The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-01-22

the WeaVerS. They made a TeW de-
 mands. principally the doing away
 ranks were reinforced by men from other departments until, now, she as-
 sumes that there are between 300 and 1000 on strike. These men added new
 grievances, and a committee was aP-
 pointed to handle their case. But the
 company refused, to treat with them. with the stereotyped answer:
 '.We have nothing to arbitrate.' And this is the company's position now, she continued.
 This meeting, she said, was the first opportunity the strikers had of learn ing from the company what it was
 willing to give. In this connection she took fling at the critics who have blamed the prolonged strike up- on the methods of the agitators.-
 stThe strikers know what they want, : said she. Their demands were work
 ed out before the agitators came into the. de1d.'' Then she took up the
 schedule of demands, particularly the
 card service system.
 She characterized this as efh- cheney system devised to speed up the human. body and human brain and measure them with the yard stick of the machine. The quicker the men work and the more energy they give to the machine, the less they get. There were $50 men there, she said. to be ameasured, just as machines would be
 Even machine wears out" said the speaker. "And this system she declared, meant that when men their own wages It might better be. called Ia deficiency system. 7 said she.
 .sThis is. the most important matter in this strike,'' declared the leader. ssWe cannot smooth it over with talk '. Ia I,xxf 10 pay day, nor by punishing men who will take presents. It's the crux of the entire matter. Upon this demand the strikers stand. and they will nev- CT concede until it is granted.'' Ap-s plause greeted this sally
 Speaking of conditions that led up to the strike she declared that men often had to work until II or 12 o'clock at night, and then report on time the nNxt morning. She said the strik- CTS realized the limit of human en- ergy. and took the position that they wanted no more overtime work, which was neither human nor humane. They take the position that if there is too much work for HOO people, the concern should hire HOO more peo-. pie if need be- We don't want the overtime's said she. Our lives are dearer to us than the few extra pen nies.'
 As for the weekly pay day, which it was said might be adjusted, and the matter of holding back three in stead of five days pay, this was small and the strikers wouldn't quibbie over it. as compared to the vital question of the speeding up system The str1ax- CTS would insist upon better sanitary conditions, and upon time clocks in sufficient number to prevent the crush at the sound of the whistle
 Again, the strikers would insist that a q 5CT1e a for it gave to foremen broad area for the working out of personal griev-s ances seWe know said she. that wherever this lining system prevails, the worknen are skinned out or seV- eraI thousand of dollars every week.
 .sThe company has failed to take ast stand she declared. Both MT. Blum enthaI and MT. Stolzeng,erg know that the most important matter. is the abolition of the card service system Of this not a word has been said. It is apparent that they have not even considered it. And as for the state ment that the company will pay more wages if it is shown that there are other textile mills paying more, she said, fit is folIoy. Who SC going to get these statistics2'' asked the speak. CT. Then with some show of humors she took up the statement that Mayor Sullivan made that the company claimed to be paying good wages.
 .'He said there was a pay roll Of s70. GOO a month"; said she We'll. about $64 a, month. But that's not the way to figure it out. You might as well say that a foreman gets s10o a week, and a weaver gets SIP, and that makes SIP for two men, or $56 apiece.
 ."The strikers know better than any one else what the wages are.'' Then Miss Rabinowitz instanced the case of one weaver, regarded. she said. as one of the most expert, who had reason ably steady work by reason of his proficiency. He had totalled his envel- opes for the year. and found that he said, $12.41 a week. It was true that he hadn't worked every week, she said, but he had to eat every week, just the same.
 s.we know she added, that some of the employees begin at 12 and one of the employees begin at 12 and some an hour for a 10 hour day. And they may be raised after they work for some time, but they are not raised over $2 per day even if they were to die in the mil1'
 : She spoke of the BIumenthal adver- tisements calling for help from out Of town, at 36 1-2 cents an hour. Why under the sun don't they pay the men who are in their empFoy-ski1led men these wages? But the men on strike are asking for only 30 cents an hour,
 i The strikers are not disorganized, now she said, as they were nine weeks ago.
 They are proud of a feeling of 1oy- atty that leads them to share their food one with another. They are not tools in the hands Of agitators, for the conditions. not the agitators, are re- sponsible for the strike. This organ ization is so complete, she said, that the strikers don't want even the. sig nature of MT. Blumenthal on paper as to what he is willing to grant them They only ask a public expression from him or from some one author ized to speak for him. They are able to assume such position, she said, because of the strength of their or ganization which means that if they find that MT. Blum should not