The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-22
FEAR STRIKE RIOTS
In PASSAIC TO-DAY
Leaders Admit Workers Are
Beyond Control and Urge
Militia Call.
CLOSED SHOP IS REFUSED
Manufacturers Show Wage In
crease-I. w. w. Incites
Labor Violence.

Wool manufacturers of Passaic, N. j.,
refused yesterday to accept the closed
shop demand by the newly organized
Passaic textile union. All parties to the
controversy were represented ut a con-
ference with Passaic city officials and
James L. Hughes of the Department OF
Labor. The employers attitude threw
the 10000 strikers into a mood more
menacing than they had assumed. One
strike leader said that he could see moth
ing to be done but to call In the State
militia. More than $4,000 OF the strikers
are foreigners.
When the labor committee reported to
the workers at the labor hall It was
found that the ]. w. w. had been cir
cularizing workers with dodgers printed
in Polish and Hungarian predicting that
the conference with the manufacturers
would be fruitless. and charging the CEN
trail labor committee with selling out.
After Matthias Pluhar, the chairman,
made his report several hundred OF the
members withdrew from the hall in pro-
test.
Little Disorder in City.
There was little disorder in tho city
yesterday, but the few fights that did
take place were so quickly finished that
the police had no opportunity to mako
an arrest. One woman was severely
beaten by a girl picket and one nom
union worker was stoned. Gustave
Schmidt. Chief OF Police. put a heavy
guard on all mills last night and said
he expected trouble to-day.
The workers were particularly dis
gruntled over the conference in tho
Mayors office because of the attempts Of
james L. Hughes. the Federal mediator.
to make them yield the issue Of the
closed shop.
Upon this statement Chairman Pluhar
took his committeeman into an ante
room for five minutes to debate the ques-
ton. When they returned he said:
at is impossible to do anything fur
Their. All the members want recognition
Of the union and shop committees. We
cannot yield the point. Why should a.
900 workers give in to FIVE or six manu-
facturers7'
"No Longer Slaves"
He said that the present strike was
not a protest against work in itself. but
that labor wanted to share in it's pro-
duction and In the war profits. we
are no longer slaves" he said.
The answer of the manufacturers was
made by Anton Schmid, president OF the
Industrial Council Of Passaio Wool Man
ufacturers. He asserted that the own
ers recognized the right Of workers to
combine. but that they never would ac-
cept the principle of the closed shop.
"1f the workers could understand our
problem and would realize that since
the war wages In our plants have in
creased So per cent. and that at the
present time we are operating on a
short market they would see that we
have a wive and generous desire to do
our Bit" he said.
Mr. Hughes then interposed he
thought the workers were putting them
selves in a very bad light by insisting
upon closed shop. The statement
angered the labor committee.
Workers were In session in various
parts OF the city last night preparing
for future action. There Is prospect
that the new union will fail TO hold
support and that the radicals will OBJ
tain full sway.