Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-08-02
Unless the Strikers Return
to Work at Once.
Statement Issued to Public by
Agent 4. S. Pratt.
More Operatives Leave Their Posts Wednes-
day 10 Join The Strikers

| Inc strike situation at the Edwards
MIG. GO. cotton mill in this city took q
Suoueh turn Wednesday morning when
NUMBER of men employed as filling
| sPihhers, warp SpinnerS and Spooler
tehoerS left their work and declared
themselves to be on strike. In the new
| strlKinS party were GS women and
| sHiS' mostly the latter, IS of whom
| we're 9plnnerS and the remainder spool
| lenders. The women at once congre-
gated at a hall in the Darby block, the
headquarters of the striking mule spI-
erS' ana held a meeting. According
W one Oh their number who appeared
~ De leader, they struck because
they were not satisfied with the in
crease IN wages recently granted by the
company. The situation of the mule
spinners who are still on strike remains
the same according to the press conf
mittee' who held a conference with a
representative of the Journal
Inc most serious phase of the exist
ing diffioulty presented itself late
wednesday afternoon when A. S. Pratt,
the agent at the mill, issued a state
inent to the Journal in which he asserts
that the company will be forced to close
down the mill today unless the strikers,
or majority of their number. return to
work Immediately. When represen-
tative Of the Journal visited the mill
yesterday afternoon, there We're at
work about 900 employees and shouil
the mill close down today. nearly 1101
people Will be out of work
The statement issued by Mr. Prat,
was as follows:
August l. 1906.
Editors I\ennebec Journal:
In order that the public may fully
understand the circumstances that have
brought about this crisis between the
company and it's employees, we would
make these few statements:
McNally. the mule spinner, was dis
charged as we have said because of his
continued inability to attend to his
work. ana not because of his relation
ship with any organization whatever.
The filling spinners who went out
this morning, taking with them The
warp spinners and few spooler tend
ers. claim that they are not satisfied
with their wages. The filling spinners
had an advance of about three per
cent, making their pay about two
cents per 100 spindles higher than that
paid in the Fall River mills per 100
spindns, or other New England mills
on the same class of work or about
% cents a day more
The warp spinners and spooler tend
ers do not seem to have any grievance |
at all; are simply out because of in
timidation.
In view Of all these facts. the man.
agement feel obliged to make this
statement that if a sufficient number of |
our employees who are out do not return |
to work tomorrow morning, the mills
will be shut down until our opera tiyes
signify their desire to go back to work. /
The management further state that
they are sorry to have to resort to |
these measures, as they fully realiz, /
that the large majority of their HELM
who have stood by them, and are sat |
isfied, will have to suffer for the
thoughtless action of the few, bu. |
that 1t would be impossible for us TO /
run these mills without the co-opcra-
ton of all of the employees
Respectfully,
a. S. PRATT, Agent.