Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-04-13
WORKERS WOES.
The Great Carpenters Strike 10
New York.
The Bosses Grant the Advance but Boycott
the Strikers-0ther Strikes in Progress
in the MetropoIis-The Eight
Hour Law.
OHIO MINERS ACCEPT THE REDUCTION.

Specinl Correspondence Of the Register. +,
New York, April 12.-Ihe struggle OF
labor for a fair share in the profits OF capi-
tai engaged in the various trades and build
ing enterprises, is becoming serious, aud
in all parts OF the country, succession
of strikes are occurring. In this city the
chief interest has centered around the
striking carpenters. The firm of Morton
& Chesley are the largest contracting car
penters in New York, employing aboutone
hundred and seventy-ive workmen. They
are doing the carpenter work on the Kelley
building, corner of Beekman and Nassau
streets: the Mills building in Bond street,
and the Guernsey building at No. 100
Broadway 1t is said among workmen that
they pay the lowest wages in the city, and
are the last firm to hold out against an ad-
vance. The carpenters agreed some time
since to general strike in case a strike
against this firm should be successful. The
thirty-two carpenters employed at the
Kelley building struck yesterday Tor
s.. 80 instead OF 50 day. The firm yielded.
A General Strike Followed.
II was Immediately successful, and five or
six thousand workmen are getting the ad.
vanced wages. Morton & Chesley refused
to take back the workmen on the Kelley
and Guernsey huildings who inaugurated
the general strike. The reason given by
Mr.. Chesley is that most of these workmen
are incompetent.
The men say that the contractor is acting
from motives OF spite. As all the men have
been in the employ of the firm for from
three to seven years, and have been used on
some OF the best work in the city, they
claim that the statement that they are in-
competent is reflection upon the hrm,
which they DO not think the latter would
wish TO have people in general TO believe.
The men had out piCkets al an early hour
this morning. As soon rs new carpenters
came one after another to work they were
dissuaded until about twenty-five had been
turned away. Twelve kits of tools were
slowed in back room Of Il neighb0ring aa'
loon.
HeCleared Out.
One new carpenter, who is opposed to
trade unions and prides himself on the
possession of extraordinary courage, went
10 work. He was planning board in an
upper story, when by the mereSt accident
a hod of mortar fell on him, covering him
over so that he looked like plaster cast.
He brushed the plaster oil his clothes and
from out his hair and went to work as il
nothing had hapDened. In few moments
a hod full of brick. which had mounted
half q story aHo"o ShOwered down all
around him. A tniS curious misChanCe
be smiled blandly. A few minutes later he
looked over his head and saw that an iron
beam, weighing several tons, was being put
up. He gathered his tools into his kit and
went down to join the union. Though the
strikers are nOn-union men, the union Will
not permit its members to so to work IN
their places, and the strikers Will Join the
union.
A decision has been rendered by the Su-
preme Court General Term in the case Of
Daniel J. Met arthy against the Mayor.
! The plaintiff was employed as a Clrman iii
the Dock Department from 1873 to 1876.
| According to his testimony taken on the
| trial he worked from seven o'clock in the
morning until six in the evening, with an
| hour for dinner. On the Department pay
| rolls, which were made up and the men
| paid every two weeks, his name appeared
| aS q ">COwman," at So 80 per day. These
pay rolls he reCeiptcd upon being paid, the
receipts signed being in full for all services
| for the entire period covered hy the pay
roll. BY chapter &S5 of the laws of $3.50, il
is provided that eight hours shall constitute
| q LEGAL days work for all classes of
Mechanics, wOrkingmen.
| and laborerS. but overwork for an extra
| compensation by agreement between the
employer and emplOye is permitted. Nc
| Carty claimed that he was entitled to re-
cover the reasonable value of the two hOurs'
| extra work for each day OF his employment.
| Upon the trial at Circuit the Court held
| that by the statute the plaintiff was au-
thoriled to refuse work each day after the
| eight hours had expired, and that he could
not claim any extra compensation tor extra
time unless he proved a contract to pay it:
| that no express contract for such payment
was shown and that the fact in evidence
did not prove an implied contract. The
General Term, in an opinion given by
| Judge Davis, Sustains the position of the
| Judge at Circuit, holding that the verdict
can be upheld, both upon the ground that
| the allie red hours of extra labor were vOlun-
tarily performed, or with the understands
ing that the price paid was for the iull
amount Of labor rendered.
The Marble Workers Strike.
The striking marble polShers and marble
| cutters who were employed by George
BueSs Is Son, No, 100 Rivington street
were this morning requested to resume
work at the rates demanded. Every day
new acces>ionS are made to these striking
tradesmen, and from present indications
the strike will be terminated in short time
! to the workingmen's satisfaction. In the
meantime they will not suffer in their idle
ness, as pecuniary support is extended tC
them from number ot labor organizations
The Stair Builders Strike.
The employees of three shops where the
demand by the stair builders for an in
crease in pay OF fifty cents per day vas re-
fused yesterday are still out and are deter
mined to retain their position until theil
quest IS granted, which they believe will
not ne long. Their headquarters are at No.
5S7 Third avenue. where they are in con
slant session. No workmen have been pro
cured by the bosses to fill the places of the
| strikers. GOTHAM.