Mill Strikes in Charlotte and Concord Continue, May 28, 1919

From the Carolina Watchman, Salisbury, N.C., May 28, 1919

Strike Situation in Charlotte Is Ugly. . . President of Highland Park Mills Is Roughly Treated by Striking Element

Charlotte, May 26—The cotton mill strike situation here, which has been steadily growing worse for days, reached the ugly stage today when President C.W. Johnson of the Highland Parks mills, one of the plants affected, was roughly treated by the striking element. Eggs were thrown at Mr. Johnson as he was entering his automobile and abusive language hurled at him. The police were called but there was not sufficient to control the crowd. The strikers are determined that no one shall work in the Highland Park mills.

The Louise mill owned by A.J. Draper was closed today. Mr. Draper will not employ union men and the men continuing to join the union until there were no operatives left, the mill was forced to shut down. The situation is the worst that has ever existed in the mills here.

Little Change in the Situation at Concord

Concord, May 26—There is little change in the local labor situation. Kannapolis mills are running full time and giving a 50 per cent bonus which is almost up to the war scale of 66 2/3 percent. The unionized mill at Mooresville is paying only 35 per cent bonus. The other mills here are closed, no new developments announced. A representative of the department of justice at Washington recently made a special investigation of the situation here, it is said. Union meetings are held almost nightly and thousands are joining. M.G. Ledford, of the national executive council, of the Textile Workers of America and a national organizer, has been on the ground for weeks. He says that the entire mill population of the south will be unionized sooner or later.

Some of the mills here are paying each week those who refused to join the union $20 for families of four and $10 for families of two and $5 for each one during the close down.

The union people distribute daily food necessary to their members who cannot work and are in need. Many have gone to the farms and to other work but a large number are moving away to other mills.

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From the editorial page of the Carolina Watchman, Salisbury, N.C., May 28, 1919

The cotton mill situation at Charlotte and Concord continued to grow worse, which is to be regretted. The Watchman has all the sympathy necessary for the cotton mill workers and also the owners, between whom peaceful and profitable relations existed until the outside agitators, probably emissaries sent here by the jealous northern factory owners, arrived on the scene. There should be no objection to the employees organizing for their own improvement and material interests, but there ought to be some way to prevent outsiders coming into a section or State and turning peace and prosperity into chaos. Men who are not citizens of the State and have no rights as such should not be accorded the privileges he assumes.