New England Strike Grows All Fall River Mills Idle; President Seeks
Mediators
Estimate 200,000 Out
Organizer Arrested at Nashua, N. H.- Walk out in Paterson Area
At least 200,000 textile workers responded to the general strike called in
the first real test of the walkout Tuesday. An independent survey by the Associated
Press shows the strike picture in New England.
| |
Workers |
Idle |
| Maine |
22,400 |
1,000 |
| New Hamp. |
13,000 |
5,000 |
| Vermont |
3,000 |
500 |
| Massachusetts |
77,000 |
32,000 |
| Rhode Island |
50,000 |
4,200 |
| Connecticut |
32,000 |
5,000 |
| Nation |
650,641 |
207,300 |
FALL RIVER (AP) Upton Sinclair, president of the Fall River
Cotton Manufactures association announced at noon today that they members of
the association had decided to close all their plants throughout the city.
Almost the entire textile industry will be at a standstill here as of the result.
HYDE PARK (AP)- President Roosevelt determined today to name
immediately a special board to enquire into and mediate the wide-spread textile
strike.
The President acted upon the request of the national labor relations board.
He will name probably three members and the personnel will be announced very
shortly.
The national labor board asked to withdraw from the strike negotiations to
serve in the capacity of a court of appeals in the dispute. Aside from this
move, the President is contemplating no federal interference in the strike.
He will undoubtedly wait to receive the first hand reports of the special board.
(By the Associated Press)
Union textile leaders strengthened their lines today in an effort to make the
general strike in the industry "85 per cent effective" by the end
of the first week.
The strike apparently gained headway in New England as Fall River, one of the
industry's largest centers, reported seven additional mills closed, bringing
the number to 10 out of 22.
At Macon, Ga., the three mills of the Bibb Manufacturing company were closed
until further notice after a series of fights at the gates.
A strike call for 20,000 silk and rayon workers in the Paterson, N. J. area
became effective despite the fact the industry relations board there had failed
to authorize a walkout. The Paterson workers were not called out at the time
of the general strike because of an individual contract stipulating that the
Paterson board must rule 40 per cent of the industry outside the area on strike
before a walkout there became legal.
The response to the Paterson strike order was not immediately determined but
leaders expected the walkout to be effective because the workers are highly
organized.
In Nashua, N. H., Horace Broulette, a UPW organizer, was arrested and charged
by police with parading without a license. Police said he led a group of pickets
and that after his arrest, the crowd became unruly and cruising patrol cards
were called to disperse them.
Approximately 270 out of 450 mills were reported closed in the two Carolinas,
with the total number of workers out placed at 90,000 out of 160,000, an increase
of 10,000 over yesterday's estimate.
In Alabama two-thirds of the industry seemed to be operating under normal conditions.
Order was maintained throughout the the affected areas and threats of trouble
at small centers was consider to have abated.
A survey of the industry at Pawtucket, R. I., indicated all plants operating
with practically full staffs. Union leaders were said to be directing their
efforts to bringing out loom fixers in an effort to force the closing.
NEW BEDFORD- (AP)- All textile mills here were closed today
as officials of the Firestone Cotton mill, the last to remain open, announced
their plant had been closed for the rest of the week as a measure of protection
to the workers.
NORTH ADAMS. (AP)- Four textile plants in North Adams, two
cotton and two woolen mills, employing 1,325, resumed operations today with
all hands at work, mill officials said, while all but about a dozen employes
of the four mills of the Berkshires' Fine Spinning Associates, Inc., employing
about 2,000? remained on strike.
Officials of the mills in North Adams said that the strike call had been ignored.
In Williamstown about 200 rmployed in a cotton mill continued operations. Mill officials
said they also ignored the strike call.
HOLYOKE- Two Holyoke silk manufacturing companies, William
Skinner and Sons, largest individual silk manufacturing concern in the world,
and the Mabson Silk company, closed indefinitely yesterday, as the textile strike
opened.
The Skinner plant was closed when only a few employes on the second shift reported
after noon. Only a handful had reported in the morning. The Mabson company officials
shut down early in the day.
The American Thread company officials announced that both local divisions would
be open again today, although not more than 25 were working, 1100 men and women
remaining out. | 
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