The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-09-01

The Grand Lodge of the association consists of the six executive officers. According to the business agent of the local union the three executive officers who were here yesterday, expressed sentiments at the meeting last night showing they favored the program unz qualihed1y. The attitude the three others are likely to take cannot be forecast. 5& isa lf7sS z aessr'
 How serious is the situation in this city may be gathered from the fact that the one man that is honored with the belief that President Wilson skc- cepts his advice, has been sent Mere in the effort to avert the thFeatened strike. Frank Miller the promInest Bridge port banker; c. E. Bflton, 3resident of the Manufactures asseniasfon: ". R. Webster, general manager of tho Bridgeport Brass Co, and E. K Nfch- lolson. attorney for thss nsanufacturers. attended the conference yesterday, which, It was hoped, would have the result of preventing further labor trouble in war time.
 1t was a secret meeting At the close everybody who attended was
 sworn to secrecy, and as result no information would be given out after the meeting by the Manufacturers association or by the labor execu- ltiveS v
 T am unable to say anything" said President Johnston when asked con- cerning the object of the meeting. Similar responses were obtained from other officials
 From another source however, it vas learned that the manufacturers i adopted the attitude of unqualifiedly. opposing the recognition of shop coIn- mittees. The minimum wage too, fha. | basis of the whole program of the, machinists, is distasteful to the manu- lecturers.
 1 MT. .Lippman was told the manu- lecturers were willing to negotiate an agreement with the government, and | then the government could negotiate
 similarly with the union. This would eliminate the necessity of manufac- I turers receding from their opposition
 to the shop committee idea-tha man ufacturers' abhorrence of which is
 seen in Danbury. This suggestion did
 not meet with general approval. The conference didn't result in any progress either for concession or icompromise. No other conference has been arranged.
 |
 Machinists' International appeared
 before the mass meeting last night. They had no promise of concession from the manufacturers to give the
 workingmen.
 ] The issues were discussed. It was lrelated that many weeks ago the pro- gram of the machiniSts had been presented to the manufacturers and that requests were made for confer lence. Very few replies were received It was patent at the meeting that
 the manufacturers, as a body, refused to concede to the schedule proposed or compromise. Therefore, reso1u- tion was read, reviewing conditions,
 and calling for general strike, sub ject to the approval of the Grand Lodge, the strikes to be called in fac-
 tories in groups of 5 or 20, the latter to be determined upon by the mini- mum rate. committee of the Machin-
 ists' union, and the Grand Lodge.
 The resolution was put to vote, and
 adopted by ratio of g to I. It was
 a secret ballot A vote by acclama1 I ton followed, making it unanimous. The local machinists then, await but the action of the Grand Lodge
 which is expected to approve the
 strike program. President Johnston IL IS knOWn, peHeVeS the machlnlStS
 program very fair, and his colleagues
 Messrs. Savage and Keppler, also ap
 prove it. If they support it in the Grand Lodge meeting. it is believed
 here it will be O. K. I'd.
 The sending Of Mir. Lippnnan to thi city follows the visit of manufaetur } CTS and labor men to Washington
 President Bilton of the manufactur CTS, Attorney Nicholson and the fed and ordnance officer assigned to thi
 military district went to the Capito
 to see what could be done. The re suit was the arrangement of thu Bridgeport conference.
 : The Belgian relief ship, Elizatbet1
 von Beige, en route to New Orleans : is aground at Key West, Fla.