The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1902-04-25
Especial to News and Courier.

of the 5000 locked, out operatives
of the Horse Greek Valley is serious
and foreboding. At the time there
are no indications that the mill own
ers will abandon their position 80
long as the strike at the King Mills
of Augusta continues.
The credit of many of the factory
hands at Langley, Bath, Warrenville
and Graniteville has been exhausted,
numbers of them are reduced to the
extremity of begging for their daily
food, and many have abandoned
their homes and gone to other States
in search of employment.
In reply to the recent communica-
ton of the operatives to the mill
presidents protesting against the un-
fair treatment in closing the mills at
Langley, Warrenville, Bath and
Graniteville by reason of the Au
gusta strike, Mr.. T. l. Hickman,
president OF the Granite7ille Manu-
featuring Company, authorizes the
following statement for publication:
April II, 1902.
We have your communication OF
the 18th and in reply beg to say that
the posting of the notices of the clos
ing of our mills was done with the
belief and information that if the
King Mill in Augusta was compelled
by the strike of its operatives, their
sympathizers and those who are asso-
ciated with them, to advance its rates
of wages 10 per cent, that this
would Immediately force all the mills
in Horse Creek Valley to meet the
same demand. The rate of wages
paid now by the King Mill is the
same as is paid by all the mills in
the Augusta mill district, therefore
we regret that it will be impossible
for any of the mills to meet this de-
mand, because their earnings last
year were comparatively nothing,
| and the wages which are paid by the
Horse Creek Valley mills are already
substantially higher than the wages
paid by other Southern mills who
are their direct competitors.
We will be pleased to receive any
communication or suggestion from
you that will tend to bring about an
amicable settlement of the present
difficulties.
(Signed) The Graniteville Mfg Co.
The committee of the mill opera
tives reply to this statement today.
Among other things the reply to Mr..
Hickman contains the following:
"It appears that your mill, and
the others situate in this county,
have been induced to close down
under the belief on the part of the
mill presidents that if the strike on
the part of the operatives of the King
Mill we're successful in obtaining an
advance of 10 per cent. in wages,
| that would Immediately force all OF
the mills in the Horse Creek Valley
to meet the same demands. If such
is your belief we beg to state that 1t
is absolutely without any foundation
in fact. The operatives of your mill
had nothing to do with the strike in
the King Mill, and there is no under
standing or intent ou their part to
make a demand for increased wages
in your mill, no matter what may be
the result of the strike in the King
Mill. We were working contented
with the wages that were paid us,
and we now say we are willing to
resume work at the same rate Of
wapes x X !; We do not think
it right that you should throw out OF
employment contented labor simply
because the president of the mill in
Georgia desires aid in defeating a
strike in his mill"
This reply to President Hickman
is signed by John Rearden, chair,
map, and Charles S. Hatcher, secre-
tary, of the committee, representing
the operatives at Granlteville.
These two statements present sub
TALLY the contention of the parties
The further reply of the mill men is
! awaited with interest. If it is ad-