The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-03-29
LOWELL FEARS LONG
DRAWN OUT FIGHT
But Some Business Interests Express
Hope That Speedy Termination
of Trouble May Be Reached.

Lowell, Mass, March 29-Hope of an
/ early settlement of the strike and lock-
ont of $4,000 cotton mill operatives has
not been abandoned by the business men
of this city Although some of the
business interests fear protracted
struggle, the majority of them are more
optimistic than last Tuesday, when the
mills closed
Several mill agents stated to-day that
they were willing to meet their owi
employees and discuss the grievances.
! They deny the report that the owners
will follow the action of the manufac
turers in Fall River, New Bedford and
Rhode Island in increasing wages ten
per cent.
Crowds of idle operatives went to the
mills for the wages which We're due, as
to-day and tomorrow are the last pay
days until the struggle ends. The crowd
was orderly and the police had no work
except keeping them in line. Others de-
cided to 90 to other mill cities or their
former homes unless the strike and lock-
out are declared off soon
That John Golden's arrival may be
the signal for trouble is indicated by
rough and tumble fight at the headquar
tiers of the A. f. /. on Middle street yes
terday afternoon, when the hall was in
vaded by men wearing !. w. w. badges,
determined to take part in the meet
ing.
Chairs and clubs. it is said, We're used
by both sides. Later, Mrs. Annie Odel,
the recording secretary of the union,
went to police headquarters with a story
of threats and asked for permission to
carry a revolver. The police, who made
no arrest required witnesses before TAX
ing action.
Davidson street. which was the scene
Of disorder twice Wednesday, again came
into prominence shortly before 6 o'clock
when an attempt to interfere with re-
turning worker just as he was entering
his house brought noisy crowd of 300
Poles out of their houses. A squad of
police under Sergeant Mcguire rushed
to the scene but the mob melted away
at sight of the uniforms, and no arrest
WAS made
Another piece of strenuous picket work
took place in Andoyer street during t.e
afternoon when painter named Pres
ton employed by Contractor Dyer, who
is not associated with any mill, was
attacked and knocked down, and the
dinner pail which apparently led to the
misunderstanding was kicked into the
gutter.
Judge c. Wadlegh, agent of the Merri
mack Manufacturing company and pres
ident of the Lowell Manufacturing asso-
made the following statement
last night, when told of the action of |
the agents at New Bedford in granting /
an increase of ten per cent:
The action of the New Bedford mills |
does not affect the situation in Lowell. /
Under the new scale here, we are grant |
ing as much as the cotton mill operatives
went back to work under in Lawrence, I
and we are paying more under this in
crease than the mills of Fall River are
paying under the advance recently made
in their wages. As 10 a comparison he (
tween Lowell and New Bed ford, | cannot
make a statement at this time, as ! have
not made study of the conditions in
the two cities, but | reaffirm what said
to the effect that the mills of Lowell
have granted just as much as they can
in the schedule which went into effect
on March 25, and which has thus far
been rejected by small number OF oper-
atives"