The sun., 1919-02-05
PATERSON STRIKE
SPREADS TO PASSAIC
/. w. w. Butts Into Textile
Situation, but Will Be Kept
in Check by Police.

Apprehensio was caused in Paterson,
N. j.. yesterday through the injection
OF the I. w w. into the strike OF $1,000
workers in the silk mills. Thus far all
Of the demands have been made by the
United Textile Workers Of America who
have between 5000 and 10. 900 men and
women organized. The I. w. w. mem
bership numbers about 1000. and they
announced yesterday their intention Of
holding mass meetings. Ninety-eish per
cent. OF their members are foreigners.
Chief Of Police John Tracy said last
night he would permit the I. W. w.
meetings as long as order was main
tained and no outside asitators were
brought into the city. as was the case
during the strike in 1919
The chief hope OF ending the apparent
deadlock existing at present appeared
to hinge last night upon the possibility
that the Federal War Labor Board
would concern itself with the situation
In response to an inquiry. a message
was received In Paterson from the board
yesterday saying that Il would act in
the event that both sides Joined In sub
hitting a signed agreement specifying
the points Of controversy and agree
ing to abide by the boards decision.
Manufacturers Conciliatory.
The strikers will hold a meeting to-
night when they will decide their atti-
tude regarding arbitration. The manu.
facturers announced yesterday that they
would accept the conditions and that
they had named a committee to present
their side of the dispute to the board,
The manufacturers also receded from
their former position that the mills must
be operated on a fifty hour a week basis
pending adjudication by the board They
were willing. they said, to permit the
board TO decide what the working time
should be In the interim.
Louis Magnet. chairman Of the United
Textile Workers. said last night that
this attitude on the part OF the manu-
facturers was decidedly hopeful. He
declared the workers were determined
to go the limit" to win a victory. The
question OF asking the War Labor Board
TO act rs to be taken UP to-day at a
meeting OF the bureau OF retail affairs
of the Paterson Chamber OF Commerce
Trouble Spreads to Passaic.
The Industrial difficulties at Paterson
spread yesterday to Passaic. where II
was predicted by union leaders that all
Of the $4,000 workers in the woollen and
worsted mills would be out inside OF
forty-eight hous. The Gera mills shut
down after LOO men and women struck.
They demand An eight hour day five
days a week and a four hour day on
Saturdays, making a forty-four hour
week. At present they are working
hfty-hve hours. Fifty cents an hour Is
demanded. with double pay for over
time. The present scale is from 80 to
SO cents an hour.
During the day the strike spread to
three other esta blishmen.s. Eight hun
dred Of the 5000 employees at the
Botany Worsted Mills quit at tho end
OF eight hours, and the same action was
taken by 500 at the Forstmann and
HufrmAnn mills. One hundred and
twenty-five OF the 1000 hands in the
New Jersey Worsted and Spinning Com
pany's mills also went out. These strik-
ers are not organized. but committees
were named at . meeting held last niRht
to endeavor to induce the other workers
10 Join the strike. The mills in Passaic
were tied UP for two months by
strike in 1912