The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-05-11
BACK is BROKEN.
Little Enthusiasm
Among the Strik-
ing Moulders.
BREAK IN RANKS.
Seven Men Desert the I'm
ion and Seek Employ
ment in Foundries.

Like the remnant Of once mighty
army which has had its first taste of
defeat. the moulders rallied at labor
headquarters last night and the leaders
tried to arouse enthusiasm. 1t was al
hopeless task, for in the morning seven
of the men who had Haunted the fact
that they were staunch union men in
the faces Of their employers less than
two weeks ago, returned to work
Rice, Barton & Fales' foundry.
The officials of the two national as
sociations. the moulders' and the found
ers', are expected in Worcester before
the end of the week. Stephen Holman
of the Holyoke Machine company,
which Mr.. Roach said was the only
member of the Founders association
in the city, said yesterday that the con-
stitution of the Founders association
says explicitly that any member of the
association who refuses to abide by the
decision of the board of arbitration,
composed Of heads of the two organi-
cations, will be subjected to expulsion.
Mr. Holman said that he intended to
abide by the decision, and therefore
looks for no further trouble with his
moulders.
Mr.. Roach, third vice president of the
National Moulders' union, did not stay
in the city yesterday, after he saw that
the men were weakening. He strolled
around the corridors of the Common
wealth hotel yesterday morning and did
not seem in the least worried about the
situation The condition of affairs at
the Holyoke Machine company was ev-
,idently just the proper thing in his es-
timation, and if the weakened exhi-
bition by the men who returned to
Rice, Barton & Fales was otherwise,
he gave no outward indication of dis
pleasure. At noon he went to Provi-
dence when he may unearth member
of the National Founders association.
Labor headquarters was a lively
place yesterday morning The report
that there had been break in the
ranks seemed like a weird dream. It
hardly seemed possible. but the loyal
moulders whetted up their appetites
for trouble by cursing the traitors
in merry fashion It Is a novelty to see
union scabs,n and about rs OF the
members Of the "loyaI legion" went to
the foundry at noon to get peep at
the men and whisper in their ears. Six
policemen were in the vicinity, and the
storm clouds Of trouble blew away.
Two of the moulders who returned to
the non-union foundry ventured near
enough to Labor headquarters last
night to tell some of the strikers that
they were not sorry for their act, and
that the peculiar situation at the pres
ent time was due to the dislike on the
part of the men for the methods of the
national officer who came here to eff
feet a settlement, but left matters in
a chaotic state.
The meeting at Labor headquarters
last night was feeble display Of con-
fidence. The moulders for the most
part were Indifferent, and the leaders
said encouraging words with long
faces. The meeting was postponed I'M
til tonight.
Mr. Holman, of the Holyoke Ma
chine Company, gave out a statement
yesterday, In which he asserted that
the arbitration board. which would set
tie the difficulty at his shop would not
insist on recognition of the union card.
Mr.. Holman said that he did not OBJ
ject to paying the men So a day, but he
said that he would insist on getting
the best moulders at that price, be-
cause that is what the foundries now
operating in Worcester are doing. Mr..
Holman said that the full force of
men was not yet in, but probably
would be in a few days.
The bitterness of feeling between the
seven deserters and the moulders who
have not thrown up the sponge, is rap
idly growing, and a police detail will be
at the foundry morning, noon and
night, to see that the men escape as
sault. One of the leaders in the strike
said last night: The seven men who
returned to work were those holding
the best paying jobs in the foundry,
and there was no excuse for them do
ing as they did. Even if they were dis
pleased with Mr.. Roach, do not think
that they acted fairly in the matter,
because they did not state their griav-
ances to the moulders.
Had they done SO. we would have
Investigated whatever charges they mad
to make. Seventeen Of the men at Rice,
Barton & Fales' had an idea that they
would start a union of their own, but
their plans were weakly made and the
union was not organized. One Of the
men who returned is a brass mouider
and a good workman, and If he or any
of the others actually needed work, VIC
could have got it for them.
II hope there will be no violence, but
il looks as though there would be trou-
ble when strikers and ex-strikers meet.
At the meetings Thursday night we Will
discuss the matter thoroughly and may
be the men will come out before the
end of the week, so that we can begin
the third week of the fight, Monday,
with firm ranks, with the exception of
the cash made by the temporary set
Element at the Holyoke Machine Co"