Morning journal and courier., 1886-05-05
THE MINISTERIAL SITUATION.

The Situation at the Carriage shops
 Carriage Manufacturers' Talk-What
 Is Said About the Strike-SeVeral New
 Strikes-NIne Hours Demand.
 Work at the Hooker shop is quite brisk. The firm has thirteen body makers at work all that are required in the present state or business, the spring trade being mostly over with. Nine of the body makers are from those who went out on strike. Four ot the firms best body makers rsturned to work this week. The firm has also eight black smiths at work, five or six of whom went out on the strike Most of the trimmers have returned to work. The firm has now eighty hands at work A number of the striking bIacksmiths came and took away their tools late yesterday afternoon, which gave rise to an unfounded report that the blacksmiths had struck again.
 At Hale & Co.'s nothing definite has been arranged with the strikers. A report was about town last evening that this firm and the Armstrongs had received applications from striking body makers which were being considered All the firms express their un- willingness to treat with organizations or commit es, and a perfect willingness to treat with individuals.
 The joiners at filling & Co.'s lumber mill and sash and blind works asked for nine hours on Monday night and quit work. The matter was settled yesterday, and all the twenty-five or more hands who went out were back at work, nine hours having been acceded to. The other firms having Jolners at work for them have granted similar re- quest from their men.
 The men at work for the Empire Trans portation company have put in a request for an advance of pay. Ordinary barge en- ployes have been getting $32. 50 month, and the company pays from that up to $1O0 a month, according to services rendered. The firm raised the pay of their men about per cent. five weeks ago and say the business does not justify their giving the increase asked.
 A gang of about forty Italians working for the Consolidated road in the excavating con nected with the building of retaining wall at Lamberton street struck yesterday for raise of wages from ST. .35 to $1.50 per day. Their strikers came and looked on to see the other men work, but made opposition or trouble.
 A carriage manufacturer said last evening: The boys overlook the fact that there are no strikes in carriage manufactories elsewhere. We are asked to face the music of higher prices when the bosses elsewhere are not de- manded this. We have got to sell our car riages, or what's the use of doing business. We have got the powerful competition of the West to ''buck" against, and in the West the bosses pay the old rates. Whats the use of asking us to pay higher prices all around which if granted will put us in hard spot, in other words put us so that we can't sell our carriages. We would like to know if it's any fun to work for nothing. If it was general raise all over the country, why, we wouldn't complain. Then the talk about body makers working like dogs for $2 a day. haven't had for years body maker l. Lol aIo who couldn't earn $15 week, and some of them earn from SIS to $20 week. The average body maker who isn't slower than molasses in cold weather can earn $15 week. I feel sorry for the boys. The spring trade is killed, what there was of it. If all my men should come to me tomorrow and say we will come back, couldn't take but half of them back Business is as dull as a hoe. {.
 Another carriage manufacturer said: If l all my men applied to me for work again to- | morrow, I couldn't in the state of business 1 hire fifty per cent. back Business is dull | and will be as fiat as pancake all summer, ! and heaven only knows what the fall trade l will be with the way things are going on. | You can say that the report that some of the | carriage firms are backing down is incorrect. l They are all united, all willing to treat with | their men individually, and in most if not | all the shops men who went out have come | back.
 A meeting of the Carriage Builders union ] was held last evening at the Elliott House. | No action of importance was taken. The | situation was discussed for half an hour and | the meeting adjourned.
 Several carriage body makers arrived in l town last evening to apply for work at the l shops here. In all about a dozen men from | out of town have obtained work in the shops | here. l
 BRIDGEPORT CARPENTERS STRIKE.
 BRIDGEPORT, May 4.-The members of the | Carpenters union here struck last night for eight hours work on Saturdays and nine on other week days. About half the carpenters l in the city are union men. Two or three of 1 the builders who talked about the matter | did not encourage the idea that the demand | Of the strikers would be granted. ''We l can't afford to give $2 50 for nine hours | work :" one said. "Our present jobs will not | it and we do not see that we can get | any in the future that will"
 ST. JAMES, CHURCH. The Ladies Extinguish a Debt of
 Eight Hundred Dollars