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About The morning Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1899-1930 | View Entire Issue (April 2, 1904)
PAGE EIGHT. THE MORNING ASTORIAN, SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 1901. CONTRACTORS DECLINE TO GIVE IN AND ONE HUNDRED CARPENTERS WALK OUT ; Men Endeavor to Be Reasonable in Their Demands but Are Determined to Hold Out for Eight-Hour Day, Have no Wish to Take Work From Employers, So Will Not Con tract on Their Own Account Until as Last Resort-Wilson Bros. Accede to Demands and Will Have Regular Force at Work This Morning. About 100 union carpenters yester day morning quit their places as the result of the failure of the contractors of the city to comply with their de mands for an eight-hour day. At sev eral of the stores, where carpenter work was absolutely necessary to the conduct of business, the carpenters per mitted their men to work, merely as a matter of accomodation to the mer chants Interested, but those carpenters in the employ of the contractors all de clined to work upon being told their demands would not be met The carpenters are making every ef fort to be reasonable In their strike, and among other things intend that no misinformation shall appear in the papers. With this end in view, the un ion has appointed one of Its officers to act as press agent, and this gen tleman will keep the papers posted as to the progress of events and all mat ters of an official nature will be given publicity through him. Last evening he called at the office of The Astorian to make a statement on behalf of his union. Say They Gave Notice The attention of the writer was called to the following statement which ap peared In yesterday's Budget: j "....The contractors had little to say except that they would have full crews at work again in a few days at the old scale. They did state positively that the union had never given them formal notice of the impending strike, and it was not until the day before that they actually knew it, although there were some rumors to that effect " This allegation on the part of the torian the following copy of the original notice, which was served on all of the contractors "Artorla, Ore., December 8, 1S01 To the Contractors of Astoria Gentlemen : At a meeting of union 17, C. and J, of America, held November 28, 190S, it was decided to ask for an eight-hour day in the near future, and a committee was appointed to wait on you, gen tlemen, and ask you to sign the follow- ing agreement. "F. E. WRIGHT. President. "T. D. SOUDE.V, Secretary. We. the contractors of Astoria, agree to an eight-hour day on and after April 1, 1904 w would ourselves accept contracts during the strikt. tut it Is not our in tentlon to make thin a general rule unless the strike develops Into a pro- racted one. We do not wish to make the general nubile suffer because of our evening. "They say they appreciate differences with the contractors, but we the justice of our demand, and thiit L(,i,i inn.h nr..r,.r .tt lament mid re. yesterday would not have been lost turn , th usual method of business nan tney given consideration to, the procedure, although we would make matter. We are pleased with this evl- i..ie..r .nirm!imr fur ourselves. donee of fairness, but 1 would not care should the strike continue for nn In to make any statement as to the prob- definite iterlod. we would be compelled able effect on the other contractors of to HUpport ourselves, and therefore this action on the part of the West As- Would accent contracts. Hut this will torll! firm." In.it hu ,liit until th Iuiimo tit h r.ina. Contractors Not Talkative. Unable length of time. We want to, nf- The contractors of the city are in- for.l the contractors every onnortunitv cllned to be rather reticent in regard t0 carry on their business under union to the strike. They contend that they regulations, and until we are satisfied con not see tholr way clear to grant th.re Is no chance of settlement we will the demands of the men. and aver refrain from Interfering with them by ....... i tney will shortly have full forces to accepting contracts." lake the places of the union men who - 1 ...... , hnv- ir. k..., ....... ... . Soma Men Are Working. At several or the stores extensive ft is the Surer Way comply with the demand. It so hap pens that the strike has been ordered at a season of the year when building Is Just beginning, and for some time to come the contractors will not be very senousiy inconvenienced. They seem to be acting harmoniously and to have determined to hold out Indefinitely. Blames the Mayor. I blame Mayor Suprenant for this strike," said the union reoreaentatlve nnen we prepared our agreement, a copy of which has been left with you. alterations were under way when the strike was ordered, and the union. anxious to accomodate the business men, agreed to an arrangement by which the carpenters could continue at work. Under this arrangement, the contracts were annulled and the mer chants themselves engaged the car penters, on the eight-hour basis. At Altoona, Wash., there are several union carpenters from Astoria ut work and when final notice was yesterday , , copy or which has been left with