The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-03
And Demand Ten Hours Pay for Eight Hours
Work-Probability that Contractors Will
Refuse the Request and Suspend Work
Serious Trouble Expected with the Chi
cago Freight-Handlers To-Day.
Strikers at Grand Rapids Engage in Fight
with Men Who Decline to Cease Work
Trades unions and knights of Labor.
AT WASHINGTON.
An Expected Strike Which Will Be Resisted
by Contractors and Builders.

An Expected Strike Which Will BE Resisted
by Contractors and Builders.
Speciai to the Indianapolis Journaa.
WASHINGTON May lit is expected that q
strike, ,dnvolving eight or ten thousand mechan-
les in this city, will be ipaugurated here to-mor
row. The labor organizations here have been
able to control almost everything that they have
undertaken, owing to the enormous strength
ment printing office is the strongest union Office
in the world. Some two months ago the carpen-
ters, bricklayers and stonemasons, plumbers and
all others engaged in building trades combined
and determined upon the enforcement of the
eight hour law They passed resolutions. de-
claring it TO be the sense of these combined or
ganizations that, on and after the 1st of May,
eight hours should constitute days work, and
that, from that time forward. they would not
devote more than eight hours to labor. OF
course, they did not ask corresponding reduc-
tion of pay, and that is wherein they seem to be
weak. The builders of Washington are deter
mined that the strike, if it is to be strike, shall
not prove successful, and they seem to be
very well ntrenched against the
onslaught of the laboring people In the frst
place, all building now going on in this city isfor
responsible parties, and the owners of the build
ings are in almost every instance men who can
just as well wait for year as to put up their
buildings now. The result is already seen.
Hundreds of those who proposed to start in to
build two weeks ago, have refraned from doing
so owing to the uncertainty of the labor market.
The movement which is to be inaugurated to-
morrow would seem to be doomed to failure at
the start. as the men who propose to strike have
nothing to depend on but their earnings, while
those who oppose them can just as well allow
their lots to remain vacant for five years, IL
essary, as to build under circumstances which
would certainly entail additional cost
The various assemblies of Knights of Labor OF
the building trades held meetings to-day, at
which arrangements for conducting the newt
able lockout were made. They have ordered
their members to present themselves to their
employers tomorrow morning as usual and in
form them that they will work but eight hours
day, and if the proposition is not accepted TO re-
fuse to go to work. They have also ordered
them to keep away from saloons and not to con-
gregate on the street corners. The police au-
thorities have perfected arrangements for pre-.
serving the peace.
The effect of the rantng demagogues in Con-
gress who have seen fit to evolve so much gas in
the alleged interest Of the workingmen, but
really in the interest OF their own reelection, is
here, perhaps, more than anywhere else.
Besides the building trades, the printers of this
city have made up their minds that they
have not got ali the 'rights" that they ougha
to have and hence they propose to strike for
more. Washington printers are paid higher
rate of wages on the average than the same
grade of labor receives in any other city in the
United States, unless it be New York or Chi
cago. This is due to the fact that the 2, 700 en-
ployes of the government printing office are
enabled, through their political strength, to se-
cure nearly anything they want from Congress.
The Columbia Typographical Union than
which there is no more powerful in the world,
very naturally sets the price which others here
must pay. and as result they have been able
in the past to secure anything that their men,
bers might demand The printers, it is reported,
have determined to demand an increase of % per
cent in their wages. and will make the demand
upon every daily, weekly and Sunday paper pub
lished here at the same time. The injustice Of
this is manifest, and the publishers have natur-
ally combined to resist it, Whether the out
come will be favorable to the printers or not re-
mains to be seen.