The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-05-21
MACHINISTS STRIKE.
Fifty Thousand Men Out for a Nine.
Hour Day
AND A TEN.H0UR SCALE.
Strike Thus Has Far Not Extended TO
Allied Trades.
GOVERNMENT WORK NOT AFFECTED
Railroad Machinists MOI Included, Though
Several Roads Are involved.
STATEMENT OF MEN AT VARIOUS POINTS
List OF Firms Which Signed the Ache
ment Received at Strike Headouar-
ters--Gompers' Statement.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..


Washington. May 20.--Approxlmatcy 80
600 machlnlsts throughout the country
struck today for a nine.hour day. a scale
OF wages equal to the present ten-hour day
scale and other demands. This is the rough
estimate of President O'Connell Of the In
ternational Association OF Machnists based
oh the tclegraphlc advices that have
reached him today from the machiniSts
headquarters In the various cities. The
strike thus far has not extended 10 the al
He'd trades, save in one or two instances,
as Mt Scranton, Pa, where men In q part
OF the allied trades are out. No machinists
engaged in government work are affected.
This is due to the fact that on such work
an cight-hour day scale already prevails.
Railroad macbinists as Il rule are not in
VOWED in the strike, though the men on sew
eral roads are out. The Central Vermont
shop machinlsts at st. Alhsns, numbering
probably 200, have sirIck The Lchigh
Valley railway inaohInlsts al Buffalo Sayre.
Wilkesbarrc and Elmlra are out. aggregat-
Ing about go. The Delaware, Leckawan.
m aud Western nj Buffalo Scranton,
Wilkesharre qua iuterp,ediatc points are
out. Gulf Colorado aud Santa Fe men arc
out. The strike order, however, did not APP
ply 10 the railways generally
The situation this afternoon was sum
married by President o'Conneil In the fol
lowing statement 10 the Associated Press:
I'VE are demanding a nine-hour day uni
Veisally throughout the trade with IN In
crease Of wages sufficient 10 overcome the
loss OF the hour in time; regulation OF the
apprentices and the number einploy cd;
agreements as to arbitration OF all disputes
that may arise In the fltlrci the right of
the machinists TO be represented by com.
mtttee and agreements that there shah lie
absolutely no dissemination against ma.
chinists because Of their membership In the
union.
Prom present indicatone and the state.
ments Issued from headquarters al the
various points, the orders are being gen
orally obeyed and In larger numbers than
was anticipated. In certain cases where
only a few hundred were expected To he
Involved the indications are that the mum.
hers VIII be increased 90 per cent. The
number of firms signing indicate that In
localities where the agreements are being
made the strike will not last over few
days. In other localities where a larger
number of men are being involved an ad-
justment is looked for within the present
week. 4"
Word from other large cities is tardy in
reaching here. Telegraph reports to Mr..
O'Connell show the following AK the mum.
her of firms which signed the agreements
today;
Kesosha. Wis. all; Milwaukee, wis. 5;
Auburn, \. Y. all Anaconda. Mont ali:
Denver, Col, al; st. louis al; New Or
leans. all; Danhury, Conn. all: Pittsburg.
Pa, 10 per cent; Franklin. Pa. all;
Youngstown, Ohio. all; Cleveland Is;
dorchester. y, y, 30 per cont: Buffalo y.
y. % per cent: Niagara Falls. ali: iona.
wrndh all; Trenton. " j.. - per cent.
baltimore, II; Philadelphia, % New
Haven. s.
These establishments have conceded the
demands and their men are at work as
usual.
Mr.. O'Connell said tonight that IN 70
= O'Clock reports show that 904 firms en-
ploying approximately $1,000 men. had
signed the agreements for the nine hour
day or made satisfactory arrangements
with the local organizations.