, on rs cuts an
average weaver earned SS.4S With SIX
/ looms and so cuts. he earned $7.9j cents
! q week. Under the increase to rs $40
l cents cut, he makes on 30 cuts $S49
4 a week.
1 The claim was that the 40 cents more
4 or less wasn't enough to pay TOR
/ running the extra loom. In an inter
J view with the correspondent of The
/ Spy, Agent Richardson said: The trou-
1 Bile today was unexpected by me. am
j glad it is happily settled. Mr.. Pickens'
! difficulty was due to little hot head
1 edness on mis- part perhaps.
y We are paying our people all that We
;, can afford to. and more than our COM
! petitors are. We did not Gu. our help
I in 1898 We are distributing $4,000
I among them now, as honestly and as
/ fairly as we know how. l am trying 70
/ make this a pleasant place for our
people. ] want them TO be satisfied
here [ am always ready to hear any
complaints that any employe has 10
make.
Overseer Pickens is going to pack
his goods in the boxes and return TO
PHILADELPHIA He said: Il left the mill
of my own accord. Friday morning
j. Agent Richardson gave me the new
schedule. Friday afternoon Superinten-
dent McLoon sent for it. was willing
to give It to nobody other than the
agent Supt. McLoon insisted and l
! left. ! will never go back
! News of the death Of Henry NJ. Reyes
in the city hospital, Worcester has
I been received. He was stricken with
4 oDon1exV in Worcester yesterday. The
! remains Will be brought to Clinton
for burial. Miss Lucy Amsden, Edward
I w Burdett and f. W. Wallace went
tn Worcester. yesterday, to be with
Mr. Keves. This morning they were
I ioined by Judge Reyes of Jamaica
plain and J. f. Reyes Of Lancaster
brothers of the deceased.
BigelOW han Was lOLlsnt ny 9SIiiV
/, If the first concert and ball of the Cur
tis Club. From to O'CLOCK an ex-
. cal1en+ concert program was rendered
; NV NTcKerrgie's orchestra of Worces-
ter ps A trio composed Of Messrs. Bor-
len. Connors. s Joyce street of this
town. sang selections. The grand
march started at 9.15, and was led by
president Daniel O'Grady, followed by
50 couples. -. r,,.--
The officials Of the AFFAIR are; Fl 700
director Daniel O'Graqy' ana IIe Ioi-