Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-30
ALONG HOLIDAY
In Prospect for the Striking
Lowell Mill Operatives.
The Mills Closed, Saturday Noon, in
Anticipation Of Strike.
Fully 80 Per Cent. of Operators Now
Belong to Unions.

Lowell. Mass, March 29.-With
long mill holiday ahead, today was
busy one for the union labor in this
city, halls being in use by one or an
other of the many organizations. In
terest centered in the Textile Council,
which for hours was in session at labor
headquarters working out plans for
controlling the army of textile opera
tives enlisted under it's banner for
10 per cent. increase Of wages. Labor
men declare that the shutdown has
done more to strengthen the union
cause than any other incident and that
fully 80 per cent. of all the operatives
have joined the unions. This figure
is believed to be high, for early last
week the Textile Council did not claim
to have more than Is per cent. of the
20, operatives in unions, and the mill
agents maintained than 10 per cent.
was q more likely figure. Yesterday
and today, hundreds of new members
were admitted to the unions, urged on
probably by the prospect of strike ben
Gifts.
In this connection President Conroy
and members of the Textile Council
who are at the head of local unions
say tnat all operatives WIZ nave JOi'~-
in the issue will be cared for.
While the shutdown went into erect,
yesterday noon, there will be many
people at work, tomorrow, these De-
ing chiefly the finishing room hands,
the machinists. section hands and over
seers, for the mill agents intend to put
property in their charge in good con-
dition for a long period of idleness,
to make necessary repairs ana 10 pre-
pare finished product for shipment.
After the Textile Council meeting
President Conroy stated that plans
were perfected for a long siege lndl-
eating that he believed the shutdown
would not be one of few weeks. lie
also said that he had been asked to
furnish 80 or 40 weavers to a mill out
side the state and he would send mar
ried weavers there. The use OF LABOR
halls has been given without cost TO
the Textile Council and these places
will be filled up as reading rooms.
Fourteen meetings are called for TO-
morrow and speakers from out of town
are expected at several Of them, Rep
resentative Joseph Jackson of Fall Riv-
er. and officers of national unions being
announced.
Today. there was considerable talk
among operatives that, Friday, an Of
fer of per cent. increase was offered
as q compromise, but one of the mill
agents, when asked in regard to this,
said 1t was not so and further added
that there was no possibility of the in
crease.
He also said that the matter of
wage increase was taken out or their
hands some time ago.
The mill agents, today, deprecated
the report that has gone abroad that
their intention in a long shut down IS
to destroy the unions. They say that
their relations with their employees Is
unchanged and that there will be as
much courtesy between them as mere
tofore. They feel that after the pres
ent situation clears up there VIII De
no evidence of i'll feeling and pleasant
relations will be resumed. 81
There was some talk, today, of an
attempt to start q sympathetic strike
at the Lawrence Hosiery, tomorrow
morning. The Textile Council took
stems to check it because the khitters,
too. have been granted permission to
remain neutral in this strike. 1t is not
thought likely that work will be inter-
rupted. This hosiery is said to employ
over 1000 hands and Is one of the larg-
est in the country.
Efforts are being to unionize the
Greeks in one body and the Poles in
another. 1t is predicted that within q
few weeks the Greek colony will num-
Der 5000 so rapidly are they coming
here.