The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-07
TILE LOCAL LABOR SITUATION
A Few Small Strikes, but the Trouble
Believed To Be About at an End.
Report at Meeting Last Night of What
the Planing-MilI Companies and Boss
Carpenters Are Willing to DO.

The slight disturbance In local labor circles,
growing out of the agitation in favor of the eight
hour day, is already subsidng aud the general
feeling as expressed oy the workingmen, gives
assurance that there will be no serious trouble
here
About hundred of the carpenters, ioiners and
millmen of the city met in Judge Howes court
room last night. E. r. Wood was made chair
man. The committee of six appointed at pre-
vious meeting to visit the proprietors of the
planning mills and and the boss carpenters and de-
mand an eight hour day and an advance in wages
from 22a cents per hour to % cents. made
a report They had visited the Cap
ital City mills, the Carpenters Union,
the Bee Hive IN. S. Huey & Son. Jungcaus g.
Schumacher and others, and had presented their
demand. All of them said it was impossible to
advance wages. Most of them had no objection
to an eight-hour day if it meant eight hours
pay. M. S. Huey & Son had sent written COM
munication to be read at the meeting It set
forth that the firm had no objection to an eight
hour day, but on the contrary was in favor of it.,
and would run eight or nine hours as the major
ity OF its employees might prefer. The only
concession the firm could make in the
AhatoCR VI Wages Was, IL al olguL-uOur Gay WAS
asked for. to pay, during the busy season, one
and one-ifth the present rate of wages, for all
extra time put in by the men, or, if nine hours
was asked for, to pay one and one third wages
for such overtime. The firm felt that it was
now paying as much as any other in the same
business. and more than some, and until it
seemed probable that others would advance
prices it could not do so. 1t had made new
prices on some goods to compete with mills in
the North 1t could not put up prices and
could not make anything without doing go
The report OF the committee was adopted and
the committee discharged Then followed dis
cussion over an hour long, about what should be
done. The most noticeable feature of this was
the general opposition to strikes. All favored
organization, some wanting to go into the
knights Of Labor, and some to form a separate
organization. Several favored the adoption of
the eight-hour rule with eight hours pay A
few objected to this. Finally, without taking
any action. the meeting adjourned sine die.
Fifteen girls employed in Piel's starch factory
struck Wednesday evening. against the advice
of their parents and friends, and they will
probably not be allowed to return to work.
because the company is thinking of putting boys
in their places The girls were paid so cents a
day for packing starch, and they wanted an ad-
vance of 10 cents day. Although some of them
are willing to return to work, none Of them have
been taken back.
About twenty plasterers working on the State
house struck on Wednesday for eight hours
the city had agreed to strike at the same time,
but they did not. The contractors who employ
them, Cramp & Smith, of Chicago, offered the
men . per cent advance, but they refused to
accept, because the other pasterers Of the city
do not receive it, and. instead. informed their
employers that on July 1 they would expect
eight hours work and ten hours pay or strike.
The State-house stone-cutters were reported
to have struck last Monday, but they only took
that day holiday. They have demanded
fewer hours, but Mr.. Goeble, their employer, is
out of the city and has not been formally mott
fed. The men think he will allow an advance.
The employees of Sinker, Davis Il Co. although
their demand for nine hours pay for eight hours
work was refused, were at work yesterday.
Final action in the matter by the men has been
postponed to later date.
1t is reported that the Bricklayers' Union will
take some action looking toward shorter hours
at their next Getting.
The striking bench-men at the Capital City
Planning mill have returned to work at their old
WAGES.