Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-03-02
Posting Of Notices of In
crease of Five Per Cent
Effective Monday, Impor-
tant Move Toward Peace.
INDUSTRIAL WORKERS
WON'T ACCEPT RAISE
Organization Decides to
Continue Strike, but 9th
er Union Workers are Ex-
pected to Return to Work.

Lawrence, Mass, March 1.-THE
end Of the great textile strike involv.
ing 10000 operatives which began on
Jan. IL is thought to be in sight. Many
OF the mills have posted notices Of an
advance in wages of at least five per
cent beginning next Monday. The ad-
vance will affect nearly 10000 oper-
atives in Lawrence and vicinity.
While the Industrial Workers OF
the World, whose 10000 or more mem
bers are idle, have not agreed to re-
turn under, the increase as posted, it
Is thought that many of the strikers
will return to their machines next
week. The members of the Industrial
workers are largely unskilled. The
skilled employees of the mills that are
organized are members of unions. most
Federation of Labor.
The executive committee of the In
dustrial Workers Of the World, which
was in session for an hour this after
noon, voted to recommend that the
strikers refuse an advance of five
per cent.
Mass meetings probably will be
called to consider today's develop
ments.
The five per cent advance granted is
based ON the dfty-four hour laW, or ia
other words the increase will be added
to the wages paid for flfty-four hours
work a week.
The strike was nOminally due to a
reduction in wages made under the two
hour cut In time, but the struggle later
developed a demand of fifteen per
cent advance in wages The abolition
OF the premium system and double pay
for overtime.
A scarcity of strikers doing picket
duty was apparent during the hours
preceding the time for beginning work.
There appeared to be slight increase
in the number Of people entering the
various mills.
A party of children who have work.
ed in the mills and who had been re-
quired to appear before congressiOn-
al committee in Washington tomorrow
left this city at I'll a. m. today. The
delegation included only eighteen most
OF them women and girls
Among the children many of whom
have been employed in the mills was
Carmella Peeli Is years old, who. about
a year ago while at work lost "a part of
her scalp when her hair caught in the
machinery.
Raise All New England Employees.
Boston, Mass, March 1.-The Ameri-
can Woolen CO., today notified its
agents in all of It's thirty-three mills
in New England and New York state
to advance wages five per cent. The
order affects about 10000 operatives.
The notices which were posted in
all the mills of the company shortly
before noon read:
"In all mills Of this company new
schedule of wages which put into eff.
feet March 4, 1912 involving increases
in the rate now paid by the hour and
the piece. The wages will be adjusted
according to classes and occupation
but in every case the increase will
amount to at least five per cent.
The action of the American Woolen
Co.. is expected to have far reaching
effect in the woolen industry of the
country. It is expected by wool men
here that many of the independent
mills also will decide to advance
wages. There also is strong feel
ing in Boston textile circles that the
action of the American Woolen Co..
Arlington Mills and U. S. Woco Mills
in Lawrence in posting notice of a
wage advance will contribute material
ly to speedy ending OF the strike in
that city which had been in progress
firty days.