The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-13
Mr.. KIDD TO LEAVE
He Goes Back to Washington to
Make Recommendations to
the A. f. of i.
Little Doubt That He Will Suggest
Assistance for the Striking
Mill Employees.

Thomas I. Kidd, vice president of
the American Federation of Labor,
returns to Washington via Chicago
tonight with only portion Of his
mission to Minneapolis accomplished.
His efforts to bring about settlement
Of the flour mill employees strike have
been futile.
He returns to the headquarters Of
the federation in the possession Of the
Information he came for. Upon this
he will base his recommendations to
the federation This afternoon Mr..
ecutive meeting at Union temple, but
his opinion of the merits of the strike
was not expressed except in an in
direct way and he did not say Wheth-
err he would recommend that the
federation declare a Boycott on Min
neapolis flour. 49,. r. 4
Just before meeting with the strik-
ers, Mr.. Kidd expressed himself on
three points which indicate his SYM
pathy with the strikers and his prob
able determination to recommend that
the American Federation assist them.
Mr.. Kidd's Criticisms F-r.
He criticised the managers Of the
mills for refusing to submit the dis
pute to arbitration he criticised For
mer President John M, Finley for
recommending to the strikers an
criticised the older members of the
union for going back to work. He
also upheld the principle of the strike
declared by skilled laborers in SYM
pathy with unskilled ,laborers. .
"The managers of the mills refused
twice to submit the matter to arbi-
tration," he said, land made it their
promise. I have combatted that
statement with them. Mr.. Finley
went back on the boys when he adj
vised them to call the strike off. When
man joins fraternal organization
he should be bound by the oath to
stand by the majority, and he should
not use his position to oppose the will
of that majority. Every time skilled
laborers use their position to strike
in support Of unskilled laborers, they
are helping to raise the general plane
of organized labor. I have found that
the men who usually abandon the
strike first are either those who have
a family on their hands or those who
have from $4,000 to $4,000 in the
| bank and are unwilling to lose a dol
| lar 49,
Mr.. Kidd practically said that with
money and public sentiment behind
them, the striking flour mill employees
could win their strike, but he did
not touch on the subject of a boycott.
Conference With Board.
Mr.. Kidd spent most of the morn
| ing with the members of the ex-
ecutive board of the International
Union of Flour and Cereal Mill EN-
ployes. The conference was held be-
hind closed doors at the headquarters
of the striking mill employees and was
unquestionably the sequel of Mr..
Kidd's Intellectual efforts Of yesterday
to discover if there was not some mid
die ground upon which the managers
| of the mills and their former employees
could get together. That the confer
ence was of unusual Importance and
| especial interest to the employees af-
Ifected was indicated by the presence at
headquarters of a large number of
strikers. '~
| Quiet in Mill District.
In, the milling district this morning
everything was as quiet as it has been
since the strike began. One side OF
the big Pillsbury A mill was running
with a crew of 1875 men and it is pro-
posed to open the other side Of the
mill in a day or so. The other thir.
teen mills which have been in opera:
ton for several days continue to rur
and the managers say the output this
week should average $4,000 barrels {
day, which is close to the average
output at the time Of the strike. NJ
reports were received of violence or
| the mart Of the STRIKERS ,