Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-04-03
THE EIGHT HOUR MOVEMENT.
The Policy % be Adopted BY the Master
Bullders' Ass0ciaai0n.

A08O6lolnOn.
ACTION TAKEN AT THEIR MEETING Last NIGHT
They PROPOSE 10 EMPLOY MEN FOR TEN
HOURS OR NOT AT ALA GENERAL LOCK
OUT IN THE BUILDING TRADE ANTICIPATED
ON NAY lsr.
The Master Builders association held meet
| ing last evening at the Harris house, which
was very largely attended. During the past
week the membership Of this association has
oeen largely increased, and now comprises, IT
Is said, nearly all the leading builders and con-
tractors In the city. The meeting last evening
was Tor the purpose OF deciding upon policy TO
pursue with regard TO the eight hour rule,
which the labor unions have announced win go
into operation on May LIST The subject was
not new one to the members ana there was
rom the start q unanimity in the opinion ex-
the building sS%r fay .na
NOT 10 be encouraged. Some OF the builders,
however, were OF the opinion that rather than
day going into effect, IL would be better 10
continue In ALL such cases where owners
that The OF abor s De
twenty per cent, but how materials win be
affected 1t is not known. The cost OF labor,
the entire cost of erecting a building so that IL
building costs $40 900. erected under the
present schedule Of hours, under the eight hour
DAY, the cost they say, viii be increased Q OoO
money would be unwilins to pay this advance ,
would come TO stand still al any rate. There
was some talk OF offering q compromise that
ths working day should be nine hours, thus re-
ouclng the Increased cost one-half, but after q
full discussion of all these opinions and sugges-
tions, the unanimous conclusion WAS reached
that the ten-hour day should be maintained.
Resolutions to this effect were adopted, but no
public announcement has yet been made, as IL
was the desire 10 wait until after the confer
ence WIN the sub-con tractors, which will be
held this evening at Carroll hall. The purpose
OF members Of the association is to secure per-
feet unsnimity Of action throughout the entire
ranks OF the employers SO that when the time
comes If an effort is made TO inaugurate the
elght-nour day no one will employ working
men under such conditions, and building opera
lions Will come 10 q stand still.
PRESIDENT FLEMING's STATEMENT OF TIE
CAsE.
III am opposed to this movement" said Mr..
Robert !. Fleming, who has just been elected
president OF the Master Builders ASSOCIATION,
'for several reasons. believe that H. is III CON
sidered and unwise. Il is i'll considered because
the effects that will legitimateIy follow are not
known and cannot be known until after the
experiment has been made. 1t is unwise
because 1t checks work, raises the cost Of living
and will have a bad effect upon the laboring
classes. The injury that has been done to the
building trade in this city already can hardly
be calculated. At present there Is nothing
doing: Last month all operations were FASTENED
In order TO get buildings as nearly finished
before the LIST Of May possible, and
| that made the record of building per-
the largest of any previous year. H But
the record OF the present month will not
compare SO favorabiy. In my office work has
come to a standstill. and have refused enough
work to keep me busy all the year. Whether I
will get it again in case the agitation ceases is
question. The unions have not been satisfied
with trying to introduce the eight-hour day.
but they have issued a circular containing
Instructions TO the bosses which are most
fxyr.a anal And
the features in this circular, il is ordered that
when the eight-hour day goes into effect that
work shall cease at four O'Clock each day, and
that under no circumstances will men be
allowed to work the two hours rom four to six
they can work after six O'Clock IL paid double
wages, and they can work on Sunday on the
same terms, but under no condition can they
work these two hours. Now, any one can
see, this is absurd. liz may happen many times
mat ork Ia a house has reached point at four
O'Clock where IL is OF the utmost importance TO
go on with it. But these rules make no excep-
ton. They are absolute"
There Is another tyrannous feature about
this circular, continued Mr.. Fleming" and
this Is the provision which obiges the bos ses to
pay AL the men three dollars a day, without
regard to their ability. Now, there are some
| men who are not much better than apprentices
| aud do not earn two dollars day. But the
unions are unwilling to make amy distinction
but all men are graded alike. / am opposed to
this, and believe in system OF grades accord
Ing 10 skill, ana having a scale OF wages cor
respond. However, these matters have men,
TONED simply 10 show you that the unions de-
mand at this time more than merely the eight
hour DAY, and ON account OF what is considered
their eXtor;ioDate demands, the bosses have
organized. don't think that will be without
authority when l say that at our meeting a
VIII be adopted. We will not give the eight-hour
day. Our shops will be open and we will em-
ploy men TOR ten-hour day at ten hours wages,
but We will refuse to employ them under any
other terms. Work in this District will stop and
there will be a general lock out. All this will
be done with the kindest feelings In the world
Tor the workingmen," continued MIR. Fleming
There is no place in the country where they
| receive higher wages, and our season here is
very long, so that no wonder every year work
ingnen are attracted here from all parts OF the
country. There is no place where they get more
work and as good wages. There is, however
one concession that may be made. Heretofore a
nine-hour day has prevailed from November
probably he willing TO give ten hours pay all
the year around. With this exception am of
the opinion that We will present united front
in opposition TO the eight-hour day with ten
hours pay"
BUILDER LANGLEY's VIEWS
Mr.. Langley, OF the firm OF Langley Get
| finger, In talking over this matter said that
he thought it could be said that at a moderate
calculation at least one million dollars worth OF
work had been stopped that would have gone
on ii II had not been for this eight hour agita-
ton. The boss builders, OF course, suffered
greatly. This was the time" he said, "when
they ought 10 be maxim. their contracts aud
starting the buildings, but they are compelled
to sit down with idle hands and see the season
60 past. vi COuTSe, very it" people going
to build as long As the uncertainty lasts, and II
they find that the cost OF building mas advanced
to any extent they will not build at ALL"
he said that the circular issued TO the bosses
was very unjust one and could not be carried
into effect. He objected TO the prohibition
placed on the hours from four to six and the
one grade OF wages for all. He thought that
both of these provisions were unwise. Ii the
effort was persisted in to establish the eight.
hour day, he thought that the only remedy was
to shut up the shops and bring building to a
stand-still. He saw no reason why the work.
ingmen here should be paid SO much more
than they are i'm other cities. The scale Of
wages islalready greater, and yet it In proposed
to make . still greater Increase.
THE CIRCULAR SENT TO THE BOSSES
The following is the circular above referred to,
which was sent to all the master builders, bear.
ing the seal of Carpenters' Union, No. i:
To Whom Il mag Concern:
Whereas 1t is the desire OF the master carpen-
tiers and builders OF w Washington, ID. G., TO know
what course the journeymen carpenters will
pursue in regard to the eight (S) hour question,
that they may be enabled to bid intelligently
on future work; therefore be 1t
Resolved, That on and after May Sd, 1885,
eight (S) hours shall constitute q days work
aud TOR the same he shall receive not less than
three g. dollars.
2. Any member of this Union found working
more than eight ~ hours for one days work or
labor shall be tried by Q court drawn according
to our constitution, and, upon conviction, shall
be fined, suspended or expelled; but in no case
shall dne be less three G3l dollars for each and
every days work 20 performed.
8. No member OF this Union shall work upon
any building or job, or In any. shop. with any