New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-07-21
STRIKE A FIzzLE;
BRIDGEPORT MEN
BACK EMPLOYERS
Workers Accept S-Hour
Day and Praise Reming-
ton General Manager.
UNION TO CONFER
WITH GOMPERS TODAY
Leaders Still Predict Trouble
and Arrange for Vigorous
Picketing Campaign.

TllhctlllS Campaign.
+ Bridgeport. Conn, July 20.-The big
strike OF ammunition workers sched-
uled to begin at noon to-day was fiat
/ failure. Instead Of the new plant of the
Remington company being tied up, the
men employed there held a mass meet
ing, accepted an eight-hour-day offer
made more than a week ago, and gave
Major Walter G. Penfeld, president Of
the company. a vote of thanks.
Thomas J. Savage, Of the executive
committee Of the international Asso-
citation Of Machinists, who arrived to-
day to take charge Of the situation, ad-
. mitted tonight that the attempt to tie
up the plant had failed but he promises
better results for tomorrow. when, he
says, the pickets will prevent the men
who refused to strike to-day from re-
turning to work. lie also promises a
strike in the old plant of the company
and in the plant OF another concern al
lied with il, whose name he refuses to
give tonight.
According TO Savage, 10 men went
on strike to-day in four shops Accord
ing to James G. Ludlum, president of
the Manufacturers Association, but
twenty-eieht men arc out The best cs-
innate of the number Of machinists in
Bridgeport places the total at $500.
Savage claims that 200 of these are
members Of his union.
"pcnicld put ono over on US to-day,
hc said tonight. but II viii be an
other story tomorrow. We will see 20
. IL that tn, men who did not strike this
noon. because we could not get at them,
will 60 out then. The night crowd did
not 60 o1 duty tonight. There is but
one machlnist i'm the works there. To-
morrow at noon the men in the old
| plant Of the company will quit. During
the morning we win call out the men
/ in another plant No. will not give the
name Of it. There are perhaps two hun
drcd more men employed there.
Mistake" Union Says.
To-day fifty men went out Of the
plant Of the Gaynor Manufacturing
Company. which has sub-contractS Of
the Remington company. Twenty more
went out OF the works Of the Bridge
port Manufacturing Company and
twenty-five from the old plant Of the
Remington company. There we're sew
enty-fve men in the shift shat should
have gone 10 work tonight Just one
man went in.
"The strike failed to-day because Of
a mistake. Keppler went to the works
at noon. expecting to bring tn" men out,
but the company did not let them come
out. We have been getting At them to-
night. and We will see TO il that they
do not 60 into the works tomorrow"
According to Savage, women en-
ployed by the company to the number
of 1000 will be forced out Of work
by the strike of machinists and IN turn
organized by representatives. OF the
Federal Union, branch OF the Amer
/ lean Federation Of Labor for unskllled
workers.
Savage admitted, however. that a
great deal might depend upon confer
cnce being held in New York tonight:
Where this conference was he would
not state, nor would he say by whom 1t
was called.
"Keppler is in New York to-right on
various matters" he said. This IS one
of them. II may be that an agreement
of some sort may be reached. Per
sonally have not much confidence
in it,"
Gompers Extends "Oflices."
Savage also told Of a conference OF
| labor men to be held in Washington
! tomorrow. at which various officers OF
! the machnists will discuss the situa-
tion with Samuel GOmpers in the Of
/ fees Of the federation.
Does this mean that an effort Will
: be made TO force GomperS to prove his
4 statements about German bribery or
/ shut up" Savage was asked.
II do no. think il means anything
more than Not Mr.. Gompers has eX-
/ tended his I'D Offices
! II was kte this afternoon before any
/ one had A clear idea as TO what had
| happened at the Remington works. The
| men had remained az work. but what
! inducements had been offered TO hold
4 them could not be learned. The labor
I leaders said they had been locked in.
For the company Major Peniield main
d tains a state Of siege about the plant.
He refused TO say anything or allow
anything 20 be said for him.
The first Of the men 10 leave the
works said that when they sought to
get out ut noon the guards at the doors
told them there was 20 be a meeting.
{ At this meeting the proposition TO re-
Guce the hours Of labor 20 per cent
without decreasing wages was taken
up. and after the men had discussed il
the majority decided To stick. A few
union men. they said. had opposed the
measure.
These workers were met at the gates
Lv large delegation of union men.
headed by Savage. who instructed them
in the work of picketing. Right at the
start he found that the picketing must
4 be peaceful. In the friendliest fashion
Cnntinued IN mage column =