The Evening critic., 1882-05-04
The Rosses ana The pIastcrers.

To he EditOr of Tie Egenin0 Cridc:
The boss carpenters publication in Mon
days papers charges the iourneymen plaster
crs with increasing their wages by dishonest
methods-that is, fixing the price of their
labor without consulting their employers
months beforehand.
IL was the result of repeated importunate re-
quests, for 1--WE or six months, by both boss
plasterers and carpenters to "nX the wages
for the season" as the only way TO give the
bosses fair show.
1t can be easily proven that the powerful
iouTneymen carpenters union sprang from
tho arbitrary reduction Of wages from 81 to
81 per day ON forty hours notice in the fall
Of 1850.
The boss carpenters have espoused the
cause of the boss plasterers from an Interested
motive, which Is to combine employers In an
effort to crush out the spirit of resistance to
oppression that is now SO rapidly gaining
headway among the working classes-solid
bosses against solid wage workers.
Their plans are evident to even dull oompre-
hension-to fight and crush us In detail.
When one trades organization goes under
then another receives the same attention un-
Ill none are sighted, and the same Old grind
ing servltude is forced on the "Blind giant
Labor"
The question with us is Shall we leave n
legacy OF servitude TO our children; or, shall
We use what reasoning faculties God has
endowed US with TO make the condition and
surroundings favorable for our offspring to
enter into lifes duties, without seeking dis
honorable callings to provide the necessities
OF life Z
The iourneymen plasterers have tried the
plan Of giving three months notice, and the
result, in 1868, was, whom the time expired,
scab plasterers, gathered from all quarters,
filled the places Of union men, who were com
PEELED to walk the streets for months. Some
were reduced to the extremity OF burning
furniture to cook what food they could earn
by laboring work. Ono sold the luXurlant
growth Of hair offered by his daughter to
supply food for the family. All this was
caused by oyer-conndence in the promises OF
rfR,rr
ganization, and for years the wages were
hardly above that OF the common laborei
without skill.
Can such men expect n repetition OF the
folly that can only end in the destruction of
splendid organization
We have tried to harmonize the interests O.
employer and employe, but slgnally failed
Now We have one untried remedy" co-opera
ton,' or contracts without profit TO both bos.
plasterer and carpenter. We defy the boss
carpenters to prove anything like dishOnorabl,
methods, such as a large number OF them use
10 squeeze profit out Of the labor Of mon who
are helpless TO defend themselves. VIII the
merchants and provision men take 30 cents OF
the dollar for supplying us with the necessi
ties OF life Seven months work Of twenty-si,
days each is u remarkably good season for
plasterer. AT $3.50 per day, amounts to S637
10 supper. family, and remain honest. VIII
owns The labor Who takes the gambleri
chance of the rise and fall IN other mems prop
erty, and by selling what does not belong L
them, make or lose Come out, gentlemen
and defend you cursed greed, and we Will rc
turn blow for blow.
snow, gallant Saxon, hold thine own,
No maiden's arm is round thee thrown"
X. OF H.