St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-05-10
BUSINESS MANS VIEWS.
The Journemeny Plumbers, Strike
Commented Upon. Tt

To the Editor of the Globe:
In reference to the present strike existing
between the Journeymen plumbers, gas fit
tiers and master plumbers of this city and St.
Paul, in fairness to each, I would like to
make few comments, having heard both
sides of the question. In the first place. the
plumbers, or a great many of Them could get
and were offered 81 per day, ten hours work
but, in Justice to themselves and to the labor
ing voice of the country, they agreed to re-
duce the number of working hours, thereby
securing more rest to themselves and if DOS
siblc, employment to their fellow craftsmen
equalizing their labor and securing employ
ment TO those who might need it. At the
same time, while they demand So. so per day
for each man who has worked five years at
the TT; d ;, they do not expect nor do thew
force any master plumber to pay said wages
to any man VINO is incompetent and incapa-
BILE to perform services to the equivalent of
$3.50. With regard to the indenturing of the
Toys, they have nothing to do with the num-
Der Of boys the master plumber may employ
to meet his demands but they do insist and
ask, after boy has served three years at the
business as helper that he then become an
indentured apprentice for two years, thereby
serving his time in full, becoming a good
workman and an honor to the trade, instead
Of a botch, as you will find many to-day being
sent up at too early a period of their trade
SpOIlluS lHculSelfGS ana WndUeVGr ChCV
dertake, besides depriving a good man of
job in slack times because he can better
satisfy the desires of the master plumbers by
working 81 per day less, and for which the
public Will have to pay in full. While I
recognize the master plumbers of this city as
men OF good, sound Judgment, 1 also recog-
ME the TACT that their intellectual faculties
are IN no manner superior to many of those
L nave conVersed with in the journeymen's
ranks, and l doubt, practically speaking on
an average if they are equal. Recognizing
those facts and the Importance they bear to
the public, the demands made by the iour
neymen are not exhorbitant, as they demand
nothing further from the public than what
they had been receiving, but on the contrary
are trying to give to the public Just recon-
penSe in good work. Nor can / conscien-
tiously see why the master plumbers should
try to shield themselves under the cloak of
public sympathy when their very action in
this matter is the reverse, and they are solely
and entirely the cause las far as the plumb
ing and gasfitting strike in this city is con-
cerned) If there should be any depreciation
in business. further say that it is the duty
of our citizens to patronize such men as E.
T. Sykes, Peterson Ruel and others who have
complied with the journeymen plumbers de-
mands. They will have their work promptly
attended to by good and competent men and
there will be no eXtortionS. but justice and
equality extended TO all. Respectfully yours
Minneapolis, May 9. BUSINESS MAN.
Little Candid Talk.
The plumbers strike has enlightened The
public upon at least one interesting point.
The journeymen state that men and bows
who have worked at the trade for only a
few months and receiving wages ranging
from $1.50 to 50 per day have been sent out
to do work as journeymen and their serv-
ces been charged up to the customer at the
rate Of Sc. While this has perhaps not
been the rule in all shops an army of in
dignant housekeepers can be found who are
willing to give instances in which the use
fulness of water pipes in their dwellings
has been almost if not entirely DESTROYED
by incompetent workmen who tore
everything to pieces. and seemed
at loss as to how to
put ''humpty-dumpty together again !"
1t is also likely that the defective systems
OF water and sewer pipes in many large
blocks are directly due to the same cause
-
The police have been ordered not to i'm
dulge i'll smoking while on their beats and
it is more than probable that the order will
De followed by several others calculated to
improve the appearance of the force All
.ie patrolmen are to have new uniforms,
, Ile neiihet nat is to be adopted, and it is
likely tnaI Dlackened Shoes clean collars,
anu military carriage will be punctiliously
required. Among other innovations the
oetailiilg OF detective at headquarters for
hlght duty Is wise move that is likely to
pear Irult In the way of speedy directions
OF crime which might otherwise not be