The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-14
MILL WRlCHTS IN
 STRIKERS RANKS AT ARMS WORKS
Structural Iron Workers on U. M. c. Work Join Those
 of Arms Plant.
PENFIELD SUSPECTS
 GERMAN INFLUENCES
Nearly 400 Now Estimated To Be On Strike, Halting
 Construction.

| Labor troubles at the Bridgeport ttended, to-day Major Walter G. Pen field, head of the plant, planes Ger man influences.
 1 The nail1wrights, 100 of them, went on strike at 1 o'clock. Twenty-Five structural iron workers of the Pardy morning. They did not report for work.
 There were about 25o structural iron workers out already. This brings the total number, now on strike, up to nearly 400. sI
 The strike of the rnillwrigtlts was for more wages. They are the craft over which all the trouble began.
 Whether miI1wright is a union t7carpenter, or a union machiniat, Or a union structural ironworker, is the point to be settled.
 To-day, for the first time. the ques- tion of wages entered the contr oversy. As union carpenters, working at the Arms Plant, the milIwrights received I$S-76 a day As union structural iron Eeworkers, they would receive $5 a day. They decided, to-day, to join the Met al Trades aff1Iiat1on and they want pay to correspond to their union con nections
 The ironworlxers who struck this morning are all those employed on the O. VI. are south of Boston avenue. Those already out were employed north of Boston avenue on the so-calIed Bridgeport Arms Works.
 | z Work of installing machinery in the big buildings is practically at a, stand still today and beyond the carpentry work being done on the bufldITlgs in which the steel work is. already com pleted there is nothing stirring in the l way of additionaI structural work
 Major Penfeld last night issued a statement in which he said that the recent bricklayersl strike was actuated by offciaIssof the union who had been paid $2s00o in New York city to call the strike and hamper the work of putting up new buildings He said that the same conditions obtained in relation of structural iron work. i These statements are vigorously de- 1 nied by local labor leaders today and the head of the arms company has been asked to give explicit details as to where and to whom the money was paid.
 l That German influence has been at work in fomenting the strike is de- nied in all. quarters today with the I exception of Major Pendeld who says: stGerman influence is most likely to want this strike. If the heads Of the labor unions can tell mo why with the l Stewart company running a closed shop, every en1pIoye being satisfied as to wages and length of hours and no ] individual complaints having been re- cefved by any official of the company ! they have decided to call out our men and stop our work then will be will 1 ing to believe that-no money has been I paid them or that German influence 1 has not been at worIz.,'
 Many international heads of the va rioua unions involved are at present 2 f7.3rs fl<. chinIsts, metal workers, structural iron workers and hod carriers were held today. Labor circles tonight will l be busy with meetings at the various halls and conferences
 1 Major PenfieId today was cIoseted for over two hours with Samuel F, Pryor, general manager of the aU. M. c. company. What subjects had been l the topics conversation other than
 matters of general construction+cnuld not be ascerta1ned.
 Vincent DeFaIco, international or-
 ganizer of the Hod Carriers union, loganized in Bridgeport to the number
 of 500, about half of whom work on l the Arms company buildings, called a
 meeting of the union tonight This q will be held at 62 Cannon street and the question of strike will be put up to those present They are demand 1 Ing shorter hours of labor with time
 
 days and double time on Saturday aft ernoon and Sunday work.
 International Vice President J. 2, I KeppIer of the International Associa- ton of Machinists, stated today that with a meeting scheduled for Friday 1 with. the structural iron workers, the tool and die makers were to be called l into conference by President Samuel
 Carlisle. financial secretary of. the l Bridge and Structural Iron workers O. EConnectfcut They will be asked to sympathy with the other workers on iron.
 Vice President Keppler. of the Ma Ichinists said today that Fred Enos head of the Board of Trade, would be appealed to by his organization this l afternoon in an effort to see whether l he could not force the warning local 1 firms and bodies to adjust this matter l by arbitration.
 l "our unions said both Kepple1 and John A. Johnson, first vice presi- dent of dhe Structural Iron Workers of America. fare willing to submit
 this matter. to arbitration by any com petent authority that the Arms com pany may proceed with their work
 but the carpenters absolutely refuse tc do th1s.'
 In reply to this statement, Martin I Kane, head of the local union and
 speaking in the absence of Johr T Flynn. general organizer for the Car I penters and Joiners' Union of Amer1-
 ca. said:
 I >sswhy should we arbitrate. wher I there Is nothing to. base this strike l ganizers of the American Federation ff-tr,,,