St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-14
TALK OF TEE STRIKE.
StsneCuttors Still Claim Their De.
nlands Are Just.

mauds Are just.
The stonecutters yesterday reported no
change in the situation since Sunday, other
than the contractors are making desperate
efforts to get their work done. 1t is re-
ported that one OF them is about to employ
''scabs'' and send them to the Qu2rries.
''There is nothing made on shipping cut
stone, " SAID a cutter yesterday, ''unlesS it
is from the penitentiary, where convict
labor brings 50 cents day. Even then it
is dear enough when a fine piece of mould
ing is Clipped or a corner knocked away
as too frequently happens when cut stone
IS shipped"
Anything else new?"
Eyes; we understand the bosses say they
cannot pay 81 for eight hours work, under
their present contracts. Now we want to
call attention to the fact that notice of our
demand was made two months ago. before
many Of the present contracts were made.
There is really 10 excuse for such talk.
They knew this thing was coming and
should have made their contracts accord
ingly and not try to whine and create
public sentiment now"
They say The amount is high?"
'High! Why can't they afford to pay Us
"a for eight hours work, when they are
paid as well and in many cases better than
IL lDdlu III OihCG9O. DcllAtl VI DOSlOl. MiCIG
81 is the standard and the men work ten
months in the year? Let them answer
that"
Anent the StOnecutters' strike the Pho
neer Press Of yesterday prints the follow
Ing as coming from Mr.. KEGS, a Mime
apOlis architect:
'"HhiS strike. it seems to me, is ill-ad
vised. Very many of the stone contractors
have taken work at very low prices and they
cannot now stand a raise of 10 or Is per
cent. I am in favor of good wages for the
working classes, but l must say that our
StOnecutting friends seem very difficult to
please. They had been getting wages that
were very fair and proportionately higher
than their fellOW-craftSmen are receiving
i'll other places. 1t is by these strikes that
work is driven from this city. 1t was by
just such work that the Syndicate block
contract OF 100000 for cut stone went to
Joliet instead of being done here. l have
always opposed the plan of having work
done by the state conyictS but SO long as
these men are continually agitating the
question of an advance. twill be disastrous
to the cutters and the town"
That it is not such an opinion as should
carry any weight that a bare assertion
would. a comparison with facts will show.
The strike might possibly have been
ability of the contractors TO pay the wages
demanded by reason of their having taken
contracts at too low prices, nor because
they were not apprised by the men in time
to provide against loss. The contractors
Were notified that an increase of wages
would be demanded, and upon that basis
they have estimated work and taken con-
tracts Certainly there has been no hard
ship imposed upon them against which they
could not provide. Again, the prices
which they are receiving for work here are
larger than contractors are receiving for
the same kind of work i'll Chicago, New
York, Kansas City, Denver and other
cities where the terms demanded by our
workmen are accorded, viz, 81 a day and
eight hours. A comparison of fact with
assertion thus shows how much there is in
MI. KEGS opinion" and cOntradictS the
assertion that our StOnecutterS have been
getting wages prOpOrtiOnately higher than
their fellow-craftSmeu in other places.
Mir. KEGS evidently spoke at random.
Another assertion made, that lit
was by just such work that the
Syndicate block contract of 5000
for cut stone went to Joliet instead of being
done here" is as baSeleSS as the others for
the reason that there was no strike of
StOnecutters at the time the Syndicate con-
bTclcU was ltU. blICll CAUSE VI tilC
contract going to Joliet and how can Mr..
KEGS prove his statement unless he can in
stance an exiting strike at that time. A
little matter OF industrial history, history
no less because known only to few, Will
explain how Joliet convict labor stone was
introduced into Minneapolis on the Syndi-
date block. One of the largest stone con-
tractors at present doing business here
was not able to successfully bid on the con-
tract at that time, and because of it he
pursued the plan of the dog in the manager,
and defeated other home contractors by in
oGGing BIainerd & Co.. the contractors for
convict cut stone, to figure On the job.
This was the introduction of Joliet stone TO
Minneapolis. A contractor, not the work
men nor strikes, is responsible for it.
That contractor is rich man, who few
years ago was as poor as the men against
whom he Is now arrayed, and he made his
money by contracting for cut stone work in
Minneapolis, which shows that there is not
much foundation for the inability to pay"
part OF Mr.. KEGS opinion. The writer
wants to see justice done in the matter and
does not believe in distorting facts TO pre-
JUDGE or lead aStray the public. The stone
cutters have done everything that could
reasonably be demanded of them in the
matter. They gave notice of the strike
two months ago. They have been peace
able in forcing their demands, and have a
right which every man has, to get as much
for his labor as possible under the law.
hence they should receive fair treatment by
press and public SAPIENs