The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-28
A STRIKE is ON.
The Royal Milling Company's Plant Has
Closed Down.

The Royal Milling C0mpany's Plant Has
Closed Down.
Great Falls, Nov. 27.-The Royal Mill
| Ing company's plant in this city has
gone dark" for the first time in SIX
years, its busy wheels are stopped and
the grinding out of flour stopped. This
| morning nearly all the employees OF the
| mills, Is in number, failed to report
| for work, and a strike is on. s=
This afternoon Wilbur Holmes,
| transfer teamsters, were ordered by
some one net to haul anything more
for the mills until the affairs are set
| tied, and w. M. Atkinson, manager of
| the mills. has given orders to his head
| miller to close down for an indefinite
| period.
| The men who went out are two oilers,
| four packers, two engineers, two mill
| ers, one elevator man, one teamster
| and one carpenter. The carpenter han
no trouble, but went out III sympathy
Several Of the men stated their side of
| the case to the Standard and said:
| I'VE asked for a 10 per cent. raise In
| wages two weeks ago, and Mr.. Atlsin-
| son would not treat with us on the
matter. We do not get as much wages
| as they do in Minneapolis; we get $3.50
| for 10 hours work as packers here,
while in Minneapolis the same work
| pays SETS for ii hours. The two mil
| lers got a. raise to So, but the rest Of
US got nothing. Living is higher here
than in Minneapolis. and we want more
money. The Trades and Labor council
called us out, and this morning we
! tailed to go to work. Yes, the council
did not take it up at first, but after
they understood our case they took up
| the fight for u.s.
~; Mt !, Atkinson. manager Of the mills,
! speaking of the trouble. said: THE
men who went out asked for 10 per
cent. raise, which I felt we could not
| POSSIBLY AFFORD to pay; SO they went
| on q strike. l have ordered the head
| miller to close down indefinitely and
| that is as far as L know. 1 am sorry
the men saw fit ITO quit many of them
having worked for me six years stead
| lily, and this matter Of an increase new
er came up until two weeks ago new
| er heard complaint before, and the
men have had steady work, winter and
summer. With me there is no feeling
IN the matter. can't afford to pay the
increase asked, and that settles it, We
are paying wages much higher than
are paid by our competitors, either in
this state, Minnesota or the Dakotas,
besides which, in every instance we are
compelled to sell our -four lower than
flour from out Of the state, for the rea-
son that many people think Montana
flour Of poorer quality. This may
look odd but 1t is fact, nevertheless,
and IT Is no trouble to prove by refer
ence to any experienced dealer In the
state. In Minneapolis packers get from
$l.50 to 50, and in a few exceptional
eases s2.25 and IL hours. We pay $2.75
Tor the same work and 10 hours. Out
side OF MINNEAPOLIS they pay less vet.
pay head millers $3.50 per day, SIS per
month; ours get over 500. Millers get
$l50 and packers $140 for the same
work we pay So and $3.50. Larimcre,
OAK, mills pay millers $50, engineers
" per day and helpers $3.50. Now we
oT,6ytft will 4, 4
places and have to underbid them to
get trade.
Il have not the figures for Bohemian
mills, but understand the wages there
are the same as paid at Kalfspell. which
are considerably lower than we pay.
kaiispell pays 50 for packers, II hours:
we pay $3.50, 10 hours engineers there
get $2.5O for running an engine; here we
pay S2.75 for firing a Boiler and pack
Ing bran; we have no engine; our plant
IS run by electricity. Kalispell pays So
for extra labor; we pay $3.50. A -four
null should run IL hour shifts, and
does 1T in all eastern states, but we
give our men 10-hour Shifts and block
the whole thing the extra time. A
committee from the union waited on
me, and I went into the matter very
thoroughly with them, and showed
them exactly how matters stood. T
told them to go and see the men. What
report they made do not know; 1 am
willing to have the case looked into
any time by anyone who represents
the men or the unions, and the matter
Will be found exactly as I state 1t. we
are are paying more wages now than any
nun IN the state. As I state, I think
Bozelnan pays the same as Kalispell
And we more than the mills outside
or the state with which we compete.
ana sell lower. I think 1t but fair
these Things should be looked into, for
they directly concern the whole mat
ter
Evidently there Is a mistake some
Where, as TO who called the men out.
A member of the Trades and Labor as
seinpiy stated tonight no action was
taken Friday night; thatit was laid on
the table. A member Of the execu-
i've committee, to whom the case was
referred, said:
The COMMITTEES or a portion of them
VISITED the Royal mills, and after look
Ing into the matter thoroughly decided
the men had not good cause for griey-
ance, and so reported. If the Trades
and Labor council ordered them out I
am unaware of how 1t was DONE The
men belong to the A. F. of L., and it Is
probable that it was that body who or
dered them out"
In the meantime, the men are out.
and the mill is down, but will continue
to receive all wheat which is brought
to its elevators. The Royal mills are
branch of the Washburn- Crosby
mills. and has been running over six
years. The plant cost over $500 900.