Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-30
There Are No Developments In
the Button Workers Lock-
out at Davenport
TROUBLE is A GIRLS GRIEVANCE
The Men at the Plant Are Taking Part
Only Out of Sympathy, the Affair
Having Started from the Cut in the
Girls Wages Three Weeks Ago
Other News.
Special to Times Republican.


Davenport, May 3O-There have
been no developments in the
Button Workers lockout since
Thursday 1t was learned this fore
noon that it was three weeks ago that
the girls in the factory of the Daven-
port Button company We're surprised
10 learn that their envelopes were
short on a Saturday night. When on
the next Monday the cause of the cut
was asked for the girls We're told that
no profit was being made on their
work and that therefore reduction
OF pay had been made. Superinten-
dent Krouse stated that he had notified
one of the girls of the coming cut, but
she had not told anyone of it, so it
came as a surprise to them all.
AS it is rule of the plant that
once discharged there will be no re-
employment, the girls feared to quit.
In some cases the cut was as much
as $1.10 per week, and none of reduc-
tons less than SIS cents. These girls
Were employed on the automatic ma
chimes, shapers and drillers, "a of
which, or the entire force, are now
idle. This cessation is not due to the
walking out of the "a operators, but
to the closing because of the unneces-
sary expense of operating the "a ma
chines-12 drillers and II shapers-
without sufficient force at work to
justify the running expenses.
The order posted Tuesday, forbid
ding the girls and other employees
from attending the meeting of the
union at Lahrmann's hall, under pen
atty Of discharge, was disregarded.
Eight girls and eight men attended
the. meeting. They were spotted, and
the next morning they We're dis
charged
1t has been learned from incon-
sources that this order
was posted Tuesday forenoon, and re-
moved when one of the girls started
to copy it's text. In the afternoon it
was again posted and its text is to-
day posted in lead pencil script in the
meeting hall of the workers.
In sympathy with the discharged
employees were 90 others who walked
out. Now there are about As en-
oloyes out altogether This does not
matte machines who We're laid off
when the battery was closed down
md told to report later but not attend
he meetings of the union. There are
eight of these who are holding aloof.
1t is a girls grievance, and the men
at the plant are taking part
,nly out of sympathy. They strenu-
,usly object to having the term
strike" used in connection with the,
natter, alleging that it is a lockout.
The button workers correct the
Democrat in it's statement last night
@ the effect that 100 are counted to
,e gross of buttons, which would be
s more than the numerical number
They say it is 16S, or two dozen more
han an actual gross.
The organizer of the union, j. l..
siegfriedt, and Observation-Disclosures of
he National Union T. p. Mention, have |
perfected a local union of the button
which is all complete save
or the charter The officers of the new |
,nion are as follows:
President-H. G. Suhl.
Vice President-Mrs. Marcella Hunt
r.
Recording secretary-Miss Sarah
Aberle.
Financial Secretary-E. E. Moore.
Characterization Ackley.
Trustees-Miss Katie Dillig, Miss
Bertha Becker, and Charles Moore.
A poster in the windows of the But
on factory this morning and last
vening did more to determine the
ggrieved girls and other employees
han anything else the company has
eretofore done. 1t is a cartoon from
'uck bearing the inscription that the
anne right to lockout is held by the
mployer as we'll as the employee. The
ggrieved think its posting has done
God service for their cause. They will
old out to the bitter end.
Topeka, kas.-Governor Bailey wish
5 the state convention called for Feb
uary so that Kansas n;ay be the first
tate to declare for President Roosevelt.