New Britain herald., 1915-08-26
PARK CITY FREIGHT HANDLERS WALKOUT
Fifty Employes at Water Street
 Houses Quietly Quit Work
THREE STRIKES ARE SETTLED

THREE STRIKES ARE SETTLED Boiler Shops Grant Fifty Hour Week.
 untarily Puts Eight Hour Schedule
 Into Effect.
 Bridgeport, Aug. 26.-Freight hand lers to the number of fifty employed in the Water street houses of the New York, New Haven and Hartford rail- road, left their work this moring and joined the 11O men from the Whiting street freight houses who yesterday made demands for increased wages. The walk-out of these men was quietly done.
 The management of the Star Shirt company where 400 girls have been on strike for the eight hour day, posted notice closing the plant indefin- itely.
 Probably Without Precedent.
 George A. Parsons, special agent of the bureau of labor statistics and fac tory inspection, who came here yes- terday to obtain facts for Labor Con- missioner W. s. Hyde, said today that the experience which Bridgeport is going through proba bly, is without pre- cedent in the state if not in the coun- try. Records show no place in which there have been so many strikes with a short space of time unaccOm panied by violence or even disturbances. He said that the situation showed a re- markable control centered in the labor union. officials who are the di- recting force. He also commented favorably upon the cool-headedness of employees who leave their work, and their splendid restraint.
 It was announced that both the American Federation of Labor and the Connecticut Federation of Labor are rushing more organizers here to aid in handling the situation. Robert Cunningham of the state body has been sent here, and Cary Wyatt and Andrew Maratto of the national body are on the way.
 Three Strikes Settled.
 Three strikes in as many boiler shops were settled today by the manage ments granting the ffty-hour week in place of the fifty-five hour schedule, effective about a month hence, when contracts can be adjusted on that basis. The plants were the Bridge port Boiler Works company, thirty men, the McCathron Boiler Works company, twenty men, and the POrcu- pine Boiler company, forty men, At the McCathron plant, the president, F.
 
 ed the offer and went back to work, indicating that his employees, in his opinion, were actuated by a desire to be fair in their demands
 The E. H. H. Smith Silver company, has granted the eight hour schedule The men are work ten hours a day. Henry Lee, a former mayor the city, who was receiver for the company and it's manager since the was dissolved, says the men made no request for shorter hours.
 Poor as Anywhere in Country.
 Thomas McMahon, organizer for the United Textile Workers of America, in 8 statement today said that the con- ditiOn of workers in the lace works here was as poor as anywhere in the
  workers were getting only $4.4G a week.
 More than fifteen meetings of strik- CTS were in progress during the morn ing, in vario ous halls.
 Reports were current of other walk outs to come and of conferences to be held by committees with plant man agements.
 Strikes Still Settled.
 The strikes at the Grown, George c. Batcheller and LaResista Corset shops were still unsettled, as he strikers say the wage sch edules Of fered by the companies are not satis- factory. An aggregate of about 1,- 200 are out at the three shops
 The Bias Narrow Fabric company has granted it's employees the eight hour day, but the latter say that recognition of the union has been re- fused, and they are standing out for