The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-07-18
Discharge Of One Man Who Was Act.
inc as Executive in Organizing
Union Given as Cause by
the Men
ALL PEACE EFFORTS FAIL
Appeal Taken from Superlnte ndent
Brown to President and General
Manager Gabeiine Who Ar.
rives Today.

Nearly all OF the workmen at the
Standard Four Tire factory went on
strike st $50 o'clock yesterday after
noon Over a hundred men quit
work and only about half dozen
remained
A few who reported last evening
for the night shift were told that
there were not enough to allow the
factory to operate
TIE discharge of an employee be
cause he was one OF a committee
appointed by some of the men to
loganize labor union among the
iworkmen Is the reason given for the
strike by the strikers.
superintendent Brown says the
reason fog the discharge OF the en-
ploye was that he went out OF his
own department into other parts Of
the plant and detained the men from
their work.
/ The men say that I'VE men were
made an executive committee 10 or
ganize the union. One OF the CON-
mittee named Arnold was known 70
be engaged in this work by Superin-
ltendent Brown and was at once sum
sma-ily discharged.
/ The representatives OF the men
went to the Office OF the superinten-
dent and report the following col
loquy:
Arguments Of the Men.
! They told Superintendent Brown
that Arnold and the other mer7s srs
i OF the committee on organization
were appointed and Instructed 10
act by all the men intending to fo.m
/ a union; that Arnold was i.ei ely
/ their representative; that all the men
involved were as guilty as Arnold q
| starting a union; that IL Arnold could
not work on that account, all Of them
felt that they should have the same
treatment; that II the superinten dent
would not reinstate Arnold, they
would all give themselves the same
medicine and quit work.
! Superintendent Brown told them
that his mind was made up definitely
and permanently, and that it was a
waste of time to talk about rein
stating Arnold; that he would not
lunder any circumstances allow a
union among the men, as he is I'M
aTterably opposed to unionism and
left one trade To take up tire making
ion that account
What Superintendent Says.
/ When told the reason given by the
men for striking and asked what he
said about Il, Superintendent Brown
replied this forenoon:
sI say no; but / don't want any
ab0I,t IL -
After being told that news is news
and an opportunity was being given
him 10 state his side of the contro-
versy, he said:
"He was discharged because he
was out OF his place, and / have
witnesses to prove that he was out
4 CT his place / mean that he was
J ont OF his department. interfering
with the machinery down stairs and
keeping the men there away from
ti.cir work"
He made Il clear that he meant
that Arnold was out of his place
geographicaIly in the plant and its
various rooms, instead of staying
where his work is located.
Labor Leaders Try to Stop y.
the mems committee and the super.
intendent was closed-there were
tyo. the second being practically
repetition of the frst-a signal IN
the chops caused laying down of
tools and the departure of the men
from the plant with their dinner
buckets.
In the meantime a peace confer
T7in
down town In an effort TO prevent
the strike from starting until every
effort had been made to settle the
dispute amicably.
D. J. Hernmy, officer Of the Iowa
state federation Of labor, and Albert
Yieser. secretary of the Keokuk
Trades and Labor assembly, urged
the men 10 go slow about quitting
work They argued that every effort
should be exhausted and an appeal
taken from the superintendent to the
MANAGEMENT OF the company. before
the men struck In the forenoon.
they telephoned President Gabeline,
q. Burlington. and while he said he
could not talk very definitely at such
Iong range and short notice, ne
-vo4Iid be down this morning and
1oejk into the matter thoroughly. His
time encouraged the labor leaders tn
g,eIfeye that when he arrived Arnold
would be reinstated.
Men Refused 70 Wait.
report became current among
the men, however, that Gabeline had
Itelephoned Brown to reinstate Arm.
old but that Brown had talked
ft.EeItr. our ~ that Intention
This report and irritation AT Brown
growing out Of their conferences
with him cauged the men to refuse
70 Wait until today before waking
.otst
~ me same time notice was
t,gIiottned at the plant giving all the
yo,yk,nen an advance Of five cents in
wAgeE, a.,