Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-08-14
MACHINISTS Strike
FOR EIGHT HOUR DAY
Demand Twenty Per Cent.
Increase In Wages
With Shorter Day
$50 MEN QUIT WORK
IN THREE CITY PLANTS


What the machinists claim TO be
the beginning OF a general strike OF
the members OF the International AS
ISOLATION of Machinists ror an eight
hour day and more pay in this city
took place this morning whom ma
chinists OF the Belts Machine Com
pany, the Hilles and Jones Company
and Lohdell Car Wheel Company
walked out because their demand fer
an eight-hour day and a twenty per
cent. increase in wages was refused
About $50 men are on strike, includ-
ing about 200 al the Belts plant, $50
from the Hilles and Jones plant and
100 from the Lobdell plant.
When the employing companies
notified the machinists that they
could not afford under the present
business and competitive conditions
Ia grant them the eight-hour day and
twenty per cent. increase in wages,
the men marched from the plants this
morning at o'clock. The strikers
wore in their hats a card bearing
the hgure IS" in large type, and also
the following verse which they sang
to the air OF The Old Gray Bonnet .
Put this in your bonnet
with eight hours on il.
and don't mind what the bosses say.
And when the fight is iver
Wen all be in clover,
For wen work eight hours q day.
The following is the demand made
by Edward s. Ago, Of the Interna.
tional Maehinists and refused by the
employers:
Eight hour day.
Twenty per cent increase in
} pay over present-day rate.
3-Tke abolition of peace work ane
! bonus.
4-Installation OF the apprentice.
ship system as outlined by the l
A. of NJ.
Slime and one-half time for al
over time and double time for Sun
days and holidays.
These are the demands" said z
F. Belts, Of the Belts Machine Co.
and we could not grant them. Tn,
overtime we have given for some tim,
e back. We have granted recently al
, increase in wages amounting to
l. per cent. and in this instance we hav,
} offered an increase OF 10 per cent
J but II was refused II would be i'm
v possible for US 10 grant this eight
- hour day because none OF our com
r petitors is using the eight-hour day
e We have shown Mr.. Ago that VI
e have kept many of the men on whel
= we were losing money by doing II
Now when we are full of work the,
Z quit. The entire plant will have t
d be closed, although the moulders ar
Q working"
S At the Hilles and Jones plant III
z officials said they did not care I
make a statement about the strike.
At the, Lobdell plant Organize
n Ago was in conference with the of
e cials of the company for over a
q hour this morning, but they we're VI
o able TO agree and the machinist
! continued on strike Early this al
II ternoon Mr.. Ago went to Claymor
e to confer with some machinists
IS plants there about going on strike.
10 No strike OF Pussy and Jones me-
chinists was called today, as III
time given them TO grant an eigh
hour day and wage increase has M
expired The company has ordere
a general ten per cent. wage increas
{ to start Monday.
q There was a report today that q
Harlan and Hollingsworth Corporate
also had ordered a ten per cent. wa
increase, but on inquiry at the cor
re pany's office no official could be comm
E. nicated with about it.
lg The striking machinists did not co
ID preeate anywhere this morning, but d
n persed after they quit work.
r Two carloads of castings were 7
moved yesterday from the Belts NJ
z chine company's plant TO the J. Mort
lie Poole plant of the DUPONT Company.
the castings are needed, the duPo
Company had them removed from {
IS Belts plant before the strike starte
The demand for machinists at the plan
re at Eddystone may cause scarcity
g. nachinists in Wilmington, it is feared.
n Demands for an eight-hour day an
Id twenty per cent. wage increase ha'
es been made of several other compani'
at that employ machinists They hay
been given until August 20 TO act c
ty the requests.
as The machinists have been working
fftv-four hour week and have been !
ceivine SIS to $40 week, the union m
claim. They also say that agents {
the Eddystone plant of the Remingt
Arms Company are in this city signi
IN M the strikers at As cents an hour for
three.years' term and are giving bon
~ Of S. to $40 for signing the contracts.