Norwich bulletin., 1912-06-20
PUTNAM
Forty Strikebreakers, Some Former Employees, Arrive at Meohanicsville Mill-Graduating Exercises at Notre Dame and High Sohool-Amasa A. Holden Not Coming to Putnam.

The ending Wednesday of the fourth week of the strike at the plant of the French River Textile company at Me- chanlcSVllle was marked by the most important incident since the operatives walked out from the mill, this incident embracing the arrival nere of about 40 strikebreakers, recruited, it is under stood, in Philadelphia.
 All of the newcomers. with one ex- ception, are men, and have previously been employed at the plant in the nearby village.
 The strikers reached Mechanicsville on the first train up from New London Wednesday morning Their arrival at the village was a decided surprise to the strikers, who had anticipated noth- ing of the kind, at least at this time. The men immediately proceeded to the mill and went to work
 It was learned Wednesday after noon that the company in bringing op- eratives here does so without any de- sire to antagonize their striking op- | eratives. The company has much at point at issue with the strikers not time that their samples for the next 1 season be gotten off the looms: and ] having gone through a series of con- 1 ferences last week in which the only | successfully arbitrated was the com successfully arbitrated wa sthe com pany's right to withhold its promise l to re-employ a certain small number | of it's former operatives, not more than dozen, it was felt that the only course left open for successfully car l rying on the business was to get other workers to come here and operate the machinery of the plant.
 l in ff5T-fbar company stands willing to receive those operatives who desire to return to their work, and that they will not be discriminated against or humiliatet | in any way because of their having been out for nearly a month. It was given out Wednesday after noon that many of the operatives wht | have been idle for a month, principal ly those who were forced out of worI because of the going aut of the em ployes in other departments thai their own, are willing and anxious t return to their work, and may do st today.
 The strike committee and leader were engaged Wednesday in earnes conference over the new phase of tn situation. What their policy will b in dealing with the situation as it nov
  close touch with the situation say tha the same policy of peacefulness am
 persistent endeayor to win will b maintained.
 It is understood that notices will h
 posted about the oompanys propert forbidding trespassing. With the me
 who have come to take the strikers 1 places are half dozen who, in vari ous states. have filled places as officer
 and they will see that due order l preserved.
 Those who know the strikers bes
 say that they are not of the class like ly to create trouble, and all concerne or interested hope that this will prov
 true There is no inclination on eithe
 side to invite strife.
 A remark by one of the strike breakers after he had arrived at Me
 chanicsville was interesting and to th effect that he had formerly been en
 ployed in the mill and earned there 8
 good, if not the best wages, that ? had ever received in a New Englan mill, and he said he had worked in l great many.