Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-11-26

sachusetts on guard to avert disas- !
wide attention for many weeks. Riots |
were frequent; cars in Lawrence were !
attacked; men, women and children |
who attempted to work were assailed |
and in some cases injured, and there !
were repeated clashes between strik !
ers and the organized forces Of the |
law until citizens Of Lawrence were |
alarmed at the threatening struggle.
Its climax came Jan. 29, a day begun
with parade Of agitated foreign work
ers to demonstrate their solidarity
against the mill owners and ended with
a riot in which the young woman was
slain and Oscar Benoit, a Lawrence
policeman, stabbed.
CONGRESS APPEALED TO.
Even congress was appealed to dur
ing the struggle following an attempt
of strike leaders to take from Law
renee to Philadelphia a hundred chill
dren Of strikers families to be cared
for by sympathizers. This effort, pre-
ceded by successful deportation Of
strikers children TO New York and
other cities, was frustrated by the po-
lice in a clash at the railroad station
in which fathers, mothers and children
clashed with the authorities. Many
men and women were arrested. This
occurrence, widely heralded, aroused
protests from all parts of the United
/ States and prompted Victor Berger, So
cialist member Of the house of repre-
sentatives to plan a congressional in
vestigation of the strike and working
conditions in the mills of the Ameri-
can Woolen company and others. A
| resolution directing such an inquiry
/ brought about a preliminary hearing
before the rules committee of the house
! IN which Lawrence strikers, men,.
women and children, representatives
of the mill owners and representatives
OF the Lawrence authorities, particl-
pated. The hearings held in the eau
Gus room of the house Office building
in Washington aroused intense inter
est hundreds Of persons, including
Mrs. Taft, wife of the president, at
tending them for several days. No
congressional action, however, was rec
commended.
The strike began Jan. IL, when work
ers in mills Of the American Woolen
company left their looms in protest
against a reduction without notice of
two hours pay a week in consequence
, of there going into effect a new state
law restricting labor to 54 hours a
week Rioting about the mill gates
Immediately followed, and on the fol
, lowing day Ettor, young Italian-Amer-
lean labor leader from Pennsylvania,
went to Lawrence to take charge of
the strike for the Industrial Workers
Of the World and to organize the dis
, satisfied and unorganized army of
, laborers.
$4,000 PERSONS IDLE.
BY Jan. Is, 10000 persons were idle;
the mills were closed; special police
were sworn in TO aid the regular force
: IN preserving order; state troops were
- ordered TO Lawrence by Governor Foss
: and an industrial crisis was at hand
Ettor. assuming command OF the
I workers cause. announced that the
strikers demanded a wage increase o.
15 per cent, abolition Of the premium
system and pay double for overtime
q Numerous conferences were held witt
, state bodies and mill owners and {
/ strike committee was organized, head
r ed by Ettor and composed Of repre-
= sentatives OF each nationality involved
Z in the conflict, including the Italians
! who were most numerous, Poles, Syr
e ians, Lthuanians. Hebrews, Amer
cans and others.
o During the progress Of the troubl,
i Ettor frequently addressed the masse
in churches, halls and on the Law
d renee common. In keeping up the en-
4 thusiasm thus he was aided by Artur
s Giovannitti, who went TO LAwrenc
from Brooklyn. William d. Haywood
the leader OF the Industrial Workers O
y the World, and many others prominen
CONTINUED on rage TEMP