The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-10-06
THREE MILLS ARE
IDLE AT HAW RIVER
=
All the Others in the County
at Work.
THE CAUSE OF THE STRIKE
Superintendent Discharges Woman.
His Discharge Asked For.
THIS REFUSED. A CONFERENCE ASKED
Mill Owners Declined TO Grant It. The Strike
Followed. Men Given Till the 18th to
Lave the Union. Both Sides
Determined.
Especial to News and observer)


burlington, N. c.. Oct. 5-There are
only the three mills in Haw River whose
operatives are on a strike. Work is going
on in the other mills in the county as
usual. The mill men say that they are
thoroughly in earnest as to their circular,
they will run with non-union men or not
at ALL
The hands have been given till the 18th
to leave the union. 1t IS not known
whether any other mills will close. A
shut down would be very serious to the
mill operatives and to all branches OF
business here, as cotton milling is the life
Of our county.
The only mills that have not given union
men notice are the mill at Swepsonville
and the one at Big Falls.
The trouble arose in Haw River where
the employees demanded the dischage of
the superintendent of one of the mills.
This the mill owner refused to do The
union men there ordered a strike and
all the mills in Haw River shut down.
The mill owners all over the country met
here yesterday and agreed upon the no.
dice published in yesterdays News and
Observer. The substance of the notice is
that the mill owners Of Alamance will
employ nothing but non union labor, and
gives notice to union men to leave the
union or get out of their employment This
decision-was adopted by every mill in
the county, with one or two exceptions.
1t is generally understood that the mill
owners are not at all anxious for The
mills to run, and the union men say
that they are fully prepared to stand a
long strike. Both sides seem to be de-
termined and the strongest will win.
One of the officers and principal owners
of the Thos NJ. Holt Manufacturing Com
pany, at Haw River, said today:
THE trouble originated in this way.
One of the weavers was neglecting her
looms-had left the weave room and gone
into the spinning room-and on the over
seer having charge of the weave room
asking her why she was not attending to
her duties, she said she had gone into
the spinning room to get some filings for
her looms. He investigated the matter
and found that the box ait her looms had
plenty of filing in it and that she needed
none: On his telling her this, she said
she would go when she pleased and
where she pleased, to which he replied
that if that was her position he would
have no further need of her services.
She then Left and another weaver was
put in her place.. So soon as the weaver
thus substituted began to run these looms,
several ether weavers gathered around
her and told her she could not do SO.
She became frightened and told the over
seer that she was afraid to run the
looms, but that if she could go out and
see man supposed to be the head man
of the labor unon) she would let him
know whether she would be permitted to
run the looms or not. He refused tc
agree to his and the whole matter was
reported to the owners of the mill at
the office.
1.-THE owners of the mill sustained the
overseer in the position he had taken.
Request Twas then made that confer
ence be had between the OVERS and Q
committee of the Labor Union. Believ-
ing that to yield to such demands on the
part of the Labor Union would be to give
UP entire control of the management of
the mill on the part of the owners, that
the overseer had properly discharged
the weaver, and hearing that demand
would be made for the discharge of the
overseer, the owners refused to meet
the committee Another meeting of the
Labor Union was held and on last Tues
day morning, when the mill was opened
and ready for work large portion-all
but about rs of the hands struck. All
the mills here were then closed down,
the owners realizing that it would be i'm
possible to operate them The terms
demanded, that the strike was inaugu
rated contrary and even in violation of
the constitution and rules of the Labor
Union itself, that to yield to such de-
mands meant an abandonment of all con-
troll of the mills here by the owners and
could only result in harm to all concerned
owners and everybody connected with
the mills"