The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1902-08-19
SMITHS ALONE.
No Machinists Strike in Sym
pathy With che Black
smiths.
TROUBLE NOT EXPECTED
Strikers Refuse to Talk Mill
Owners Say Most of Them
Got More Than They're
Worth

No new developments have been re-
ported in the situation of the striking
/ blacksmiths who quit work in all the
machine shops in this vicinity yesterday
! because their employers refused to grant
them an increase of ten per cent. in
/ wages. Few of the strikers were seen
/ lettering about the shops this morning
and We're it not for the fact that some
usual would appear.
| WOULD BE FINED.
Several of the strikers who were ap-
preached by reporter of "The News"
declined to talk about their demands,
saying that they would be fined by the
| anyone not member of their brother
! hood. The employers look upon the
strike as unjust as far as their inter-
| ests are concerned. In the first place
| they say that no committee of the strik-'
ers has waited upon them to explain
matters All the information they re-
ceived of the grievances of the men was
contained in the circular which was sent
out by the union week ago and which
was published in ''The News of yes
terday.
At meeting of the employers held
last Wednesday in the Astor House,
| New York, it was decided to pay no
attention to the circular until the men
should appoint a committee to explain
their demands This the strikers have
not done.
NOT WORTH MORE.
While discussing the situation this
morning one of the employers said
Il would not mind paying better wages
| if / could get good men. find it very
Ehard to get men who are good mechanics.
Most of the blacksniths have been able
to find are buns and some of the work
they turn out | cannot permit to leave
the shop"
The employer showed the reporter a
weld that had been made by one OF
! the blacksmiths before the strike. The
| iron was burnt and had cracked.
THAT is an example of some of their
work" he continued, ''and yet they want
more money. There are some good me-
chanics among the strikers, admit, but
they are not the kickers. They have to
suffer because these buns demand
strike
| NO NON-UNION MEN.
There was no attempt made by any
of the employers to put non-union hands
| in the places of the strikers, as such ac-
ton would result in the other union men
| in the shops leaving their work. 1t was
| said yesterday that the other union hands
would probably quit in sympathy with
| the blacksmiths. but this is unlikely un-
4 less an effort is made to employ scab
/ labor.
| In the Hoboken shops several big CEN
! tracts are at standstill owing TO the
strike. The six twenty ton derricks for
| the New York subway, in course Of con-
struction in the yerdon works, are about
half complete. Until blacksmiths can be
secured the work cannot proceed. The
police of this city and Hoboken do not
fear any trouble over the strike.
IN JERSEY CITY.
Blacksmiths and their helpers who
went out on strike from shops in this
| city for more wages are still ''out," and
their employers show no sign of giving
way
Many Of the employers fully expected
that today the machinists would take it
into their heads to strike "sympatheti-
cally," but up to noon there was no evi-
| danna that tha men had any intention of
leaving their benches.
At the shops of Theodore Smith &
| Sons Co., Brown & Weller aud other
places along Hudson street, the sondi-
tions today We're unchanged. Black
| smiths collected in groups on the corners
like so many Micawbers waiting for
| something to turn up.
/ Mr.. Charles H. Smith, of the firm of
| Theodore Smith N& Sons Co, said that
enly d few weeks ago the firm voluntarily
gave their men an addition in wages, and
| he pertinently asked what guarantee Lad
the employers, even if they acceded to
! the present demand, that it would not
| be repeated some time later. His Gnu
was ready, he said. to make every rea-
sonable concession to the men, but there
| ought to be limit to demands.
| A walking delegate who was with the
men today, said that the strikers would
not abate any OF their terms, which, he
said, wche only just in view of prevail
ing prices.
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