Republican farmer., 1919-08-08
'CRAPHOPH0NE
 EMPL0YES WON'T
 RETURN TO WORK
Plants Opened But 5000 Hands Stay Out--They
 Won't Fire Lavit. AGENT DENIES HE
 IS A BOLSHEVIST

The 5000 strikers at the
 Graphophone company's two plants refused to return to
 work this morning although the
 management had announced
 that the plants would resume
 today. The whole force ap-
 peared at the factories for pie
 ket duty, but none entered. A
 large number of police detailed to the scene found the strikers
 orderly.
 The strikers forces were augment ed by the addition of the 400 gar ment workers employed at the fac tory of Wolf & Abrams, corner of Wall and Water streets. who are ask ing 44-hour week and an increase of 65 per cent. in wages.
 No action has been taken by the officials of the Grand Lodge of Ma chinists in carrying out their threat to revoke the charter of the local who refused to remove Sam Lavit as their business agent.
 Strikers from the Graphophone and Bryant Electric plants refused to take any stock in the charges against Lavit and unanimously passed a vote of confidence in him and requested him to continue as their adviser and representative.
 The sentiment of the strikers throughout the city is almost unani- nous in favor of the deposed busi- ness agent, but a few of the older members of the Machinists' union are expressing the opinion that no one man should be greater than the or ganization and that Lavit should get out if the Grand Lodge insists.
 Lavit has retained Hugh Lavery as his counsel and will insist that charges be made before the execu- tive committee of the local where he he will have a chance to answer them.
 Addressing meeting of the Bryant Electric company strikers today Sam Lavit denied all the charges made against him by E. c. Davison of the Grand Lodge of Machinsts and said:
 
 do with calling strike at your shop. That when you came out as an un- organized mob I invite5 you in and tried to organize and help you to draw up your demands. I had noth- ing to do with the selection of your committee that your boss Goodridge refuses to see. But I have tried to organize you and get you in a posi- tion where you would be able to get fnr have haIdL If that is Bolshevism! Then I plead guilty to being Bol- shevist. I preached. too, against vio- l lence. If that is Bolshevism then I l plead guilty to being a Bolshevist told you to stand together and stick | until your demands were granted. If ] that is Boishevism. I plead guilty to i being a Bo!shevist"
 This strike is yours. Not mine | You are in America, remember, and i no man or two or three men no mat ter whether they come from Wash ington or Russia has the right to tell l you that you shall go back to work unless you are satisfied
 Don't be divided by outsiders, by the talk of agents of the manufac- turers.
 Adjournment was taken until to-
  that no word has been from L. R. Thomas, the con- ciliator from the Department of Labor who had agreed to attend this morn ing's session and report the result of his endeavors to have G. w. Good ridge of the Bryant Company meet with the old committee of the strik- CTS. The meeting voted to retain the old committee to negotiate a settle ment and appointed a committee of three members to call on Goodridge ana invite him to address tomorrow's meeting.
 The strikers at the Graphophone plants are still out notwithsta nding the announcement of the mana cement that the shops would open this morn ing on A hour week basis and giv- ing an increase of 129o in wages.
 F. Canceleiri, an organizer of the Garment Workers of America, was in this city last week and stated that no member of the or sanization of which he war an officer allowed their members to work more han A hours a week, while the shop n this city was working AS hours and was paying the girls only SIP a week fos making 800 sleeves while for the same work in thair New Fork factory hey were paying s35.