The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-07-13
MACHINISTS
WILL RETURN.

Unless the unexpected happens the
macllilsts' strike in this city will end
| today. There is to be Il conference this
morning between the officials of the
Harlan 4 uolingsworth Company and
| a committee of the strikers. 1t is cx-
pected that terms will he agreed upon
satisfactory to both parties. Providing
an agreement is reached the machinists
will return 10 work on Monday morning.
| There have been rlmors for several days
that an agreement would be reached this
week hut the possibilities of ending the
strike today was not made public until
last night.
The conference which is to take place
today is said to have been arranged
by prominent business men. Many Of
| the Market street merchants have been
making efforts for several weeks to have
| the difficulty settled as the strike to a
certain extent has been loss to them.
| The strikers were rcticient on the sub
jcct There are about 110 Of the Harlan
l. Hollingsworth Company's machinists
on the strike and it is expected that near
ly all will return If the agreement is
reached today.
The machinists' strike for a nine hour
day with ten hours pay has been sue
cess in this city. 1t will probably go
down in Delaware history as the great
est and most successful that ever took
place in this State. 1t was different
from any previous strikes. Although
the strike has been on for about eight
weeks there has never been one act Of
violence committed by any of the strikers.
| There were never any crowds on the
street corners, no threats OF violence
were made against scahs as heretofore.
! At no time was there any force used
| to prevent any machinist who wished
from returning to work. The strikers
by their orderly and gentlemanly man
ner have earned the respect of every
citizen Of this city.
The machinists' strike was started on
May 20. In this city alone between 400
and 500 machini~ts went out on that
| date for the nine hour day with ten
hours pay. The demand was granted
by the IIillrs & Jones Company and the
Pusey & Jones Company without the
machinists going out at all. The latter
firm not only granted the shorter day to
| its machinSts but also to all its other
employees. During the first week of the
strike the majority of the machine shops
in this city granted the request.
Within two weeks after the strike was
! started every shop in the city had con-
ceded excepting the Harlan & IIollings-
worth Company and the ]. Morton
Poole Company. On July 1 The Lob
dell Car Wheel Company granted to all
its employees including abuot twenty ma
chiniSts, the nine hour day with ten
hours pay. The stand against the Har-
Ian & lIollingSworth Company and the
]. Morton Poole Company has been
kept up since the strike started without
any change whatever. The machinsts
on one occasion offered to meet the
former company helf way but the offer
was declined
There is also possibility of n settle
mcnt with the ]. Morton Poole Company
in the near future. All Of this com
pany'S machinists. about so in number,
ar" still out or the twcnty-onc machine
shops in the city, nineteen have conceded.
Through the strike nearly 1000 work
mnn in this city have been granted the
shorter day.