Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-03-28
GLOOMY OUTLOOK.
4
Threatened Strike at Lowell
Seems Beyond Recall.
The Operatives Wary, Remembering
Experience Of Last Year.
Business Men Discouraged and City
Not at All Cheerful.


ly requested the mill agents and the
Textile Council of this city to submit
the question of a wage increase to ar
duration as means of averting gen.
eral strike, next Monday, by the en-
ployes of seven corporations.
Very slight hope is entertained by
the citizens of Lowell that the State
Boards request will be granted. The
mill agents repeatedly have expressed
the opinion that a wage increase is
impossible and the Textile Council,
having in view last years result of Il
civic board of arbitration, has said
since receiving the request that it did
not care to be trapped as it was last
year. The communica ton follows
Commonwealth of Massachusetts, State
Board Of Cancellation and Arbitration,
Boston. March %. 1903.
Massachusetts Cotton Mills. Boot Cot
ton Mills, NerrimaC Manufacturing Go ,
fremont and Suffolk Mills. Hamilton
Manufacturing Co. Lawrence Manufac-
turing Co, Appleton Company and En-
plOyeS:-
Gentlemen, it appears that the question
at issue between you and your, employees
is one which is peculiarly susceptible Of
settlement through arbitration.
Acting. therefore, under Chapter JOG OF
the Revised Statutes, which makes it the
duty of this board to communicate with
employer and employees and endeaVOr 10y
mediation to obtain an amiCable settle
mant or endeavor by mediation to obtain
an amicable settlement or endeaVor to
persuade them. if a strike or lockout has
EnOt actually occurred, or is not then con-
tnuing, to submit the controversy to a
local board Of Cancellation and arbitra-
ton or to the state board, We hereby urge
that immediatc steps be taken to settle the
difficulty by referring it 10 some impair
NJ t1fnIOJl hear and determine
accordance with the evidence submitted.
In view of the gravity of the situation.
its Importance to the public and the Sc
rious consequences which may result from
delay we respectfully request the favor
of an early reply.
Respectfully yours.
BERNARD +. SUPPLE. Secretary.
Anxiety is felt for a strike, provid-
ed the mill agents attempt to run the
mills, is expected to bring more trouble
than the city has seen in all her in
dustrial history of more than four
score years.
Today in view of the formal strike
declaration, last night, grocers and
provision dealers began posting notices
| that business hereafter must be done
on Il cash basis; boarding house keep
ers intimated that boarders must pay
| in advance and proprietors of mer-
camille establishments, especially de-
| partment stores. spoke of reducing the
number of clerks in their employ.
| Significant of what the future might
produce. the police officers were mott
| fled at roll call, today, that they must
arrange for quick information and q
| speedy response to Il police signal.
| Men thronged the streets in the
1 -l,n,, he 1y1 t,nt n.
offer was simply one to submit to arbi-
tration, the disappointment was bitter
| That the operatives are suspicious OF
arbitration is explained by reference tC
last years incident. On the eve of al
| most the strike. a committee of citizens
interviewed, and after an all-day and
night session. persuaded the Textile
| Council to call off the strike on the
promise of doing its utmost to obtain
Ian increase in wages.
| Operatives now say that after the
strike was called off. the citizens COM
lmittee abandoned its task and dis
solved. Since then the mills have been
rushed, some of them night and day,
| with orders, hiring all the help that APP
| piled and accepting contracts, it is
| claimed, at rising prices. And all this
| time the operatives have received no
| promise of more pay.
| The Textile Council today, is deter
mined TO strike in loyalty to its subor-
dinate unions. That is why the coun-
ell says that a 10 per cent. increase
must be declared on penalty of a strike
| The Textile Council was in session.
tonight for nearly five hours and dur
| no dol ,a 70 the Stain
| Boards request was very lively. The
upshot was the adoption of the fol-
lowing motion:
| THAT we accept the communication
| as read and that our secretary inform
the secretary of the Board of Arbitra-
ton that it is practically impossible for
our local unions to act on the matter
before Monday"
| President Conroy said that this ac-
ton. tonight, did not alter conditions
and that the strike order would go into
effect. Monday morning.
The Mule Spinners Union. tonight,
admitted to membership all the nom
union mule spinners in the Merrimac
land Massa chusetts mills and the jack
spinners in the fremont and Suffolk
mill The Union now claims that every
mule spinner in Lowell favors the
strike.
This afternoon, the overseers in the
carding. weaving and walking rooms in
the Lawrence mill of which Mr.. Nourse
lis agent, eanvassed their forces and
notified those who refused to pledge
| themselves not to strike, that they
might consider themselves discharged.
In other mills overseers have init
mated to their help that those who did
not report for work next Monday
morning could consider themselves dis
charged and that their places would he
| filled.
| The Trade and Labor Council CON-
posed of delegates from the unions
made up of the building trades, tonight.
endorsed the strike and pledged moral
and financial support.