The Connecticut labor press., 1920-05-29


 as 1t was, in a way Originally the
 charge of breach of the peace was also preferred against the strikers but this
 was too absurd for even the Waterbury
 police to try to get away with and it
 was dropped in court
 When the convention of the Connec-
 ticut Federation of Labor opened next
 morning the matter was brought ID and
 committe, composed of Delegates
 Krone of Hartford, Madden of Stam-
 ford, Webster of Bridgeport, Hunter of
 Danbury, and Hauerwas of Waterbury, was appointed to attend the session of the court and report. Later 1t was voted to make the matter special order of the day at } o'clock in the afternoon
 At that time the committee reported as previously outlined and Secretary Ornburn, who has been in close touch with the strike from its cutses, and who represented the Connecticut Federation in Waterbury during the previous strike, reviewed the situation. The at titude of Superintendent Beach was characterized as violently hostile to the strikers. On the occasion of the pre- vious strike he said to Secretary Orn- going to drive those C. D. ignor- ant foreigners back in the factories where they beIongp The speaker re viewed the incidents attendant upon that strike in which police armed with riot guns surrounded the peaceful meeting in Brooklyn which was finally permitted. following several refusals. after Superintendent Beach discovered that Secretary Ornburn and Attorney C. J. Danaher meant business and knew what they were about.
 From that point Secretary Ornburn led up to the present time and said that there was evidence to strongly indicate that the manufacturers were encourag- ing the one big union movement to dis rupt the American Federation of Labor and keep their men from accomplishing anything effective.
 Tt IS impossible for us to get an even break in Waterbury" he said. ''The city government IS owned by the large employers"
 It was further stated that the strikers are not only being arrested but are be- ing beaten up by plain cfothes officers while peaceably walking the streets.
 Secretary Ornburn also told of an in- terview he had with Superintendent Beach on one occasion when that official had said that he didn't know anything about a peaceful picketing law and, when told that he was going in op- position to decision of the supreme court he replied that he didn't care anything for the supreme court"
 Organizer Joseph Tone of the Inter national Machinists of America, who is one of those in charge of the strike, told of an interview with Superinten- dent Beach last July, after getting past lines of the militia, soldiers and sailors.
 You know it is only the dirty ele- ment that's causing this trouble" the is reported to have said on this occasion.
 You're forgetting that this dirty element was tagged and brought into the Naugatuck Valley to lower the standard of American citizenship" Or ganizer Tone replied.
 He then proceeded to review the pre- vious strike and the present one, main taining that the New England Workers was backed by the manu- lecturers. At first in the present strike .here were three or four thousand men went out and then 1000. Their de hands were sent back by the manufac- urers who refused to recognize the 1nion but said they would talk to rep of their men as individuals. Then, when committee when to them. he manufacturers maintained that they 1idn't represent their men and refused o barley with them.
 Now" continued Organizer Tone, there are about 20O00 or 25,0O0 men put and if we didn't represent the men 1ou've got to show me"
 He added that the superintendent of police considers walking around wear ng a badge to constitute parade and ;ays that there's no such animal as peaceful picketing.
 Now we are going to fight this issue put right here in Waterbury" continued he speaker, land we must have your support. If they succeed in breaking ID our organization the open shop men ire going to move in. I'd like to have every delegate here go back to his or Ter organization and tell 1t what battle we have on here. Tell them how Beach refused to allow food to be brought to these men after hey were locked up, as I am informed le did. and how they were locked up tight men in cell"
 Organizer Kurowski, representing the American Federation of Labor, said hat he had been sent to Waterbury by he secretary of the American Fedora ion of Labor and when he arrived here le found we had the same conditions as