The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-22
E. 3. PIERCE COMES OUT.
Another Worcester Man in Nationa
Founders Association.


Worcester has another member of
the National Founders association.
Edgar b. Pierce, the Mechanic street
foundry owner, returned last evening
from Pittsburg, where he has been at
tending the annual convention of the
American Founders association. II
Spy man, he made the following state
ment: Your report in The Spy ac-
crediting me with membership in he
National Founders association, was
correct, despite the contradictions of
the other papers.
Il Joined the association because It
is the founders most powerful organ
ization. The American association
aims to increase its members knowl-
edge of affairs relating to the indus
try we are connected with, but the
National Founders association is
strictly a defensive organization. 1t Is
in close touch with the labor question,
and the fact that it has an arbitration
agreement with the Iron Moulders'
union of America, shows its tendency
to settle labor difficulties.
Il did not join the association with
the expectation of receiving arbitra-
ton privileges in the present strike,
because no member is entitled to cell
upon the arbitration board until he has
been a member two months The con-
Vention of the American Founders as
sociation did not deal with the mould
ers' strike. and 1 made no appeal TO
the national officers for assistance IN
effecting a settlement Of the strike
while I was at the convention, scE-
eral of the Boston delegation OF iou,lo-
ers received kilograms announcing thst
strikes had been ordered in their foun-
dries In but few instances did It
cause any worry or grumbling, because
a majority of the owners are Wiling
to have their foundries idle until JuIe.
Until I have visited my foundry ana
ascertained the condition of affairs re-
lating to the strike, ! cannot say posi-
lively what my future plans VIII pe'
When 1 heard tonight that Rice' Bar
ton & Fales had induced a nagorits
of it's men to return to work, pc
came convinced that the backbone Oh
the strike is broken. 1t will certainly
have a tendency to help the founders
side.
81 am not in the foundry business
for NV health and / would not nave
locked up my plant and refused 10 con-
cede the demands Of the union hau
not studied the situation thoroughly
and found that by paying minimum
losing money or making so little that
it would not be a fair salary Tor the
time 1 would spend at the foundry.
The fact that the national otheers
have not insisted upon minimum OF
So and have agreed to accept to SIC
as the minimum wage rate shows that
the moulders cannot expect TO get 70
Al the s2.75 minimum wage rate, pc
lieve it will be possible for me to open
my foundry to union help. ! do not
intend to plead With any of the labor
leaders. but 1t is more than pfooaole
that I will be agreeable to that rate
and when they visit me, can TAM
with them concerning the opening OF
my foundry
"Of course there win be no move
made by me until after the decision
Of the arbitration board, and at thai
time 1 viii be prepared to state my
plans. I will not pay one cent more
per day than the Holyoke Machine
Company is instructed to after the ar
bitrstion meeting"