you. " " This document was. the union's rep- we presenteJ ft , fer . given the employers they granted the tentative said, presented to all of the ture. He haJ elected by ne demand. The Atoona force Is working .ntractors, and at the time of the de- ,nf men 0 a elght.hour under F. K. Wright resentatlv contractors termination of the union to appoint the committee. It Is offered by the carpen ters as proof of their assertion that three months' notice was given the contractors of the decision to quit work April l if the eight-hour day were not granted. One Firm Gives in. One contracting firm yesterday gave In to the demands of the men and this morning its full force will resume work under the eight-hour arrangement The firm is Wilson Bros.. West Astoria shipbuilders and general contractors. Their men yesterday morning notified them of the demand and declined to go to work unless the demand were complied with. The Messrs. Wilson gave the matter their consideration and later informed the union that Its de mand would be met "I am satisfied Wilson Bros., all along Ing men on an eight-hour platform. and we believed he should have been I , Inefficient Labor. the very first to sign It Had he done The union's representative aave an so, the other contractors undoubtedly I Interesting illustration ot the reason would have followed suit. He refused I for the charge that some of the union to sign. I know if I were a contractor men are not proficient workmen. He I would have looked to the mayor to I attributes this to the action of the em- Have your cake, muffins, and tea bis cuit home-made. They will be fresher cleaner, more tasty and wholesome. Royal Baking Powder helps the house wife to produce at home, quickly and eco nomically, fine and tasty cake, the raised hot-biscuit, puddings, the frosted layer cake, crisp cookies, crullers, crusts and muffins, with which the ready-made food found ?.t the bake-shop or grocery does not compare. Royal is the greatest of bake-day helps. ovi mkino eowws co., iw toatc contractors is denied by the officials I intended granting the eight-hour day, take the initatlve. Want to Be Reasonable. "We are actuated by a desire to be reasonable in this matter, and our of ficial acts will be the result of care ful deliberation. We regret very much that there has been occasion for this strike, and all of us hone for aneeriv settlement We believe, however, our demand Is a Just one. Every other me chanic who works on a house labors but eight hours the painter, the plumber, the plasterer and bricklayer. We feel that we ure entitled to. as much consideration In this respect as the men belonging to the other un ions. 'The statement has been made that ployers. The gentleman said of the matter: "Not Infrequently we hear the com plaint that all of the union men are not competent workmen, but the em ployers are to blame for this. It often happens that some very good unskilled workman will be put to work by a contractor on a rough Job, The man Is strong and capable of more work than the ordinary man. If he does not be long to the union, we will file complaint with the contractor, who. In turn, will Insist that he Is perfectly satisfied with the laborer. The contractor will say to us that he Is wllllu gto pay the man union wages, as he does his work well, and will demand that he be ner- mltted to Join the union. He Is there. upon taken In. Hut when he goes to work on some other Job It Is found by the contractor that ho Is not a me chanic. He holds a union card. how. ever, and Is entitled to as much consid eration as uny other man. We must protect hltn. Invariably at the expense of our organisation, which Is discred ited In this manner. Primarily the fuult Is with the employer, as may readily be understood. If the employ. ers were careful to employ none but union men, we could exercise more care In admitting men to our union, but as It Is we frequently are required to tuke In men who are nut entitled to union cards. The remedy rents with the employers." I'O.NOItKOATlONAL Cllimcit There will be Kaster amWea Na morning am) evening, itet. c 9. Clapp wit occupy the pulpit Baseball Scores. -.. , ...... .lre --suiu me unions representative last I "Thj ,tnan.nnt v,., v .......... I I "mi wen, aim win ucmann mat he be per-) Fresno Tai-unm. 1; Heattle, 2. ItOniiED TUB flit ATE A startling Incident la related fey John Oliver of Philadelphia, a M. lows: "I was n awful condition. Ur skin was almost yellow, eye sunkta. tongue coated, pain continually la back and side, no appetite, growing weaker day by day. Three pbrnlcluw had given ma up. Then I was sdvU-4 to use Klectrlc Illttera; to my great Jy. the first bottle made a decided lm- provement. I conttauerd their ue for three weeks, and am now a wl mta. I know they robbed the grave of an. other victim." No on should fall t try them. Only 10 cents, guarantee, at l.'hajrlr Rogers', druggist. I TO THOvSE WHO KNOW First Crop of "ALFRED BENJAMIN" Correct Clothes for Gentlemen JUST IN! MAKERS vJEWyRK Correct Clothes for Men Of I m . ji i i i, m- fcfcsr sr t if i r j,--. j t , -: . r - iii' n n cm GrirrfCiksbrfii HERMAN WISE, THE RELIABLE CLOTHIER Sole Agent in ASTORIA for the FAMOUS "ALFRED BENJAMIN" CLOTHING P r. ,