New-York tribune., 1874-05-05
THE MOVEMENT A FAILURE.

One of the best known and most extensive
builders IN the city strenuous advocate or the eI-
hour system. sums up the movement in this way l
think the effort failure for this Tne masters
have so little do that they don't think it worth while
to fight over It with the and while work is so dull
they are not willing pay wages, they would
have TO do If they made the hours longer It's OF no use
making an effort all will pull together, and they
won't do that. The much stronger in organ
zation than the employers But II business continues
so bad wages will be reduced still further, and the men
will yet glad towork ten hours for the sake OF more
pay"
Johp r. voorhis who In previous seasons has taken
large part in efforts for the peaceful adjustment OF the
differences between employers and employed said "
consider movement failure thought 1t would be
from first meeting held 10 consider the SUBJECT 4e-
master carpenters have not been supported o the other
trades They started the iH hoSp seSre b6t
these were Ia tho main above twenty thrd
non honses built for sale The employing stairbuders
are nearly all working eight hours In neither orsanZ
ton there more than very few who nave increased
their from eight to ten to-day ana nave hearu
OF no strikes. The two strong reasons among Otners
for tho lukewarmness and want oi unity alVns t1e 40
builders In the first place. many OF theh nave lileI 70
carry ten hours before, Dut nave oeeh Deaeh Win
much oss because owners would not submit TO te ueay
IN their contracts Secondly they hink tha they snouu
succeed IN enforcing ten hours IN this dull tne when
trade grows brisk the demand for labor VIII give the
men the advantage and the employers might be driven
hack 10 eight hours after they had made their contracts
at ten hours aud suffer much. look upon the eight
hour system very injurious to the interests OF tne
city aud TO the whole country, but l don't believe
in coercing the men to work ten hours.
for work Work by W the hour, and let the work eight
or ten hours, as they choose a dta' sySieM ySieUi
IN which builders and all others who wish to advance
the prosperity Of the city are concerned Inc men VINO
their work that they have remaining than hGse
those who work 10 hours and i've In the city, Faid oy
the hour the would make enough by work over
eiyht hours 10 give comfortable lodging as they
could get the suburbs. thlnh the men are Less
strenuous for eight hours than III former years"
The master mechanics during the hours OF meeting at
the Mechanics and Traders Exchange yesterday ais
cnssed the question as TO the adyisaby OF enforcing
be resoinon adopted at the meeting Of April T. The
master masons and paserers contended that tue Ined
EXPRESSED so great an opposition to It, Iu the former
contest with the journey men, the master uasohs anu
contrects USliq 'Ht that they did not 70 again
engage in another conflict The RUE t or ns eisns Re
hotrs had been fixed, and contractors could haAe
their estimates accordingy but builders o oIiG aO nU'
get work to estimate upon they c0uia mot not Se man
will not work the hours encourage estimates to be
made the rate Of will have 10 DO loWeteu' as tuo
ln ihat there are more do tho work than
work TO be doue. Tne master plumbers and stoneeut-
manifested some indig ignaton
manner which they had been thrust into tho breach
10 bear the brunt OF the conflict.
The master carpenters were yesterday somewhat ex-
cited relative 10 the attitude assumed by the other
resolution adopted by the meeting AT the Mechanics anu
Traders Exchange, tho majority Of master carpenters
had Informed their journeymen on Saturday that re-
turn TO tie tenhour would 20 into effect yesterday
morning One OF the leading master carpenters OF this
city said that although they able TO obtain the ser
vices OF sufficient force at 10 hours per day TO do all
the work be done, or Eel 10 De done, TINS
summer they did no. the justice OF compelling the
carpenters to work 10 hours while master masons and
brickayers only required eight hours from their Jour
The carpenters did not feel inclined 10
bear all the brunt OF this contest.
The onyy committee from the workingmen which re-
NAMED n session during the day TO look after the inter
ests OF their rade from the carpenters, which
mef in Drmt Hall at Twenty thlrd-st and sscond-ave.
No renors OF serious trouble in tho trade made
dnrins the day In many OF the trades, among tho
the have not shown the least dis
nositton 10 ioin In tenhour movement, 50 the men
have taken no measures to guard against change, e1
cept the passage OF resolutions 49,. - ,,-..,,.. -,
n, Nnlar who represented himself as President OF
the strike Committee" informed reporter last night
maj ,he Vsn. Committee had reported that the labor
tney had called upon were determined TO
snstain The eQht-hour rule. The master carpenters
70 have abandoned the idea OF revying the ten
honr svsten and all the men who had hitherto worked
cuh hours will continue To do SO OI those Worklng on
the I. hour sysIem, were union men,, ana the
wost sklI flI tourueymcn belonged To the unions
The iourneymen bricklayers, through their ohcers,
state that there odr OF strke IN lhis prahen vi