The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-30

I
friendly societies. statutes for several of
which have just been confirmed by the
ministry Of the interior a characteristic
OF these statutes is that they permit, IS
members of the societies, policemen and
priests. It is provided that the funds Of
these organizations may not be used TO
( support strikes.
Police Hold Labor Meetings.
Workingmen's meetings. conducted by
police, in temporary tea rooms. were al
lowed TO discuss the eight-hour move
mcnt, freedom Of organization, liberty of
instituting strikes and other matters
hitherto held TO be seditiOus.
The government scored an immediate
success. The secret radical movement
was out-trumDed. Every man was al
lowed to openly demand what be had
preached stealthily and rumOrS were cir
culated that the government intended
buying factories and turning them over
20 wOrkingmen. The governments vic
tory attained its maximum when 5000
wOrkingmen peaceably celebrated. on
Feb. -, the anniversary of the emancipa-
ton of serfs in the sacred knemlin, the
police officers carefully selecting the par
Elephants and giving tickets, in patches Of
100, to regular and secret police and spies.
Thereupon the governor general of Mos
COW, Grand Duke Sergius, received
delegation Of workingmen and promised
paternal solicitude for their welfare.
Celebrations in COmmcmOratiOn of eman-
cipatiOn day had been strictly forbidden
heretofore.
Workingmen Demand Action.
So much for the bright side. From the
beginning disadvantageOus features
cropped out and the working people
quickly tired of mere talk and demanded
results. Early in the year strikes began
In numerous factories. These were fol-
lowed, in some cases, by incendiary fires,
while machinery was smashed in Dan1lotf
cotton mills by a mob led, it is asserted,
by police agents
A most extraordinary phase Of the
situation began late in February Al
though the government tried to hush the
affair up. the following story has been
absolutely authenticated. RumOrs in re-
gard to the matter were current in St.
Petersburg and they were verified by an
investigation made on the ground.
A French company operates silk mills
here, employing ordinarily about 5.oW
men. One day two pretended working
men, named krasivsky and Jilkin, lead
ing organizers of the lectures and OF the
friendly societies. demanded admittance
a the works for the purpose of discussing
the differences between the company and
its employees. Manager GoujOn. a French
citizen, refused to allow them TO enter.
The two men. who were in reality police
agents. reported to the nearest police
captain, who demanded that they be adj
mittcd, with the same result. Chief OF
Police TrcpOff then called VI. GOujon to
that the men be allowed to enter the
mills. The manager declared his willing
ness to comply If Trepof sent a written
order. The chief answered that NJ. Gou-
jon should obey instantly and the written
order would be forthcoming.
Very WE'LL replied NJ. GOujOn. since
you promise il, 7 VIII admit the men.
TrepOff. thoroughly enraged- then
shouted that NJ GOujon would have to
leave Moscow within tWenty-four hours,
The two agents were finally admitted
TO the mills. and, after a discussion, de-
manded that the company pay the en-
ployes 10000 rOubles on disputed wage ad-
iustmeuts. the wOrkingmcn having
charged that inequitable measurements
had been made OF work completed. NJ.
GOujOn refused to accede to this A fac
tory inspector attached TO the finance
ministry declared that the demands were
agents called out 700 weavers. whom
GOuion Immediately paid and dismissed.
Chief TrepOff hired a vacant workshop
to lodge the idle men and their families
and gave them money regularly, in order,
il is claimed, TO make the strike sue
cess. He also sent notice that the mills
would be inspected and Threatened that
If single infringement OF the regulations
was found that VI. Goujon would be i'm
prisOned. The sanitary inspectors. now
ever. found nothing amiss. ThereupOn NJ.
TrepOff summoned NJ. GOujon and his as
sociates and threatened to ruin them If
LueN refused compliance Will Ills uCsllEs-
"If the demands were legal. would
gladly submit" responded NJ. GOujon.
adding that not only would he take back
the 700 persons in question. but would also
dismiss 1900 others employed in the pre-
paTatOry stages Of the work.
Troubles Aired in st. Petersburg.
NJ. Goujon with several friends. then
FASTENED 10 St. Petersburg aud related
the circumstances to the officials of the
finance ministry, which controls factories.
The manager carried with him a collective
protest Of the MOSCOW manufacturers,
who declared themselves unable. under
the existing conditions, TO operate their
factories. since the police were engaged
in melting the employees to hatred and
distrust of their employers.
Soon afterward sixty manufacturers Of
Moscow held a secret meeting. at which
they drafted a stronger protest and sent
a deputatiOn, including NJ. Naidenoff.
chairman of the board of trade. 10 st
Petersburg. Thus matters stood when NJ.
Sipiaguine was assassinated.
What policy the new minister VIII pur-
sue is not known. but. in the meantime,
the manufacturers StOutly declare they
will not resume operations unJl inc
actions Of NJ. TrepOff are disaVowed. They
GO not much object TO long shut down,
owing to business being exceedingly bad.
The GOuiOn affair has taken on an in
ternational aspect. owing 10 the manager
having appealed 70 the French embassy
for protection.
The trades union movement has also
advanced beyond the wishes of the police.
4 delegation Of vOrkingmen recently
went to St. Petersburg TO ask permission
for the formation of labor unions on the
British model The ministry of the in
terror, however. fatty refused their re-
quest.
The finance ministry has recently given
the labor question close ATTENTION ana
has elaborated proposed laws regulating
EMPLOYERS liability for accidents. medical
assistance for working people. the OPEN
ing of now industrial establishments and
freedom or organization and strikes.
Subordinate Importance is attached here
20 placards denOuncing foreign devils
the example of the mill workers in Tver.
where this movement originated not hav-
ing been followed elsewhere.
GOV. ODELL IN DENVER.