Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1908-10-14
HOPES RISING
Among Striking Lasters in
Lynn, Mass
Manufacturers, Especially Caunt
Co., Ready for Concessions.
The Parties May Find Common
Ground Of Agreement Today.

Lynn, Mass, Oct. 13.-With the strike
situation apparently approaching a set
Element although possibly only i'll part
| and pending arbitration, both sides to
the controversy began the day with a
| continuation of the latest efforts to end
the dispute, the manufacturers circu-
| lating proposed agreement for sigma
| lures, and the laSterS and other union
| workers attending mass meetings for
| the purpose of accepting or refusing
| the provisions of the manufacturers
! tentative agreement.
| Upon tire number of signatures oh
| tanned to the agreement depended
much as Agents Tracey and Whidden
| of the unions demanded that the prop
osition he sanctioned b vat least 50 per
| cent. of the manufacturers and Joseph
| Caunt, in whose shops the original dis
pute with the laSterS took place, an
bounced his Willingness 10 submit the
| grievances Of the strikers from his
| factory to the State Board of Arbitra-
ton should the lasters in tho other
| shops return to work.
AS nearly half the required number
of signatures had been actually obtain
ed TO the proposed document last night
nouncel their willingness to sign today.
it was expected that the necessary
! quota would be shown to have signed
when the manufacturers met for their
| daily conference this morning
| 1t was later decided that the propo-
sition of the manufacturers should not
| be acted upon at tOday'S mass meet
ing. The settlement committee which
hac ha cit
the manufacturers to the proposed set
Element plan, have secured 80 sigma
| lures out of 81 manufacturers WHO are
| members Of the Manufacturers Asso-
citation and it was felt advisable to give
every manufacturer a chance t. sign
before submitting the proposition to
the strikers for action.
| 1t was also considered desirable to
have the strikers act upon the matter
at a close meeting, to be attended only
by union men in good standing. There
is known to be a large colony Of an
archfsts in Lynn and 1t was feared that
| at public mass meeting, some incen-
diary uttarances might have an adverse
effect upon the pending negotiations
The closed meeting of the strikers viii
be held tomorrow morning.
The proposition of the Joseph Caunt
Co, namely to have the differences
existing in their factory submitted to
arbitration. will not be acted upon to-
day by the strikers, it was believed
Word was received at strk head
quarters today that the lasters en-
p!cyed in the Walton and Logan fac
tory at Chelsea, numbering about 50,
had struck today out of sympathy. The
Walton & Logan Co. operates a factory
IN Chelsea as well as in Lynn. The
iasters in their Lynn factory quit work
| soon after the trouble developed in this
city hu: those at Chelsea We're not call
ed out The strike leaders had notified
the laste-s in the Chelsea factory to
| remain at work until ordered out but
| today, without orders they struck out
Of sympathy with their fellow crafts
men in Lynn.
The executive board of the Lasters
! Union today received from the Caunt
| firm an elaboration Of their arbitration
proposition. which shows that the firm
| has practically receded from its pre-
| vious position. The Caunt Co. agrees
| that if the men will call off the sym
| pathetic strike in the other factories,
the company will arrange with the
| unions for a local arbitration board to
| adjust the scale of prices in its shop
and will discharge and cease to en-
ploy girls The executive board is I'M
derstod to feel however, that before
any action on this proposition, it will
| be only fair TO the manufacturers who
| have signed the proposed agreement,
to consider this agreement first AS
practically half of the manufacturers
have signed this document, it is gen
orally believed that there will he lit
tie opposition to its adoption at the
strikers meeting tomorrow.
An attempt to defeat the manufac
turers' agreement negotiations came
to light today when several manufac
turcrs received typewriter but I'M
signed circulars, urging them not to
become parties to the agreement The
circulars stated that the plan of sign
ing the agreement was deep laid plot
on the part of the lasters, who would
claim a victory and in the future
would make still further demands up
on tho manufacturers. The manufac-
turers were urged to stand firm and
to refuse to make any concessions to
the strikers. There was absolutely no
clue to the author of the circular let
ter
1t was stated here today that the
strike at the Walton & Logan factory
in Chelsea was not entirely sympa-
thetic The operatives at the Chelsea
factory were working under a lower
wage scale than that in force at the
company's Lynn factory. When the
strike was declared in Lynn, work that
was being done in the local factory was
sent to the Chelsea factory. The oper-
atives there took the stand that if they
were to do Lynn work they should re-
ceive Lynn prices. An advance being
denied them they quit work today.