Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-06-02
GATES ARE OPENED
CONTINUED from page IL

their hands. The mill agents believe
that most of the remaining 80 per cent.
will DRIFT into the mills during the day,
tomorrow and the next day, and by
Thursday from 1000 to 10000 people
will have applied for work and just as
many will be put to work as can be
used until conditions right themselves.
The threat of the union stationary
firemen to strike does not seem to have
figured in the situation. this morning.
What few vacancies We're made In the
fire room forces We're Immediately filled
and smoke belching out of the tall mill
chimneys was evidence that fires We're
being started. Originally seven mills
were included in the textile councifs
strike, but the operatives in the Law
renee except the mule spinners, re-
fused to obey and so this corporation
was eliminated from today's incidents,
work there resuming as usual.
Most of the mill gates opened at
O'Clock. An elderly woman was the
first to go into the Merrimack; body
of Greeks, fully 200 of them, made. a
grand rush into the fremont & Suf-
folk gates. Elsewhere the operatives
went in singly or in couples. Absolute
quietness reigned everywhere.
At the labor union halls, the roll calls
were begun at $50 and kept up until s.
The throng at each place indicated that
the Textile Council had held union
members in line. At the ring spinners
hall the crowd overlooked the room,
entries and out into the street. A later
report was to the effect that 700 out
of 800 members answered to their
names.
The Textile Council met at 9 o'clock
and delegations from every union Were
present to submit reports. Afterwards
Il statement was issued by Secretary
Mcdonald. In it he said that the union
ranks We're as strong as when the strike
was ordered nine weeks ago. I'VE do
rot concede that 10 per cent. of I'M
skilled labor. or more than y per cent.
of skilled labor have returned to work.
he said "and we expect to get most
of these people out again.
"After consideration of the desperate
canvass by the agents, the press ana
the pulpit, week days and Sunday, the
action Of the operatives refuteS the
statements made that 1000 of the 49,
900 persons on strike would go back to
work This clearly proves the deter
mination of the operatives to stay out
until the 10-per cent. advance in wages
| is conceded"
President Conroy said that reports
| from individual unions We're the basis
| of the estimate that only one and a
| half per cent. of skilled help have gone
| in. He said that the mule spnners,
| loom fixars. weavers on fancies and
| I.l NJ rol,an ranks a few
desertions are noted in the slasher
tenders and nappers. The ring spin
ners have held together well. Some
| weavers have gone in as only about 500
| of the 1000 were organized. He said
| that of the nappers who went to work
| in the Appleton last week, three had
| been persuaded to leave. President
| Conroy said that it. was reported to
| him that ring spinners had been offer
| ed from 81 to $3.50 week bonus to re-
| turn and loom fixers had been offered
! Sill as compared with $l2.25, the usual
pay. He further gave his opinion that
tn" mills could not continue to run.
of all the mills the interest centered
| in the fremont and Suffolk, from the
| fact that there the greater number of
| foreigners are employed. Conflicting
statements had been issued by Greek
| leaders. one claiming that the 1000
| Greeks would stand by the union and
| another that if any union man was
found deserving the Greeks would go
H. AS matter of fact the early indi-
cations were that the Greeks acted in
d,pendently. Agent John j. Council
said:
THE response of the operatives was
| better than l had expected One-third
of our loom capacity or about 1000
looms are in operation besides Is out of
GO ring spinning frames on the Ire
| mont and II out of 81 on the Suffolk
and six union loom fiXers are at work.
Not Il mule spinner came in but | shall
| start four pairs of mules later with
| help from out of town.
Agent Thomas of the Boot mills
said: conditions are all ready much
better than | expected. We estimate
at present that between 700 and 800
operatives have returned to work or
not quite half of our entire working