The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-09-08
WORKMEN IN ITALY
SEIZE METAL MILLS
Break Open Factory Safes and Take
Money Claimed Due Them
for Waqes

Rome, Sept. 7.-Government officials
will open negotiations with the Gen
eral Industrial Conference at Milan on
Thursday with view to solving the
problem presented by the seizure by
workers of metal factories throughout
Italy. The Socialist group in the Ital-
ian Parliament viii hold meeting
with the governing committee of the
General Workers Confederation on
Friday, and it is expected that at this
gathering policy will be adopted by
the workers relative to the present
anomalous condition of Italian indus
try
1t is estimated that 400 of the larg-
est metal works in Italy have been oc-
cupied by mechanics and workers, and
the movement is still expanding,
threatening to extend to the extreme
southern end Of the peninsula. Elab.
crate steps have been taken by the
government to preserve order during
the period when general offensive
against all industries is threatened.
Manufacturers declare that the wage
increases demanded by the 100000
metal workers employed by them
would add at least 1,000,000000 lire to
their payroll, and that this burden
could not be sustained. They point out
that Italy pays eighteen times the pre-
war price for coal, while England pays
only three times, American only 3.5,
France six and even Germany only
eleven. AS result foreign produc
tion is replacing Italian. Wrought
steel manufactured in France is SELL
ing in tn S country at lower price
than the Italian product, while wrought
steel made in England costs less than
1t can be produced for in Italy even
without profit.
Two members of the Ministry will
go to Milan. and it is hoped the Gen,
eral Industrial Conference will take
early action on their suggestion. If
this action should be favorable it would
mean the end of the agitation for the
Occupation of plants.
IL ii should be unfayorable, ii is inn
possible to predict the duration and
possible consequences of the struggle
Strikers in this city believed last
might that an effort would be made by
the police to take possession OF some
plants that had been occupied by
workers They sounded an alarm with
sirens and Immediately crowds Of
women and children rushed to the oc-
cupied plants to join relatives. This,
according to the police, appears to in
d cate the strikers have agreed, in
case Of an attack upon them. to pro
tect themselves by the presence of
women and children.
All night armored cars and armed
cyclists patrolled the streets and ma.
chine guns were placed in dominating
positions along thoroughfares, while
the idly curious were driven from the
streets by carbiniers. The police were
watching every section of the city and
were prepared for any eyentuality
This activity led the strikers to ex,
Ipect an attack and they lighted flares
outside of the buildings they occupied
but the police and soldiers evidently
had been ordered to merely keep watch
and prevent surprise attacks. All
banks are strictly guarded and theil
staffs are armed for defense.
In some plants near Turin the work
ers have broken open the safes and
taken money to pay the wages they
claim are due them, says a dispatch
to The Tribuna AT the Fiat automo
bile works strong boxes have beer
Irifled and documents and correspon
dence have been taken, the newspaper
says. Altogether 149 Turin factories
which employ thousands of workers,
are in the hands of the men.
Some of the workers on receiving
Iorders from their unions at MilaI
have released engineers who haC
been kept as hostages At Florence
the strikers have formed themselves
Into musical bands In order to reljev,
the monotony of their voluntary i'm
prisonment,