Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-06-18
MAJORITY OF THE A.
S. & R. MEN co BACK
Continued from page ~

derground Gable Company.
The strike was settled at a meet
ing of the workers in Onion hall at
146 Smith street at 5 o'clock yester-
day afternoon. Union leaders urged
the strikers to accept the latest
terms of the company, which they
did by an overwhelming majority.
The workers will continue to meet
at intervals to complete organization
work.
a. $. & r.. Laborers Join Union.
Following the decision yesterday
afternoon Of the striking employees
of the A. S. & r. Company to return
to work the organizers of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor went
among the workmen and persuaded
many to become members of the
Union Of Common Laborers, a
branch of the A. f. Of l.. The or
ganizeTs were very successful and
many workmen filed their applica-
tiOns at yesterdays meeting IN
Pulaski hall, accompanied by the
necessary twenty-five cents as ad-
mission fee.
Although order prevailed during
the entire meeting yesterday there
was much lndecision on the part Of
many wOrkmen whether to vote
Yes" and return to work or cast
the little blue ballot, marked mo"
and continue the greatest strike in
the history of Perth Amboy. The
final count showed 367 men in favor
of returning, and 1914 opposed, a
comfortable majority against the
continuation of the present labor
difficulties. as stated yesterday after
noon in the last edition Of the
EVENING NEWS.
The men assembled in the big hall
at $50 o'clock and listened to a few
wOIa5 from Acting Mayor FeTd.
G%arretson. Although Mr.. Garretson
spoke In English many of the work
men understood him and acted ac-
COrdtngly. On one occasion Mayor
Garretson said: Move to this side,
men, and keep the entrance clear at
the door" and the crowd surged to
the side indicated by the city Off
cial. Mr.. Garretson's remarks were
followed by a report from the COM
mtttee, which had called upon Mr..
Alexander, Of the A. s. & r. plant,
and had received a cordial reception.
Ii IdNAB llto NOLllIllIltC hdu llldut
two visits to Mr.. Alexander's office
before the wage scale as adopted
was agreed upon by the factory Off
Gals and the delegation.
Address the Strikers.
These committeeman spoke in
different languages to the workmen
and informed each and every de-
partment of the raise that could be
expected from the company if the
men return to work. The raise in
scale of wages varied. from ten to
twenty cents in the various depart
ments, the largest increase being
noted in the tank room, which work
is repulslve in the summer time.
The smallest raise was given to men
who are holding more intelligent
positions and at the present time are
receiving good pay. 1t is believed,
however, hat the 1914 votes cast
against the proposition to return
We're mostly the sentiments of men
who were offered the smallest raise
on the scale.
Following the explanation of the
scale by the committeeman, address,
es were made in various languages
by Organizer Joseph .Tylkoff, Special
Organizer Manning Weiss, of the
American Federation of Labor, and
Max LeitChman, of this city. These
men urged the strikers to accept the
fair offer of the company and return
to work without further rioting. No
Commotion was noticed in the huge
hall during the addresses, although
on one occasion a workman express
ed his opinion In Hungarian that the
men should organize into a union
and thus demand better wage with
out violence. Tylkoff Is a fiery talk
err and soon had the men worked In
to the belief that the latest offer
from the company was 'the one best
bet"
Learning by vocal expression that
the men desired to vote on the pro
position, little blue and white bal
lots marked mo" and yes" respec-
lively, We're distributed among the
men with instruction to vote one,
and only one. A box was put on a
table in an adjoining room, under
the watchful eye of Mayor Garrett
son, and the men deposited their
ballots as they marched, single file.
from the assembly room through
the corridor into the adjoining yard.
Policemen were stationed at the en-
trance and exit and barred any re
peaters" or men who are not en-
plOyes of the A. s. G r. Company,
etc. The committee acted as Judges
and ~tellers of the election.
Voting Amusing Sight.
In many instances workmen walk
ed up to the box with both tickets In
their hands and wanted to drop both
Into the box. Others, more undecid-
ed perhaps, shuffled the two ballots
about in he~sitating fingers and walk
ed away without voting. They were
grabbed by the organizers and sent
back to the box with their ballots.
In every instance, when appealed to
for advice, the organizers urged the
white ballots, labelled yes" which
indicated their sentiments and in
tenttons. The first two ballots cast
Into the box were green ones. Many
of the young men voted mo-" while
all the aged workmen voted for a re-
turn to employment. In one In
stance a big-shouldered foreigner
walked up to the box with his little
girl perched on his shoulder and
voted the white ticket.
After the voting and counting
was over the men r~eassembled in the
hall and were Informed Of the re-
suit. There was no noisy express
sion of JOY, etc, although many of
the men smiled and thus showed
their appreciation of the efforts of
Mayor Garretson and others TO per-
feet a settlement.