Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-04-19
QUINCY STRIKE.
Twenty-six Hundred Men O,,i,
Their Work, Mondav,
Dispute Between Employer and En-.
pIoyee Over Hours.
Work on BattIeships May Be ,,d.r
niteIy Delayed.

Quincy, Mass. April 18.-Wort
the extensive yards of the Fore p,. T."
snip and Engine Co. here WAS tiod
To-Day, by strike of 26O0 men who a,l
agreed with the management ovor 80
question OF hours. It is Thought ~,
unless the difficulty is adjusted With
Few days the launching of tho haiti
snip Rhode Island, set for AnriI On I'm
be delayed. In addition tn tho ph". n
island the company is constructing tbs
.dt'leships New Jersey and Vermont
Tor the United States government
Two thousand employees Of the For.
lflVer co. held mass meeting. vcstar-
day. and discussed at length ron
summer schedule which the cornora'
'loh mad arranged to go into effect to.
Gay. Last week, the union men mott.
TONED the management for the intro.
auction of summer schedule which
would permit a half holiday on S.tnr
DAYS one month earlier this year than
mas been customary. As in preyiops
years 1t was proposed to shorten tho
noon hour, making the weekly scheduIa
provide for "a hours of work i'm five and
half days.
Rear Admiral Bowles (retired). pres.
iueht OF the company. and the Other
officials did not favor the suggestion
OF the workmen. As a counter plan
they proposed schedule of "a worling
hours per week with pay for the extra
hour. The union men objected to this
pan, asserting that it was contrary to
the rules OF the unions. The union
workmen finally decided to insist upon
the schedule set forth in their petition
and in the event of opposition on the
part of the company to continue the
nlne-hour day now in force. The
unions were represented at the meet
ing and 1t was expected that matters
would come to crisis before Wednes-
day.
After the meeting. however, the ex-
ecutive board representing all the
unions. held council and after much
discussion it was voted to recommend
TO the organizations to insist at once
upon the adoption of the union sched-
ule. The employees reported for work.
today, but shortly after the whistle
sounded $500 employees struck. Half of
the men in the yards are not members
OF the union. but nevertheless they left
tnelr positions with the organized en-
ployes thus effectually tieing up prac-
tically all of the operations The only
men who did not participate in the
strike were zoo laborers and Jumpers.
he strikers Immediately sent a COM
mttee to confer with Rear Admiral
Bowles and it was arranged that the
committee should report to the execu-
tive board at 10 o'clock or as soon AZ
nos6ibse thereafter. Preparations were
also made for mass meeting at
o'clock in the afternoon
Among the contracts which the Fore
River Co. is engaged upon are three
battleships for the government-the
Rhode Island. New Jersey and Yer
mont. The finishing touches on the
Rhode Island have yet to be made ana
unless the strike is settled soon it is
feared that the launching of this vcs-
sci, which has been fixed for April 30.
VIII have to be postponed. The New
Jersey is also nearing completion, while
the vermont. the largest battleship
contracted for, has just been started.
The company has also considerable
private work on hand.
AT noon 200 laborers and Jumpers
also struck. so that the yard during the
latter part of the day was almost de-
serted.
In the afternoon the strikers held a
orlef meeting and after some discus
sion decided to call another meeting for
tomorrow morning of all the organized
ana unorganized men of the yard.
Manager Smith had conference
with some of the strike leaders. tonight.
md said he was hopeful of settling the
trouble before the end of the week.