The Newark star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1909, 1909-10-09
HATTERS STRIKE
SHOWS SIGNS OF
NEARING CLOSE
Comets Lay Off Non-UniOn
Workers and Other Shops
Will Follow Lead.
SETTLEMENT NOW HOPED
TO BE WITHIN SIGHT
Details of Agreement Said to
Have Been Reached Where
by Peace Will Be Restored.

Following the exclusive announce
ment in the STAR If The negotiations
arranged and conducted oy Judge
Thomas A. Davis, OF Orange, with the
officers of the United Hattels OF North
America, who left work on January 10
last When the union label was with.
drawn by the manufacturers, the first
ray OF light in the situation was per.
oelved today, when the firm of h v.
Connect q Co, having factories in South
Jefferson street, Orange, began to lay
off many of the non union employees,
preparatory to unioniZi1g their facIory
during the week of October Il.
The big factories, with a force of
some 400 employees, will be the first to
resume activities with the union label
used in the shops, following the ex-
pulsion of the emblem of unionism in
January last. With the Connect shop,
considered one of the biggest in the AS
sociated Hat Manufacturers Associa-
tion, out of the agreement not to recog-
n1ze the union label, the firm having
resigned from the organization, and
within this month will be freed from
the obligation of paying $4,000 forfeit
for breaking away from former manu-
featuring associations, will topple the
fight against the union label, it is be-
lieved.
The No Name Hat Company, of
Mitchell and South jefferson streets,
will be in line next, it is expected, and
then will come other big establishments
in Orange and Newark. With the Con-
necticut, Newark and Orange hat firms
Nuill ~ 1,n 10, To hot fa,
tories will likely come the end of the
bitter fight between bosses and men
who have in nine months ruinously
waged strife.
The Connect shop viii close, it is
understood, on Tuesday and when 1t
reopens there will be but a corporal's
guard of the non-union forces in the
factories out of the hundreds of anna
teurs that were tried out to take the
places of the union men.
Break Has Come.
This information, of course, is not
official, but the STAR is in a position
to vouch for the first authoritative
statement on the possibilities of break
on the part of the manufacturers. Con-
ferences between the bosses and repre-
sentatives of the men, led by John a.
Moffitt, national president of the Uni
ted Hatters. with Judge Thomas a.
Davis have brought about a fruition of
the judges effort for a peaceable set
tlement of the trouble
The basis and terms of the agreement
which the Connect firm has signed are
not, of course, being made public to-
day. and it is likely the official declara-
,ttin ha t1a MnndnNy
But this much is known, the union label
goes back to the shop: the buyer who
wishes union label hats will get them,
the buyer who does not want them win
not be compelled to accept the label IN
his order of hats. and where no prefer
ence is stated in the order, the label
will be used.
The manufacturers feel that is an
equitable arrangement the union Off
cials, while declining to give official
information, are satisfied the growing
union sentiment in the trade centres
Will compel the universal use again OF
the priced union label. That a few of
the men now at work in the shops may
be permitted to remain under the new
conditions is conceded, but the. small
number will not be appreciable.
Judge Davis Non-CommittaI.
Judge Davis. who mas COR some time
past been endeavoring 10 hring about
an amicable settlement of tue hating
trouble, gave out this iitervisw today
II would be only 100 glad to verify
the report that the hating difficulties
will be settled by next week, il l could
truthfully do so. The most that ! can
say is that supreme efforts are being
put forth to bring about q settlement,
and we hope our efforts will be partial
iy or wholly successful sin a short
time
National President Moffitt, while de-
clining to give out any interview on
the possible end of the trouble, would
not deny or affirm the rumor of the
settlement Men close to the head of
the national organization expressed
themselves as perfectly confident that
Mr.. Moffitt and Judge Davis, with the
manufacturers, were nearing the close
of their labors. but talks were at
premium, the men declining to say any
more than that they had the fullest
confidence in Mr. Moffitt's negotiations
for their benefit, Mr. Mofiitt did not
even communicate officially to the men
in the office today any information of
the settlement
The usual benefits of S5 to the mar
ried men and SO to the single men were
raid today at the Orange armory.