St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-03-22

NO FRICTION APPREHRNDED BETWEEN MASTER
AND MAN THIS YEAR.
So far as can now be learned there is not
much fear of any serious difficulties between
workmen and their employers in St. Paul.
Matters that would be likely to produce
contest have been pretty well canvassed
already and both sides understand the whole
situation. Besides, the wages for workmen
ale regarded by them as too good to be
jeopardized and the contractors are content
to pay the prices now established, though
naturally they would prefer to have them, at
| least in some instances, lower. This is
about the general feeling as was developed
yesterday to representative of the GLOBE.
THE PLASTERERs.
There is but one exception to the above,
and it is possible that that one is not after
all an exception. 1t has already been stated
in these columns that the pasterers who are
now getting So per day had given notice that
| on the first of April next they must be paid
$3.50. 1t is understood that, generally
speaking, the contractors, or 'bosses," as
they are called, do not hesitate to say they
are satisfied to pay this price. So that it is
not the price that is Objectionable. The
''bosses" do not, as they say, wish to be
dictated to in regard to their work, or the
way they shall manage their business. And
here comes the rub The plasterers have a
union, and this seems to be the cause of the
trouble, or, more correctly speaking, 1t may
be the cause of trouble in the future. 1t is
possible that the bosses may see fit to hire
men to work who do not belong to the union.
In that case it is possible the union men
might refuse to work, though, so far as is
now known, there is no reason to think they |
would. This is all speculation, and may or
may not happen. So far as now known, or |
as can be judged, there Is no reason to as |
sumo that either side will act unwsely. The !
bosses will probably pay the increased wages |
and hire who they please, and the men will |
probably acquiesce. At any rate it does not |
now look as though there was likely to be |
any difficulty.
ALARGE AMOUNT OF WORK.
The situation in regard to the amount of |
work to be done here this season and the |
supply of help to do it is not without interest.
1t is admitted that the amount Of building |
this season in St. Paul will exceed that done |
during any preceding year. OF course there |
ought to be an extra supply of help to do it,
and that is just what we have here. AS was
stated last Sunday in the GLOBE, contractors
all through the season have been taking con-
tracts for considerably less than those of last
year. a considerable part of the work for
this year has been contracted for at 20 or 80
per cent less than the same class or kind Of
work was done for last year. On being asked
for the reason of this the GLOBE representa-
tive was Informed that the principal consid-
Grafton was that help would be more ahund-
ant, and consequently the work could be
done more cheaply than it could last year.
The contractor who made this reply
remarked that he did not agree with
this theory, and that those who do put
their trust in it will be very likely
to ''get tripped up.'' ''It must not be ex-
pected," he said, "that all the building will !
be done in st. Paul and Minneapolis. The
country is growing as well as the city. There
will be large amount Of building going on
all through the country. This being the case
it may not be so very easy to get laborers
after all. In this way those who have taken
contracts so much lower than they ought to
may find it difficult to get out without losing
something" and the newspaper man agreed
with him.