Waterbury Democrat., 1901-06-12
TALK! IDLE TALK!
Shat is All Yesterdays Confer
 enee Amounted to.
EMPLOYERS WON'T GIVE IN.

That Seems Very Evident from What
 One Hears on the Streets-And the
 Men Seem More Determined than
 Ever-Maybe the Manufacturers All
 This Time are Getting Ready for
 Long siege-rhis Was Pay Day at
 Strike Headquarters.
 4 settlement of the strike of the machinIsts appears to be as far oh as ever. The prospect of break which appeared yesterday in overtures pe- tween the Cross 6 Speirs concern and the men that were employed there was clouded over this forenoon. leaving 1t as dark as before. MT Cross, with whom the committee held conference
 resterday afternoon and again this .norning, is obdurate. The most vital points in the contention he will not recognize and the men appear as de- termined not to give in. These points are the nine hour workday, time and pne-half for overtime, and one appren- tice to five journeymen. Of the three the last is the most important To surrender on that would mean com plete surrender of the principles for which the strike was declared.
 It was current yesterday afternoon while the committee was in confer ence-w with MT Cross that the latter's overture was merely thrown out as a feeler of the mems pulse. The all per vading eyes of the pickets saw MT Cross confer with MT Fulton, president and treasurer of the Farrel foundry company, and word to that effect was immediately sent to headquarters. Soon after MT Cross notified the com mittee that he wished to confer with them, and while they were conversing it was reported that settlement would surely be effected because, ac- cording to report, Mir Cross had told someone that he was tired of being dictated to by the rest of the Imanu- facturers and could no longer afford to keep his factory idle. -
 The conference resulted in this: MT Cross was indeed anxious to reopen the factory, but on terms the commit tee would not accept. He was willing to close the factory Saturdays at Il o'clock, thus giving in one form what the machinists' proposal asked for. He would do anything else that was reasonable under creation. but there it was that the rub came in: MT. Cross's ideas of what was reasonable did not agree with that of the commit tee. He would not grant time and a L.f~ M~. a. .%rf He would not diminish the number of the apprentices.
 The committee reported as above to the men that were employed at the factory and it was not accepted. 1t was suggested that another conference be held this morning. At 10 o'clock this forenoon the committee and MT Cross again tosK up the question and at noon parted, unable to arrive at an agreement
 As an indication of how the men feel toward the clause pertaining to apprentices, was shown when the committee left MT Cross yesterday. A number of machinists met the com mfttee on Canal street, and when told that no arrangement was arrived at and the cause therefor, the members of the committee were shaken by the hands and called Good boys"
 The question of apprentices is a most serious one with Cross & Speirs. The working forces consists of IS ap- prentiees and eight journeymen. More than one to each man. The strikers proposal calls for one to each five men and one to the factory. In machine shops half a dozen apprentices under the direction of skilfuI machiniSt can turn out great deal of work 2f- ter serving six or eight months at the trade. but without the aid of an over seer they are useless. In many of the machine shops here one man directs the work of ten apprentices and thus keeps a number of machinists out of work 1t is to remedy this condition of things the men are so positive on the clause. relating to apprentices. In manufacturing concerns the conditions are different.
 The men are satisfied that had they accepted Mir CroSs's terms it would be all over with them. It would be practical defeat of the strike. By ac- cepting Mir Cross's proposition they could net expect any more liberal terms with any other concern. The macliniSts are certain that MT Fulton was behind Mr Cross when the latter sent word to them yesterday. It was a few crumbs that were thrown to a number of men that were supposed to be anxious for them. Overtures for the present between the strikers and Cross & Speirs are over
 The committee of the Steele & John son factory was in session all the fore noon. word having come to them in an indirect way that the superintendent wished to speak to them. They were considering Q proposal in case direct word reached them.
 Headuuarters was crowded this fore noon. The men are anxious to return to work. but only on the principles for which they quit.
 The Ansonia Sentinel in telling the story of the arrival of the trainload of men says as follows:
 One of the new men who came up from New York, this morning quilted the foundry after breakfast. He did not go to work at all. He claims that he presented himself at place in New York yesterday morning in answer