Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-06
A RUSSIAN MYSTERY
New Labor Policy Of the Govern
ment Hard Matter to
Solve.
Chief Of Police at Moscow Cred.
tied With Having Origi-
mated 1t.
Results in Strikes and in the
Closing Down Of Many
Factories.

Correspondence of Associated Press.)
Moscow, Saturday, May 3.-In con-
nection with the assassination OIL M
Sipiguane, the Russian minister OF the
interior, mention has been made OF the
new workingmen policy inaugurated by
M. Zoubatoff, chief of the secret police
of Moscow, with the approval OF Chlei
of Police Trepoff. Authentic informa-
ton received here shows this policy to
be one of the oldest and most revolu-
tionary ever taken by the Russian gov
eminent.
Last autumn, on the ostensible lnitia-
tive of workingmen, a number OF uni
yersity professors and teachers began
occurring to audiences of workingmen
on the question of labor legislation and
various other allied subjects. 1t soon
became apparent that the lecturers had
been organized by the secret police,
whose tools the alleged workingmen
leaders were. These lectures We're IN
troductory to the organization or labor
unions, or friendly societies, statutes
for several of which have just been
confirmed by the ministry OF the IN
terror. Workingmen's meetings, con-
Quoted by the police, in temporary tea
rooms, were allowed to discuss the
eight-hou movement, freedom of or
ganization, liberty of instituting strikes
and other matters hitherto held to be
seditious.
From the beginning disadyantageous
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 followed in some cases by
incendiary fires, while machinery was
smashed in the Daniloff cotton mills by
a mob led, it is asserted, by police
agents.
A most extraordinary phase Of the
situation began late in February, Al
tho the government tried to hush the
affair up, the following story has been
absolutely authenticated: A French
company operates silk mills here, en-
ploying ordinarily about 5000 men. One
day two pretended workingmen named
Krasivsky and Jilkin. leading organic
ers of the lectures and of the friendly
societies. demanded admittance at the
w orks, for the purpose of discussing the
difference between the company and its
employees. Manager Goujon, a French
citizen, refused to allow them to enter
The two men, who were In reality po-
lice agents. reported to the nearest
police captain, who demanded that they
be admitted. The two agents were
finally admitted to the mills, and, after
q discussion, demanded that the COM
pany pay the employees 10000 roubles
en- disputed wage adjustments, the
workingmen having charged that in
of work completed. Nj. Goujon refused
to accede to this, The two agents
called out 700 weavers. whom Goujon
paid and dismissed. Chief
Trepoff hired a vacant workshop in
which to lodge the idle men and their
families and gave them money regu-
larly. He also sent notice that the
mills would be inspected and threat
ened that If a single infringement of
the regulations We're found that NJ.
Goujon would be arrested. Later M
Goujon and his assistants We're called
upon and threatened with ruin if they
did not comply with their demands.
IF the demands We're legal l would
gladly submit" responded NJ. Goujon,
adding that not only would he not take
back the 700 persons in question, but
would also dismiss 1000 others en-
ployed in the preparatory stages of the
work.
M. Goujon, with several friends, then
fastened to st. Petersburg and related
the circumstances and protested to the
officials of the finance ministry, which
controls factories. Soon afterwards
sixty manufacturers of Moscow held
secret meeting. at which they drafted a
stronger protest, and sent deputation,
including NJ. Naidenoff to st. Peters
burg.
Thus matters stood when NJ. Sipi-
guane was assassinated.
What method will be pursued now is
unknown, but the manufacturers stout
lE state they will not resume operations
until the actions of NJ. Irepoff are dis
avowed.