New-York tribune., 1916-07-26
General Committee Stays
i'm Session Late Discus
sing Differences.
RESULT DEPENDS ON
BROADCAST VOTE
Reserves Needed al Union
Square Demonstration Against
Conference Agreement.

Bv only three votes, 43 70 40, the
general committee Of the garment
strikers closed its session at the Broad
way Central Hotel early this morning
by accepting the agreement, drawn up
on Monday.
The Recommendation was, Of course,
made that final rejection or acceptance
depend upon the result of the general
vote. The taking Of this vote, by secret
ballot. will begin to-day.
Serious opposition to the terms pro-
posed for the settlement of the gar
ment strike held the general strike
committee Of the workers in heated DIS
cussion from II o'clock in the morning.
The opposition was considerable
among the 10 members Of the strike
committee, but was most pronounced
among tho workers who. throughout
the day, conducted demonstrations
acainst the agreement drafted by the
Joint conference Of the Manufacturers
organization. the Cloak, Suit and shirt
Manufacturers Protective Association
and the international Ladies Garment
Workers Union.
A rejection of the agreement was
forecast by many Of its opponents.
They asserted the optimistic statements
by BENJAMIN Schlesinger, international
president of the union, and by repre-
sentatives Of the manufacturers were
premature.
One Clause Rejected.
One clause Of the agreement the
seventh-was rejected by the strike
committee in the afternoon by vote
Of AZ 10 40. The feature of this pro-
vision Objectionable TO many requires
a worker 10 have been three months IN
his position before he is eligible 10 a
place on the price committee. Inc
workers protested that tbs provision
would be an inducement to the en-
ployer 10 discharge a man as his length
Of service neared the three-month limit
and prevent him from going on the
committee.
The committee. a few minutes after
passing unfavorably on this clause
voted to delay temporarily decision
on the clause giving the workers only
six holidays year, instead OF ten
which they had previously.
At one of the demonstrations
against the agreement it was neces-
sary to call out the reserves. Nearly
5000 garment workers, mostly Ital-
ians. marched from Labor Temple TO
Union Square and from the front of
No. 80. union headquarters. demanded
Schlesinger. the union president.
They waved umbrellas decked out
with red ribbons and yelled that they
would not stand for the agreement
which their officers had signed with
representatives of the manufacturers.
They said it was no victory for the
union, but a defeat.
The Broadway Central Hotel, where
the committee was meeting, was tlled
with another crowd of dissatisfied men,
who thronged the lobby and invaded
the second floor, until the management
finally found it necessary to have them
put out.
A meeting of the shop chairmen was
called for at Stuyvesant Casino at 8
o'clock, but later was postponed. A
large crowd that gathered was dis
persed with some difficulty.
The fourth demonstration was in
front Of the Jewish newspaper, For
ward" Probably 800 workers con-
gregated and voted to send delegations
to each of five Jewish papers to pro-
test against the terms Of the agree
ment.
Union Heads Work Hard.
Schlesinger. in n statement shortly
before midnight, said the agreement
either would be accepted or rejected in
its entirety. If rejected, he said, II
would be sent back to the joint confer
ence of workers and manufacturers tol
amendment.
He and Morris Hillquit, counsel fol
the union. worked earnestly through
out the day TO gain the approval OF
the committee for the agreement. The
rejection of the price committee clause
was a severe disappointment, but they
did not accept the defeat as final, hop
ing that in case the remainder OF the
agreement was acceptable TO the com
nittee it later would change TO IA
vorable vote on the price committee.
The violent opposition to the agree
ment proved somewhat Of a surprise
Schlesinger, for the union. and Will
lam Klein, counsel for the manu-
facturers, had issued statements say
inc the strike virtually was settled
Each claimed victory for his side
The impression was conveyed that the
strike committee would approve the
agreement yesterday and that there
! WOULD be smooth sailing in the rel
erendum vote among the workers.