The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-04
CONTINUES.
Strike is Far
FronnSettled.
BOTH SIDES FIRM.
Gomper's Conference With
Mr., Howe Avails Nothing.

MarIUorO, Jan. o-Ine emu Is not III
sight.
The great strike will continue to drag
along for weeks, maybe for months,
and none can say when it will end.
That much was decided yesterday.
The strikers had hoped that Presi
dent Gompers of the American Fedora
ton of Labor would be able to reach
an agreement with S. H. Howe and the
other manufacturers. But he failed.
The manufacturers had hoped that
on throwing open the three Howe mills
yesterday large numbers would apply
for work, and the backbone of the
strike would be broken. But such was
not the case. The strikers held firm.
Very few resumed work. And so the
fight goes on.
What the end will be cannot yet be
predicted. Both sides are firm; both
are confident. The manufacturer re-
lies on the refusal of the local business
men to offer credit and aid and the
failure of outside trade unions to con-
tinue financial assistance. This condi-
ton of things, they say is sure to come
soon, and then the fight must finish for
want of the sinews of war to carry it
on.
The strikers pin their faith on the
thousands of dollars which it costs the
manufacturers weekly to keep their
mills closed, and on the piling up of
large orders, which they think will in
the end cause the owners to come to
terms.
The conference between S. H. Howe
and President Gompers took place at 10
o'clock in the parlors of the Preston
House. Mr.. Howe had with him W.
Il. Dadmujn of the S. H, Howe Com
pany as a witness The second repre-
sentative of labor was John F. Tobin,
president Of the Boot and Shoe Work
ers Union.
The four men exchanged greetings,
and then started in the long task Of
reviewing the strike, and the condi-
tons leading to it. The whole ques-
ton Of trade unions. and the right Of
walking delegates to interfere was dis
cussed. Inasmuch, however, as Mr.
Howe announced in the beginning his
refusal to make any concessions, all
discussion was fulfilled. After three
hours Of arguing and questioning the
conference broke up, the two maaufac-
turers driving away to their homes and
Gompers and Tobin going to the the
atre to address a large audience that
had already assembled.
factories of the S. H Howe Shoe Com
pany We're opened this morning as free
shops. The response to the company s
invitation to go to work under the con-
dittons proposed by the manufacturers,
was not general. All the machinery
was running, but few employees were
there to tend the machinery. The up
per leather cutters were the best rep
resented class of employees.
No violence was offered the MEN who
went into the factories to work
Everything was quiet and still as a
deserted village. The state police,
wearing their golden braided caps and
projected from the frigid weather by
heaVy storm capes, were on the look
out for breakers of the law, but they
had nothing to do and returned to their
hotel, satisfied that the angel of peace
rules the city
People who Imagine the common
wealth's guardians of the law are busy
looking up clues and performing other
work suggestive of Old Sleuth, would
be surprised if they strolled into the
Preston House parlors today at the
hours when their duties did not call
them to the factories to see the opera
tives going and coming from work. In
stead of the hard-hearted minions of
the law might be seen a score of good
natured, jovial fellows gathered to-
gether in a spirit of good fellowship.
Some were singing to a frightful ac-
compartment played by one of their
number at the piano, others were talk
ing and joking, while in a corner a
quartet were indulging in a quiet game
of whist.
doors at in the afternoon when John
F. Tobin, J. D. Pierce, ]. H. Murray
and P. j. Byrne and other representa-
tives of local labor unions took their
places on the stage. j. H. Murray
called the meeting to order. He said
the factories were empty, While the the
atre was filled He severely criticised
the action of the merchants in siding
with the manufacturers without hav-
tag first heard the strikers side. The
manufacturers, he said, were trying ev-
cry trick to break the ranks of the
strikers, but would not succeed. He
roundly scored the reported action of a
superintendent who had three girls, VS.
ting at the hose house, removed by the
state police. Not content with running
the police department, he claimed the
manufacturers were ambitious of run
ming the fire department as well. The
speaker concluded with another appeal
TO stand firm for the cause and obey the
law. He then introduced Mr.. Gompers,
who was greeted with a tumult of ap-
plause.
President Gompers said in part:
Feilow-strlllers, 1 am of course en-
titled to the honor of being called a
striker, as / really don't know how
often | have been on strike and how
long. We are forced to discuss very
grave questions in the midst of battle.
Perhaps it might be more advantageous
to tell you how battles might be avoid
ed and peaceful victories won, but l
suppose you are more interested in the
Interview had with Mr. Howe. There
Were present, besides myself, Messrs.
Howe. Dadnlun and Tobin. The INFER
view lasted three hours, during which
we discussed the many phases of the
present controversy. 1t was a long,
long story, shifting from one question
to another.
Mr.. Howe, almost in the beginning,
stated that Justice was on his side. We,
OF course. denied this, and brought ar
g'lments to show that the right was on
cur side. We then took up the sub
lgct of labor agents, Mr.. Howe saying
IA rney were the cause of all misunder-
,sfslanding between employer and EN-
nlOVnl "a lsat I,o'tt 81