The New York herald., 1868-05-21

THE PLANO MAKERS AND THE FA0T0RIEs-A PARTIAL

hnOV0 INV %
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TIE PLANO MAKERS AND THE FAOT0RIKs-A PARTIAL
STRIKE.
IN Yesterdays HERALD we published full account
oi the mass meeting Of piano makers, held at Rup-
perps Hall, ON Tuesday afternoon. The programme
'nen resolved upon was literally carried out
yesterday. The interest OF the employees at
Ill sne dlnerent piano manufactures in the city
very naturally centered In the establishment Of
steinway Sons, this being the largest and
noss prominent In New York, and nearly
All the other proprietos having their inten
tion TO follow in the way Of the Steinways In this
matter Of increase Of wages About seven O'Clock
In the morning the men employed as "piano makers,
proper In this factory, about three hundred in num-
ber arrived at the buildings but did not 20 to work
They, as II by prearranged concert wended their
way up stairs to the called meeting room, and
when all had arrived committee was de-.
spatched to the residence Of Theodore Steinway
the managing partner on Fftysecond street, to re-
quest his presence to hear their proposals He soon
arrived and was told by the spokesman that the
Piano Makers Union had resolved upon an advance
OF wages to the paid before the last reduction
amounting to about ten per cent and II refused they
would quit work and retire. Mr.. 7. Steinway there.
upon agreed to their demand, prefacng his consent
with some remarks ABOUT the proper relations which
ought to exist between the employer and the
employed, adding that as the report Of the
HERALD disclosed the fact that nearly all the
other piano manufacturers in this city would base
their own action upon that OF his frm, Steinway 4
sons would not De 30 ungenerous as to stand In the
way OF the employees OF other houses and prevent
them fr0m obtaining the desired advance of pay He
also promised that In the of the afternoon he
would give them the consent OF the firm In writing.
This ne did. It being handed in to the committed,
sitting at ~ Stanton street last night translate 1t
from the original German:-
Competition makes the market and prices The manufac
tursr only the middle man between the wortngman and
the public II We obtain increase Of ten per
u %
ors their action upon the course pursued
ths L; day Of june 1855 the higher demanded We
only hope to be able TO continue to pay permanently.
Mr.: Steinway also reminded the men that the en-
poyes In similar establishments are paid less COM
paravely than those In Boston and other cities and
secure for those better pay With these assurances
on behalf Of Stelnway Sons the men were perfectly
satisfied gave three cheers and went to work with
VIII, as usually. We may remark here that at the
meeting Of the executive committee last night it was
determined on the motion OF delegates from the
Steinway factory that steps should be initiated at
once to carry out the suggestion OF urging an In.
crease OF wages at Boston and elsewhere
At the factory Of Marshall Mittauer the same de.
mand was made. The reply received was to this
efect-that the firm had not reduced the wages of
any one employed BY them except that Of the case
aea sna o9 b Sy per that
In the. city just now getting into favor and
struggling for prominence, and could not
makers as they are still earning, on an average
more with them than elsewhere. Upon this answer
mee night but ali Other 20 Ine
At Lindemann d Sands noiagreement was arrived
at and all hands stopped The firm at first wanted
time TO see what other establishments would do as
reported to the committee. In the afternoon they
offered an increase OF $5 for every three weeks
which was, however refused.
demand
h Bacon they asked time to consider In the mean
while no work was being done, and at about eleven
the advance asked by them was granted and that the
firm only wished that business would soon recuperate
to such an extent as to enable them to pay their
workingmen the full rate OF old prices. At the In
vitati0n Of Raven Il Bacon the whole force of the
factory then proceeded TO partake OF refreshments
and, 1t is said, had jolly time OF It.
Light Co. promised TO pay the advance II Stein
way d Sons and Albert Weber would do so. Al
bert Weber said that II the Steinways agree to pay
1t, he would not refuse. The announcement In the
HERALD this morning that Steinways will pay, SET
ties the controversy at these two establishments.
At the factory OF Kind Il Mantz all hands stopped
In the morning, since to their demand the answer
was made that the firm would see what others do
before binding themselves. The employees replied
they would not resume unless the ten per cent ad-
ditiOnal was allowed. but last night It was stated
that there would be no further, trouble since the
largest firm in the city has 80 Handsomely assented.
Messrs. Behne XIX granted the advance Of ten
per cent withot hesitation.
At the factory Of Ernst Gabler there was more
excited FEELING manifested than at the others men,
toned. When the request of advance was made to
the proprietor In the morning he bluntly told them
that he would notpay anything more but rather get
his work done In Boston, where the price OF labor
cheaper than here. This OF course ruied the temper
OF some OF the men and all the case, top and sound
board makers quit at once, the others remaining
for the present to finish what jobs they have on
hand.
told their men they might quit, II they chose after
finishing what they had In hand All the case
makers stopped and the others are said to be the