The county record. [volume] (Kingstree, S.C.) 1885-1975, 1901-09-12
DIFFERENCES COMPROMISED.
The Columbia Mill Operatives Back.
at Work.

Columbia, Special.-Aa u2I':st2nd-
Ing has been reached By wLitA the,
striking textile operatives Will return,
to work. This is concession TO Or
ganized labor. Some time ag) tle tex
tile operatives Of the Richlauj. Gran
by and Olympia Mills asked for a hoi-
iday on Labor 10y. Nothing was.
heard from this request until week
ago last Saturday, when the opera
tives were told that they could not
have thenr half-holiday on that Sat
u.day or the next Saturday. as they
would have TO work over time 70 make
Up for Labor Day. They were also told
that Il they did not make up this time
they would be suspended for 4 week
and their back pay would be withheld
week. Irrespective Of organization
hundreds Of operatives refused to do
over time. contending that they had
worked 66 hours week. the legal
limit. and that they wouia not be
forced to make up holiday which
they had not yet been gwen. The fol-
lowing Monday morning the opera
tives presented themselves for work
and dill were refused except those who
had worked the Saturday afternoon.
before.
Later the mill authorities announc--
ed that they would take back al except
the members of the Textile Workers
Union. The lockout then became
strike. The union called our AL OF its
members when this issue was raised.
| 1t is estimated that nearly q thousand
operatives quit work The three mills,
employ about 1,7O0 hands. The union
| initiated 456 members last week. il is.
said. The mills were not seriously al
| fected but the operatives began to pre-
! pare to move away and the strike be-
came a serious proposition. The oper-
atives behaved in the most becoming
| manner and had cool-headei advisers
| There was no Incorporate speaking.
Monday business men OF the city
talked the matter over with the dlrec-'
tors of the mills and it was decided
that the operatives could go to work IN
the morning. The members OF the uion
| regard this rather as truce than as
q victory, as it merely means the ces-
| sation of hostilities against the union
| There ahes never been demand TOT
the recognition Of the organization
The growth Of organized labor in this,
State has has been remarkable IN the
mast twelve months. The Labor Day
exercises here Monday showed to what
! extent labor is organized in this city.
/ There were over a thousand people IN
the parade and fully $500 were ad--
, dressed ythe mayor, the Governor
the Adiutant General and Nr. w. w.
Lumkin. The striking textile opera
had offers Of transportation and WORK
in a number of other places, Many OPP
| eratives coming here from other mills
ioined the union or. returned TO tneir
homes. The Textile Union will not re.
lax its vigilance, as it is understooo'
that the truce is temporary but may
be made permanent.
II Didn't Work.
Columbia. Special.-The strike ol
textile operatives was not settled
Tuesday and affairs are more chaotic
than ever, Tuesday morning the striK-
ing employees returned to Work, over
lures having been made through rell-'
able parties. The operatives were told
that they would not be required TO-
abandon their organization before:
they decided to go back to work. IL
appears that these terms were not
made by the directors meetings. a.
though it was stated in the leading 10
cal papers that the directors. or some
OF them, were willing for the employees
to come back to work. When the op-
eratives presented themselves at the
mills each was asked il he were a
member OF the union, and informed
that no union labor was wanted the
striking operatives walked out. AT
night the Textile Union had meeting
and the members decided to get their
back pay from the mills and leave the
city at once. 1t remains TO be seen
whether or not there will be general
exodus. The union is said TO have
thousand members. The Palmetto and6
Columbia Mills are in no way affected
and Capital City but little.
The Olympia, CRANKY and Richland,
known as the Whaley Mills. are the
ones in which the trouble is felt most
! The whole thing seems to be al unfor-
tuna;e misunderstanding.
Roanoke Stores Close.
II nox