St. Paul daily globe., 1886-05-01
The Situation in Chicago.

have Deen pald Wnen ten
hours were the rule. How many will 90
the same to-day Saturday is probemati-
cal, but the prospects for repetition OF the
performances of yesterday are exceedingly
brilliant. The trades most affected are the
furniture manufacturers, the lumber inter-
ests in all their numerous ramiiications and
the iron men, With the furniture people it
was practically a general lockout all
over the city, and all the $500 men EN-
ploved in the various Chicago factories are
to-day idle and probably will continue so
for some time to come. The refusal OF the
manufacturers to grant the demands OF the
men, was the result of a meeting of last
week. when a manufacturers association
was formed and an executive committee
was appointed to take charge of the busi-
ness Of the various members. 1t was then
decided. if they demanded eight hours on
yesterday (Friday) every factory should
shut down, not to be reopened until this
committee should so decide and upon terms
that that body should dictate to the men.
This agreement was carried out to the let
ter and to-day every furniture factory in
Chicago, including Brunswick & Bake
and RothschiId brothers, where strikes
were already in progress, is practically in
the hands OF the executive committee of
the Manufacturers association and
WILL NOT BE REoPENED
until it so desires. A somewhat similar
situation exists in the lumber trade, inciud-
ing the planning mills and the box factories.
No concerted action was had among the
employers until to-day, but all except
three refused the demands of the men, and
in a ameeting afterwards decided to stand by
one another and not to take their men back
except at the bosses terms. The number of
men in this trade out of employment in con-
sequence. can only be apprOXimated, but
5000 is low figure. With the iron people
the idea of running only eight hours a day
could not be entertained for moment by the
larger concerns with expensive plants and
in consequence all who were waited on, re-
fused their men S demands, and Crane
Bros. with their 1,500 employees set the ex-
ample OF closing down, and with the eXcep-
ton of the rolling mills where no de-
mands were made, and no trouble
is anticipated, the majority of the large
iron works of Chicago are to-day closed.
The railroads have with one exception, so
far, escaped trouble, but their time will
come to-day and it is feared that when it
does come its extent cannot now be fore
told. The packers will probably escape
without serious trouble. The employers
are somewhat disposed to yield in part the
demands of the men while the latter are
not at all disposed to strike. Still it de-
pends good deal on what Armour will do.
Though the interests named are the most
directly affected, every business in the city
is more or less implicated and this morning
the general unrest among the workingmen
is exactly balanced among the employers"
The Chicago 81 Alton freight handlers did
not, as first reported, strike to-day. The
hnI1 afi11or off fy11itf Mi,
evening and decided to join the hour
movement should the company not comply
with their petition tomorrow morning.
The Northwestern freight handlers on
the Galena division worked on through the
day without taking any action looking
towards going out. The demand made by
them had not been referred to the higher
officials nor acted upon by the latter. Hopes
was entertained that the division superin-
tendent andthe local agent could dissuade the
men and thus avert what would other wise
come to an open rupture. The men on the
Wisconsin division made no move. If the
others insist upon formal reply it will
probably be given them tomorrow, and
there is no doubt but it will be in the form
of a complete refusal.
The Milwaukee & St. Paul men contin-
ued their labors without interruption until
were to have an answer at 4 O'clock, and at
that time Local Agent G. E. Wilson in
formed the committee that the company
would unqualifedly refuse to accede to the
demands.
The Grand Trunk freight handlers made
a demand of the same tenor, eight hours
and no reduction of wages. They will re-
ceiVe an answer at noon tomorrow. Ru-
mOrs were plenty in regard to all the other
roads, but were unreliable and untruthful,
born of the excitement and circulated as
the strike gossip of the day.
The freight-handlers on the Burlington
and Alton roads have stopped work, owing
to refusal to accede to the demand for
eight hours. AS soon as the freight now
on hand is cleared up the houses will be
closed.
At 3 o'clock this afternoon the 300 en-
ployes of the Union Brass Manufacturing
company quit work. They demanded
eight hours work and nine hours pay.
which the company refused.
Clark Bros. furniture manufacturers
employees, to the number of 500, are idle.
having struck. owing to the refusal of the
firm to grant them eight hours work and
ten hours pay.
The Chicago & Northwestern Railway
company has effected a settlement with it's
1.s00 shopmen near this city, who demand
an eight-hours' working day. The COM
pany grants nine-hour working day with
full pay, and made concession to the men
in the matter of railroad fare between the
city and the shops.
One hundred freight handlers on the
Grand Trunk railway made demand for
aIi eigit-iiour working day, with no de-
crease in pay, at noon to-day, and said
they would wait for a decision until noon
to-day.
The Goss & Phillips Manufacturing COM
pany, which owns very extensive planning
mills, has arranged for an eight-hour work.