SETTLING A STRIKE.

Northland Age, Volume 3, Issue 22, 8 January 1907, Page 6

SETTLING A STRIKE.

Extraordinary methods were adopted to settle a strike. The story is told by the "Chicago Tribune.” The proprietor of the warehouse mentioned is now in London, and vouches, for the complete truth of the account. The freight-handlers at the factory in question went on strike* because one of the men had been dismissed for incompetency and disobedience. The manager sent for the leader of the strikers in. order to conduct negotiations towards a settlement. "Look here,” he said to the strike leader, "I’ve been thinking it over, and I’ll take this fellow back if he'll do what I tell him. providing what I ask is neither degrading nor unreasonable.” "Well settle on that basis, and glad to do it. The men will go to work in the morning,” was the reply. Next morning the men turned up, the cause of the strike among them. The manager singled him out, and told him to sit in an armchair placed outside the entrance to the works "You sit there until I give you something else to do,” was the order. The man did so with a grin. It was an easy way of earning his wages. He sat there till noon, and all the men passing in and out chaffed him about his job. After lunch he went in to repcirt to the manager, "Go back and sit in your chair,” said the manager, "and stay there till fouther orders.” For four days the man sat in the chair at the entrance to the works, doing nothing. But after the first day he felt he had never worked so hard in all his liie. His legs ached with agony of sitting still ; his hands twiched nervously for something to do ; his mates called him a "chair-warmer,” and in the end he saw the manager. "I want to throw up my job.” he explained. "All right,” said the manager, "I’ll accept you resignation if you insist, but understand that it’s purely voluntary on your part.” So the man went. The manager adds that the man laid in a stock of newspapers to pass the time, but these were taken away from him as not being part of the working contract.