The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-06
PUTNAM POLICE
AID BIZ DOM & co.
BREAK STRIKE.
Deport z New London
Textile Strikers
Worker Correspondent

) NEW LONDON, Conn, May A. It
seems to have become a mania with
police in textile towns to seek pub
licity The publicity is not of a very
favorable nature. A strike of several
hundred textile workers here was pro-
crossing peacefully and quietly. The
owners Of Bloom Company, Inc, did
not bother much about importing
scabs, calling the strikers to confer
ence, or anything to show that they
were alive. The strikers smelled
rat somewhere. They knew that the
orders were coming in fast and thick
at the time that the storm broke. They
found out that the orders were being
transferred to the plant in Putnam.
The old game of the textile barons
is to slash wages in one mill and in
case of a strike, work the orders in an
other mill, smash the strike if one
took place, and then follow it up with
wage cuts in the other mills. The
strikers understood the game and sent
delegation to investigate the situa-
ton in the other mill They then plan
ned to organize the Putnam workers
and call them out on strike.
Committee Arrives in Putnam.
A committee of seven strikers rode
into Putnam by car. They arrived a
bit before noon. The chief of police
soon got wind of their presence. The
committee then went to the mill and
talked to the Putnam workers about
wages, hours, organization, etc. They
learnt that while the Putnam workers
were being used to break the strike
unknowingly, the wages they received
were far below those of the New Lon
don mill. They averaged SIS to $22
week. while New London averaged SIS
to s24, including the weavers. Put
nam went out on strike, but lost due
to lack of organization and leader
ship.
The committee was not able to get
any more information that day. A big
touring car drew up before the mill
with two uniformed cops. They went
to the superintendent Office and came
out minute later. They drove over
standing quietly and talking to other
workers. They got out, approached
the committee men and began ques-
tioning and examining them. When
one worker protested against the
whole procedure, he was told to shut
up. When another protested remind
ing the officer that he was breaking
the law, he was answered by the po-
lice officer that constitution or no con-
stitution he was going ahead with
what he was doing and furthermore,
he was going to ship them all out of
town. The committee was deported
from Putnam by the bosses agents, the
police.
Arrest Strikers.
AS the workers proceeded home fol-
lowed by the entire police force of
Putnam, the chief of police suddenly
hit on a bright idea. He would lock
them upon the charge of overlooking
their car-seven strikers in a five.
passenger car. He stopped their car,
ordered them to drive to the station,
took their names and addresses, kept
them waiting for half an hour in a
stuffy room, and then came back to
inform them to get the hell out of
town.
The committee left town after this
very "hospitable" reception at the
hands of the police. The effect was
Just the reverse expected by Edward
Bloom Co., Inc. The striking textile
workers became more determined than
ever to win the strike. The workers
at Putnam became more sympathetic
when they heard of the incident.