Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-04-15
BELLOWS FALLS NEWS
Strike in Paper Mills a Thing of
the Past
As Many Machines Running as at Any
Time In Past Two Years-HeaVy Loss
es on Both sides-company Won. 80.

AS Many Machines Running as at ANY
Time In Past Two Years-HeaVy Loss
es on Both sides-Company Won.
The strike at the International Paper
company's mills is thing of the past
so far as the local mills are concerned,
and a visitor to any part of the plant
would not know that anything had hap
pened to interrupt the work. The same
number of paper machines are running
here that were running when the strike
took place, which is seven, and as many
as have run at any time since the strike
of two years ago There are nine ma
chimes, but only seven of them have been
run since the previous interference with
their work in the fall of 1908. The ground
wood mills have not been shut down at
all by this strike. The chemical pulp
mill was for week or so reduced in pro-
duction about one half, but the output
is now up to it's normal volume. Stories
regarding the product of the mills not
being up to the quality of that made
by the old help have been industriously
circulated, but they have no foundation
in fact About one half the expert ma
chine tenders now running are new men
here and at first there was necessity
of becoming familiar with the machines,
but all has regained gradually its nor
NAL condition, and the product of the
mills in all their departments is now of
H
as before the strike began March II,
five weeks ago today.
A large number of old employees have
applied for reinstatement but the COM
pany has maintained its right to dis
eliminate between men who have in the
past few years been fomenters of SINH
lar troubles and those who have been
faithful, but misled. In securing men to
start the mills the number of old men
taken back has been about equal to the
number of new men employed. A num-
Der of families have been forced to leave
town because the men could not get work,
but new men have come to take their
places, thus keeping the number of fam
lilies about the same, and it is claimed
by the company that the new corners
are of the class whom they can depend
upon and who will make good citizens.
The strike, as has been understood all
the time, was a sympathetic one, ordered
by the labor unions because of grievances
claimed at other points, but not here.
The three points fought for were a dis
continuance of Sunday labor, which was
granted by the company the week be-
fore the strike was declared; an increase
of 10 per cent. in wages, which the COM
pany have from the first agreed to make
whenever the condition of the business
would allow; a recognition of the labor
unions, which the company have declared
from the first they would never again
agree to- The men who have come back,
ana the new ones employed, have come
= as individuals and not as organized Ia
Dor, and thus far the victory locally seems
to be with the company. Although both
sides have lost heavily it is proba BILE that
the loss by the men is the greater and
that they and their families are the ones
who could least afford the loss. In the
losses of both sides the business men of
all classes have shared, as there has been
much less money in circulation than when
all were receiving full wages.
No sign of disturbance of any kind has
been seen here, and all has been orderly.
Although special constables were sworn
in and there are still 10 or more special
watchmen about the mills with the auth
GRITTY of officers, there has been practical
~ no necessity for them except as a mat
ter of precaution.
Conflicting reports regarding the sue
cess or failure of the companys efforts
to keep their mills running at other
points are continually coming here, but
the general impression is that the COM
pany is gradually gaining ground else
where, or at least in most places The
company states that of the 81 machines
which were shut down by the strike OF
March II, SO are running again. and the
number is increasing nearly every day
The total number now running is 45.
matter of interest locally during the
past week has been the published state
ment Of President Carey of the labor
unions that the paper company had Of
fered him 500, 900, or a life job at q
large salary, If he would call the strike
off. On the other hand President Bur.
bank of the International Paper com.
pany makes a positive statement thai
the claim is untrue in every particular
that no advances have been made or will
be made of that nature to Mr. Carey
or to any other labor union official.