The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-03-22
WOOL STRIKE ENDS
AFTER DAY OF RIOTS
Passaic Textile Workers Win
Shorter Hours and Union
Recognition.

After a day OF violence in Passsic, n.
j.. during which 5000 idle woollen
workers and $50 police fought for nearly
an hour. an agreemsnt was reached last
night between $4,000 strikers and the
Industrial Council Of Passaic Wool
Manufacturers, which IL made up OF the
six largest mills. Approximately 1000
hands employed in handkerchief. cotton,
rubber. wire and stove polish mills are
not affected by the settlement, although
union leaders last nfgnt said they ex-
pected that an adjustment OF all diff
ferences would now be reached on the
| same terms as those granted by the
Woollen manufacturers.
Among the mills entering into tho
agreement are the Botany Worsted Mills,
the Forstmann 4 HUFFMAN Company.
the Garfield worsted Mills. the Ger q
Mills and the New Jersey worsted Spin
! ming Company. Tho strike has been In
progress seven weeks to-day and the
workers during that time have lost 81
500. 900 in wages.
Under the terms agreed upon. the
| manufacturers are to recognise the right
Of employees to combine IN a union for
to have the right to organise shop COM
mittees In each department. and these
| committees are to receive all complaints
and grievances and submit them to the
management for amioable adjustment.
No discrimination Is TO be exercised by
the employers because Of union activity
on the part OF any individual or commit
tee.
Hours of Labor Reduced.
The working week Is cut from ffty-fve
to forty-eight hours and the wage Ques-
ton is TO be settled by an arbitration
| board to be made up OF two representa-
| tives OF the manufacturers, two OF the
| employees and NTH, to be selected
later. The employees are TO return TO
| work next Tuesday and whatever wage
increase Is agreed upon IS to date from
| then.
The settlement was effected by
| Cha rles j. Furrey OF the Cancellation
Division of the Federal Department OF
Labor. He arrived in Passaic last
Wednesday Mt the request OF John II.
Kehoe. the City Commissioner. and he
and Mr.. Kehoe have been holding a
series of conferences with representatives
OF both sides in the dispute ever since.
\ They were In almost continuous SEES
sion yesterday and the agreement was
reached about 10 o'clock in the evening.
The rloting yesterday took place in
front OF the Botany Worsted Mills,
which employ $500 hands and are the
| largest in the city. Several persons
were cut and bruised and required fret
aid attention from physicians but none
was seriously injured, The regular
police were REINFORCED by discharged sol
diers, who had been sworn in as special
! policemen, and the latter used their
clubs freely in the fighting, which was
necessary before the angry crowd could
be scattered.
Tho strikers gathered In front OF the
mill gates yesterday morning and at
tempted TO prevent the office employees
the only workers at the plant-from
! entering. About 100 of the former SOL
diers. who were equipped with shields
as special cops, attempted to restore
order, but the strikers tainted and
Jeered them. The mob spirit grew and
finally the strikers attempted to rush
the guards and take away their clubs
and revolvers. Twenty separate fights
were in progress within few minutes
! Leaders fn Riot Arrested.
A riot call VAS sent IN TO Police Iuea d.
quarters and Gustsve Schmidt. the Chief
of Police. responded with fifty more
special officers, reinforced by n detach-
ment OF the regular police. The mot
was charged repeatedly and ten OF the
most voc!ferous of the rioters were ar.
rested and bundled into a pa troll wagon
which then became the storm centre
After free use OF clubs the police sue.
ceeded in getting their prisoners locked
up and the mob was dispersed.
In the police court Tony Bapey OF :
Mattimore street, Passaic. who admitted
that ne was Slovac and an alien an,
that he had not been employed in any
OF the mills where the strike was IA,
progress, was sentenced TO n year IN
jail after conviction OF disorderly con.
duct and resisting an officer lie said
he was an iron worker and that ha had
recently arrived in PlEssic from Buff.
falo. The police say they will recon.
mend his deportation to the Federal i'm.
migration authorities.
Jail sentences OF three months eact
were imposed upon WasIl Blck of Cur.
ton. n. J.; Joseph Feranjak OF Pascal,
and John Kdavak Of Garfield. y. j.
Three women 6isturbcrs were fined
Mrs. Annie Prvtkna Of Passaic PAID
$40; Miss Caroline FAC. $25. and Mrs
Annie Kovtch S2j. Ths charge wa,
dlsorderly conduct. Sentences were sus.
pended on three other prisoners