The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-04-13

progress of the strike. This union is the
only plate-glass union in the country. Its
officers are: President, Frank Cunningham;
secretary. John Lewis; corresponding secrI-
tary, David Carleton; treasurer, Frank Ra-
vencroft.
The citizens OF Alexandria are said TO be
almost unanimously in sympathy with the
strikers. They say the strikers have as
mass conducted themselves we'll and soberly
and have not congregated in the saloons,
and are, on the average, men Of the better
classes.
On the streets to-day parties OF strikers
walked about or gathered on the corners
and about the works. a mile west OF the
town. The men did not. however. trespass
on the companys property. Every day de-
tails are made from the headquarters of the
union to watch the works. The leaders say
they have cautioned the men not to use
violence. but TO try to persuade by argu-
ment the men who approach the works. in
tending to apply for jobs. that they are not
doing the right thing. One who visited the
works to-day found that on all sides at
least a few strikers were rambling around,
with apparently no object but TO take the
air. lHGIc was no lOuu ld4lAlllS 41A
gathering of strikers.
Inside the works was a handful Of men.
most of whom live there, and their meals
are sent to them in baskets. They are work
ing on the building The office force is not
affected by the strike. The officers Of ;he
company are w l.. Kann, of Pittshurg,
president Isaac Guckenheimer, of Pittsbu.S,
vice president; S. j. Mack OF Anderson, sec
md i- ho
cipal owner and the company is capitalized
at Sl,0c0,0o0. 1t is said there IS not entire
harmony between Mr.. Kann end the other
officers of the company and one Of the ofi-
GERS corroborated this statement to-day. 1t
is stated authoritatively that last week. Mr.
Kann being in Pittsburg. the other officers
of the company and the leaders Of The str;k-
ers met and reached an agreement which
would have ended the strike. The men would
have returned to work ana sheir union
would have remained whole, though it would
have been kept in The background. When
It became necessary to make this known
to Mr. Kann he broke off all negotia.lons.
He is determined that no man shall work
in his plant who is a union man.
Before this strike" said Mr.. Kann to-
day, Il urged the men TO organize. 1 wanted
TO see them form a union. But now. since
they have shown that even when organized
they cannot control themselves, no union
man shall be allowed TO enter these works
Mr. Kann was asked whether there had
been any applicants for jobs. He replied
that there had been a few, but he would
not give out the number
WILL IMPORT MEN.
when do you expect this strike to end
and the works to open?" Mr.. kann was
asked.
''If 1 thought you or any other man could
answer me that truthfuly / would give him
$500 he replied
'Then. how DO you expect to end this
striker"
I'VE intend to open these works in the
near future, when the improvements being
made now are finished. and If we cannot
get enough men in Alexandria We shall go
elsewhere for them. but we shall open these
works. The strike has cost me a good many
thousands OF dollars and considerable anx-
iety"
What was the cause of the strike. Mr..
Kann?"
1--WE put in electrical machinery to hoist
the pots from the furnaces. thereby greatly
Iessening the mems work. After making this
Improvement we might have taken six or
seven men off each gang, but instead of
that we took off only two men in each gang.
We told the men that In a short time the
men who were laid off would be put back
to work in another part of the plant This
was six weeks ago. Two weeks later the
men demanded that we put the old force
to work again. They struck because of our
refusal"
Mr. Kann said the capacity of the plant
would be doubled by the improvements be-
ing made. The buildings have been extended
and now cover about thirty acres. The plant
is now probably the largest individual fac
tory in its class in the country. Its capacity
will be 4,500,00O square feet of plate glass a
year. The number of men necessary to op-
crate the plant, as extended, will be about
GO, an increase of $50 over the old quota.
Across the road from the works is a cozy.
broad-windowed clubhouse, where live the
officers of the company when they are in
Alexandria. The house is two stories high
and is handsomely furnished.
The strikers side of the cause of the
trouble is that, though electrical ma
chinery was put in to hoist the
pots from the furnaces, this did not lessen
the work of drawing the pots directly out
of furnaces to the holsters. The work. they
say, Is lSTIlDlS not anu HdTu
sized gang is required TO do the work now
as before the hosting machinery was
introduced. But this primary cause Of the
strike has been lost sight of in the second
airy contention of the recognition of the
union. The strikers are giving dances and
theatrical entertainments for the benefit of
their treasury, and appeals to the labor or
ganiZations over the country for help are
meeting with more or less liberal responses
From the present outlook there is little
danger of riots, so well have the leaders Of
the union their men in hand and so little
seems to be the inclination of the men to-
ward disorder. They seem satisfied to wait,
and Mr. Kann. who holds the reins of the
company, also seems not to be worrying at
all whether the plant opens this week or
this year, so long as he gains his end.
II. l..
CONDITION OF MINERS.