The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-06
A BLUFF.
Agent Murray
Talks.
He GIVES REASONS
For Removal Of Marlboro
Shop to This City.

| rms was the declaration made to a
| Spy reporter in the lobby of the Sher-
wood House last night by John H.
/ Murray, agent of the Boot and Shoe
Workers Union of Marlboro
The outlook was never better than
it is now. Why only yesterday I was
walking along Main street in Marlboro,
when one of the leading merchants
/ hailed me and asked where l was GO
ing. 1 told him that l was going up to
the bank and he asked me to stop in on
my way back. l did So and you can
| imagine my surprise when he handed
out roll of bills and said: Here's $50,
John, that l want to give to your
| cause. Your people have acted fairly
and squarely in this matter, and you
nave my sympathy. You challenged
sion Of your differences, and they re-
fused to meet you. You offered to
leave it to the state board of arbitra-
| ton and they refused to accept the Of
fer Now they have seen fit to go to
work and call on another board, the
board of state police. 1 like fair play
and justice. Take this money and
come around in two weeks and you
can have $50 more. 1 am with you in
this fight.
Why continued Mr.. Murray,
thousands of dollars are coming in 10
us from organized labor everywhere
Take this as an illustration: Only yes
terday we received from the little town
of North Grafton 5000. That makes $3.50
We have received from that little town
within two weeks. Our families are all
in good condition; they are getting
along finely. 1t was predicted that the
G Il 1Ns. al
in the town, but that prediction has
proved to be without foundation. There
IS no east, no west, no north, no south
IN Marlboro. 1t is all one, as far as the
interests of the shoeworkers are con-
cerned. There is no one who can Say
now that he holds them in his hand. +"
Its big bluff said Mr.. Murray
when asked what he thought about the
removal of the Getting avenue works
of Rice & Hutchins to this city You
see this is the season for the manu-
facture of bicycle shoes from Novem-
Der on to April. The season is now at
its height and Rice & Hutchin are los
ing all their orders
TO save some of them they have de-
clded to come up here to Worcester
With enough material to get out a. part
OF their orders and retain the trade
But at the best it is only a bluff. They
nave no intention of leaving Marlboro,
why, When the papers announced that
they planned to remove their Getting
avenue work to this city. several Of
the strikers who had left bits there
went to get them. and were told by
the foreman that they We're not COINS
TO move. The moving was begun today.
l understand one freight carload of
machinery was sent off; it may be in
the city now, A furniture van drawn
by TOUR horses was loaded down with
something, the Lord only knows what,
was started for this city this morning
passed it in Northboro coming up.
The wagon broke down there. and
where it is now, l don't Know. 1t was
covered over with canvas. strapped and
tied down so that nothing of its CON
tents was visible. This morning they
worked a big bluff, or attempted to.
They took two loads of machinery out
OF the Cottlng avenue factory, and
carried them through Main street in
Marlboro rs if they We're about to ship
them away. This move was intended
to produce an effect upon the strikers.
but it failed, for our pickets were on
the ground bright and early, and we
learned the facts. Three of our men
followed the teams and found out that
they contained old machinery and in
stead of being taken to the railroad sta
old. unused hall on Lincoln street
where it was stored away. Arthur
Curtis, brother of Charles Curtis. and
the boss of the Getting avenue cutting
room, left Marlboro for this CITY TODAY
with dress suit case and some shoe
tags sticking out of his coat pocket,
doubtless for effect"
You see. usually at this time of the
year, Rice & Hutchins are getting out
of their Getting avenue factory from
1900 to 1000 pairs of bicycle shoes per
day. Now they are losing orders, they
are going outside and Rice & Hutchins'
trade is seriously affected That is
why they have come up here. They
may make bicycle shoes here, but I
don believe they will do anything in
black goods. Some time ago Foreman
Hunt of the Getting avenue stitching
room went to several of the striking
sutchers and told them that the firm
Planned to come up here to make bicy-
Gle shoes, and offered them work at
high wages. but they all refused to do
1t. They said that if they were obliged
TO work in free" shop (slave pens,
Gompers calls them), they would as
soon do 1t in Marlboro as in Worcester,
and they refused to do it in either
place. 1t makes no difference to us
where Hon. William b. Rice makes
shoes. He may make them in Cali
fornla, or he may make them in China.
but the next thing win be to sell them,
The war is on, and Mr.. Rice is going TO
get hurt before it is over
When asked as to whether or not his
visit to this city had any connection
with the removal of the Rice & Hutch
ms factory TO this city, Mr.. Murray
replied: Il shall be in the city until
tomorrow evening, and possibly longer
and SNAIL Keep my eyes and ears Open"
MIR Murray deplored the calling Of
the district police, and said "The fair
name OF Marlboro has been dragged in
the mud by the outgoing city officials
in this calling upon the district police
rms action was not warranted. for not
a man, woman or child has been hurt
during the strike. No one has been hit
with either stone, brick club or whip
and not drop of blood has been shed.
1t was predicted by the manufacturers
when they opened as free shops that 90
per cent of the help would return to
work, but | am proud to say now that
out Of the 5000 people who came out
when the strike was called, they have
got in actual numbers in the factories
today less than 200 in the shops today.
This we are sure of by what our pickets
tell us.
Now. mind you, when they called on
the state police they had 80 reserve po-
mIS' MHp mao not been called upon.
Ihey had only fifteen on duty includ-
ing the regulars but instead of calling
on the other 20 officers the present ex-
mayor calls ON the state police. / was
present at the meeting when il was
decided to call for state aid.
Their motion was 'That the mayor
have the power to call on the state po-
lice to keep the peace If IN his judy
ment it appears necessary Six alder
men were present. The five republicans
voted for the motion and the one dem