Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-13

| shops Will have to be governed by the larger
hours and pay the S3.5O Der day. expectinp 90. Of
| course, none but frst-class hands As 10 the
to employ the men here especialiV r. the aid
! work, re-painting, opened well.
NO STRIKE, BUT ARBITRATION
| 1.-THE rule will be enforced" said Mr.. Joseph
Tanning, of the Stonecutters assembly. ''There
is no doubt of that The stonecutters now are
working nine hours a day, and will gain five
hours q week by the rule. No, there will be no
strike. We do not want q strike or believe in
the boss. II the bosses do not yield. we viii
| propose to submit the matter to arbitration
hours there is any concession nni # viii have
| to be in the point of wages. 1t is my opinion
that what mechanics ought to strive for is a re-
even Il they have to suffer a reduction OF
wages" The wages of stonecutters are fixed at
| dent that the bosses will accede to the eight
hour rule when the time comes.
TALK WITH A PLUMBER.
| Mr.. E. s. Miller, plumber, stated that the
present wages Of plumbers are $3.50 and hours
| nine, but they are in the movement for eight
| hours. While there may be some bosses who
| will oppose the hours there are some who are
glad OF the movement, as IT will give them
Mr.. Miller, "that at our business there is not
| the amount OF work done in the hours after
the Is h 9r BESIDES the
arg others going home does not have q very
| eXhiiaratlng elect upon the wOrkmen. Any
one knows that the best work is done by men
| before they become fatigued. We do not anti
cipate any trouble in getting the hours"
| THE BRICKLAYERs.
| A member ofthe Bricklayers' union stated to
a STAR reporter last evening that the PROPOSE
ton for eight hours, at 81 per day, which Is but
fifty cents per hour, will likely cause but little
| complaint on the part of bosses, for there has
been but little complaint up to this time
Some, however" he said, regard it as an en-
they have no just grounds for such superstition,
and you may put It down that but little, II any,
56oS Is apprehended Most of the people
fact that this Is the nineteenth century-a time
for progress. Lessening the hours of labor will
give the wOrkfngmen a chance to improve.
| The world moves, and we must keep pace with
! II, and this movement is not only in the inter-
s sian IT progress but of civilization and Chris
| BOSS BRICKLAYERS VIEWS.
Mr.. James King, boss bricklayer said: "What
Is the use of fighting the eight-hour law, when it
| is bound to come, and we might as well get the
credit OF 1t. Then the demand, as far as we are
fixed for ten hours are S4.5O per day, aud they
now propose to work eight hours for 81. The
| building temporarily, but it will soon pick up.
The anticipation of the movement has not
affected the work of preparation for building,
every section of the city"
MR.. FLEMING's OPINION.
Mr.. Robert /. Fleming, the architect and
builder, said: II am now refusing to take any
new work. cannot afford to do it. The risk is
too great The movement at the start causes
| All advance of twenty per cent in labor alone.
ana then there are the material men to be
t heard from ON IT the movement is general all
be affected and the material men will be
Obliged to increase Their prices. The uncer-
unfortunate that it should have 'f taken ken this
form at the present time as it will tend to check
peope will refuse ba ne
ing up OF the city will come to a stand still.
Then work will decrease and the workingmen
viii ind themselves in much worse condition
than they We're before. think that it would
! be better If they wanted shorter hours to take
/ off the two hours from the 1st OF November to
| the LIST OF March, and for the rest of the year
| which is really the building season here, have
the ria tnli time While am in favor OF the fullest
rights 10 the Workingmen, yet think that this
extra time Will prove harm to him rather
| than benefit"
WHAT MR.. MORRISON SAYS.
MIR. VIM. c. Morrison, the builder, said: s'The
| agitation of this question of eight hours will,
| think. result in checking building operations in
this city. am of the opinion that it will
! increase the cost of building so that those
intending to build will refuse to do so. In that
event IT Will furnish its own remedy. Working
men must have work, and If these shorter hours
deprive them of work they cannot be MAIN
| and then we can all tell with more certainty
what the effect will be. am not taking any
/ Ia
| finish work already on hand. but If I did esti.
mate on work 1t would be on the basis Of their
| proposed increase"
MIR. KENDERDINE's VIEWS
| Mr.. Kenderdine, of Kenderdine & Paret, said:
| "As far as my observations go the prospect of
| the eight hour movement being inaugu-
| rated has not affected the giving out Of con-
| tracts for new buildings. There is no doubt
| that contracts are given out every day and
| builders are taking In new work. But it does
not seem to be on the basis of ten hours pay
| for eight hours work. / don't know what is
expected, but imagine that there is little faith
that it win be possible to carry out this move
| ment If IT is carried out the contractors will
lose heavily, ana those intending to build
| Will suspend further operations. 1 am union
| man myself, but think that this movement
is opposed TO the interest OF the workingmcn
decrease work. OF course the experiment will
no doubt be made and in estimating upon new
work have taken into calculation the success
| stop TO a large extent in this CITY,"
! HOW AR. LANGLEY VIEWS 1T.
Mr.. Langley, of the firm Of Langley and
Gettinger. builders, said: 81 think that it will
interfere with building and will resu in ury
| wages, the scale of prices being better than in
| any other city in the country. or course i'm
some places the actual pay per day is larger,
| but the time for work is SO much shorter that
| the average of wages is higher in this city I
think that they had better let well enough
| alone. If they insist On these hours and the
| same wages people will refuse to pay the ad-
vance and building will stop. Then they will
! be out of work entirely. The contractor has no
| option in the matter If the cost OF building in
| creases; he must make his estimates higher and
| then leave IL for the owner to decide whether
| to build at the advanced rates. If he refuses TO
| make the contract, then the contractor does
| not get the job and he has no work to give the
| men. The whole thing Is in a nutshell. II the
people who build want TO pay this increased
price, why the contractors can afford to go on
| with the work."
MR. EDMONsTON THINKS THE WORKINGMEN
| WILL LOSE BY IT.
| Mr.. Charles Edmonston said: II think that
this movement will stop building operations
AS far as am personally concerned, have re-
| fused to make any estimates or to take any
| contracts for new work until after May 1st if
! this eight-hOur movement is going into effect
| throughout the country as well as in this Dis
trict. the cost OF labor will not only advance
put that OF nearly every commodity and ma
| terial. If the Drickiayer gets eight hours so
| will the brickmaker. II the carpenter has an
| elghthOur day, so will the hands in the mills
| The cost of our food, clothing and every thing
will be affected. ! calculate that the cost OF
| living will be advanced fifty cents per day. and
| that instead OF being gain to the workingmen
| 1t Will be an actual loss. would have been
willing, and know that others would have
| been willing TO pay an advance Of twenty-five
| cents per day rather than To have had this
| movement. That would be an increase OF Sl SO
per week, and with the SO for increased living
expense, calculate that the workinRmen will
lose "a. so per week by this thing IL it succeeds