The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-09
RESULTS OF THE STRIKES.
A Summary of the Situation in Local
Labor Circles at the End of the Week.
The Employees of Sinker, Davis & Co. Decide
to Return to Work-The Lounge Manu-
facturers Agree to Advance Wages.

70 the num- Der or = oUU nave Udoo Sonio Ainu VI
a demand for shorter days work, or higher
wages, or both. The employees of the Woodb1rn-
Sarven wheel works, about FIVE hundred in
number. returned to work with practically moth
ang gained except sort Of implied promise that
wages will be raised when business shall justify
H. The same is true of the sixty employees of
the Central Chair Company. Upon petition of
forty men at Hermann's furniture factory
they were granted without q strike,
pm advance of 10 per cent. The
holt works adopted the eight-hour system,
and advanced the rate of wages per hour. The
employees of Parrotts bakery, ten in number, are
still on strike Tor an advance in wages. The
LIS mea at Faileys wheel works, who are Knights
of Labor, are on a strike because the firm did
not discharge an employee who had reviled their
order. There has been decrease in hours and
an advance in wages at Bakers printing estab-
lishment Nordyke & Marmon's men obtained
a slight advance in April The stone-cutters
cured reduction to eight hours, and are
paid per cent per hour, their
wages being 81 30 against So hereto
fore paid. Nearly all the brick-layers
are working only eight hours, and get 40 cents
instead of 40 cents, as heretofore. The two
hundred striking lounge-makers got eight hours
where they wanted it, and about eighty got an
increase in the rate of wages. At several furnl-
ture factories the number of hours worked.
eight or ten, has been left to the Thirty
employees of the Big -Four engaged IN trans
ferring freight struck, and their work is now
done at Cincinnati. The fifteen girls at PieIs
starch factory who struck for advance to 90
cents per day lost their situations. The
sixty-ilve employees of Shower Christian and
those of the Capital City planning mill
got nothing. Thirty plasterers at the State
house had the same experience The one nun
opA or ma and a hOr
ers on the City Hall secured a reduction In hours
and an increase of 5 to Is per cent in wages.
The bootblacks' demand for 10 cents was rem
dered of no effect by ''scab" competition. The
week ends with about four hundred of the per-
sons who joined in the strikes now out of en-
ployment and of this number probably one
hundred and seventy FIVE will return to work at
the Sinker Davis & Co. works tomorrow.
DECIDE TO RETURN TO WORK
The employees Of Sinker Davis & Co., about
$50 in number met at Parnell Hall last night to
hear the report of the committee that had been
appointed to confer with the members OF the
firm The report was that the demands of the
men for an advance in wages, or even for an
eight-hour day. would not be granted. The feel
ing in regard to the stand taken by the
employers called forth an expression
of various sentiments as to the
best course to be pursued, and altogether
the meeting was a very spirited one -Four bal
lots were taken many motions to return to
work, and the last of these motions prevailed by
a vote of little more than two thirds of those
present All of them will doubtless be on hand
when the whistle blows tomorrow.
The men first demanded an eight-hour day,
nine hours pay for eight hours work, for all
men getting. over $l4O per day, and ten
hours pay for getting ST. 40 or less
per day. The firm replied that it would
grant an eight-hour day but no increase in wages
The men answered that they would take eight
hours pay for eight hours work for men getting
over 81. so per day, the pay in no case to be re-
dueed lower than L50 per day, provided men
getting less than $150 per day, including APP
prentices. work only eight hours at the old
wages, and that all extra time be paid for at one
ana one half .ae regular price and Sunday work
at double the regular price. This was followed
by the posting of notices on Friday. Yesterday
when the committee met Mr Davis he backed
ont from even the original agreement OF the
firm to allow eight-hour day at eight hours
pay, saying his tools ought to be used ten hours
In the day. The employees say he has not treated
them fairly.
AGREEMENT OF THE LOUNGE MANUFACTURERS.
There was a meeting of lounge manufacturers
and their employees held last night, at the Cir
cult Court room. Indianapolis manufactures
more lounges than any place in the United
States, and of the five Hundred employees nearly
one hundred were present. Andrew T. Wilson
was called to the chair, and Albert Sahm chosen
secretary. The object of the meeting, as ex-
planned by the chairman. was for manufacturers
and workmen to come to understanding on
hours Of labor and wages
Otto Stechhan, one of the manufacturers said
the object TO bring about condition OF af-
fairs that would enable manufacturers to ad-
vance the pay of employees. At his factory the
number OF working hours had been reduced, at
the request of the workmen. from ten hours to
eight hours, with pay for eight hours. He had,
however, advanced the wages per cent. and
would gladly advance them up to 20 per cent,
but that could not be done without preparing the
trade gradually for it.
Remarks were made by Mr.. Hess and Mr.
Krause on behalf of the manufacturers, and
George Paetz. A. r. Fable Albert Sahm and
others on behalf of the employees.
Mr. Krause said that there were some of his
men who wanted to work ten hours day-that
they could not afford to work for only the eight
hours pay, and asked if they would be permitted
TO do so.
eight-hour rule he did not think the Knights Of
Labor would permit it This answer, therefore,
Bignihed loss OF forty cents from the 81 day
earned by the men in ten hours This was while
the following resolution was under considera
fCn:
Resolved That we ask all our employers that eight
hours constitute days work, and that wages be
advanced per cent. on tho eight hours day from
this time to July 1, per cent them until August,
and then be further advanced 10 per cent, Il bust
will justify.
Otto Stechhan moved that the first 5 per cent
be allowed from June l. which was received
with applause and agreed to by the manfactur-
ers present, who signed the resolution and
agreement as follows: Otto Stechhan, L. w
Or & Co., Geo. e. Krause, Indianapolis Lounge
Company. by j. w. Hess, president The
three other manufacturers. Clune, Madden
and Wheeler were not present and committee
of three was chosen by the chairman to confer
with them. The names were not given to the
reporters who were informed that it was
against the rule of knights of Labor to disclose
Information of that character.
Mr. Stechhan agreed with Mr.. Hess that eight
hours was not lettering the condition Of the en-
ployes. but the chairman said that matter was
understood by all Knights of Labor, and every