The sun., 1919-01-28
THREATEN TEXTILE
TIEUP ALL OYER US.
Workers Ready to Quit II
8 Hour Demand Is Not
Granted by Feb. 8.
THOUSANDS IN STATE
Employers Show No Sign of
Surrcnder-Paterson Wants
Al Hour Week.

nationwide tieup is threatened In
IN. textile industry unless sllk. cotton
and woollen manufacturers grant their
workers an eight hour day by February
: John Golden. president of the Textile
Workers of America, announced yester-
day that members OF the organization
would work eight hours on that date and
then stop and would insist that the eight
hour schedule be followed thereafter.
lIe said. however. that the orders issued
TO the members OF the union did not
constitute a strike
After Mr.. Golden's statement had been
made public. Gov. Smith instructed men,
bsrs OF his newly appointed State Recon-
structlon Commission, created to deal
with industrial problems and emergencies
sesultlng from conditions brought about
by the termination OF the war. to make
every effort to avert trouble in New York
State, since 10000 men and women are
employed In textile plants in cities along
the Mohawk Valley.
Following the receipt Of Gov. Smiths
message the commission announced that
its committee on unemployment, OF
which John G. Agar Is chairman, and
the committee on industrial problems
headed by r Fverit Macy, would meet
In Albany Thursday In an effort to iron
out the situation. The Inquiry will be
conducted by Abram /. Elkus chairman
Of the commission. and II necessary
there will be hearings in other parts OF
the State as well.
demand for forty eight hour week
40 10 10
convention here last November. No re-
duction from the fitty-four hour schedule
in the North and from fifty-eight to
sixty hours in the South has been made
yet, however, and Mr.. Golden said yes
terdSy that employers had made no ad-
vance toward compromise. The en-
ployees We're willing TO continue on that
schedule as long as the factories were
engaged only on Government war con-
tracts, Mr.. Golden declared He said
tho Industries had since adjusted their
business to fill domestic contracts and
the workers were no longer satisfied.
Wage demands are not involved. save
that the same pay is demanded for the
shorter week.
The receipt in Paterson. y. j.. yes,er-
day OF 1000 circular letters signed by
Golden. demanding the forty-eight hour
week in behalf of the 25 900 operatives
In the silk mills there, raised a furore
among members of the union. Demands
have already been submitted for for
ty-four hour week, TO include n half
holiday Saturday. At conference held
between representatives Of the manu-
facturers and the union week ago no
agreement WAS reached The employers
declared it would be impossible to COM
pete with plants in the South and in
New England II forty-four hour week
were adopted.
Opinion was sharply divided among
the workers last night as to whether the
forty -four hour week still would be In
sisted upon Louis MaCnat. chairman
OF the eight hour day committee said
the constitution Of the union gave the
right to local workers To determine local
conditions and that there would be no
change in the demands already made.
Other union leaders expressed the belief
that the Paterson operators would agree
10 the forty-elght hour week in uniform
!ty with the rest OF the country.