The Portland daily press., 1886-05-01
AN EIGHT HOUR DAY.
A New Departure in the Labor Agi-
tation
Which Employers Say Will ParaIyze
Business.
Many More Workmen Thrown Out of
Work Yesterday,
And Manufactures Shutting Down
for An Indefinite Period.

And Manufactures Shutting Down
for An Indefinite Period.
Five Strikers Arrested Charged with
Incitlng Riot.
Summary of the Situation in Chicago
Last Night.
Strikes and Runnors of Strikes in
Various Sections.
CHICAGO, April 3O.-The eight hour move
ment in this city took an active form this
morning in advance of the day announced
for its beginning. Clark Brothers and Com
panys furniture factory at Blue Island ave-
nue. and Robey street is idle, 500 employees
having struck. The men demanded eight
hours of work and ten hours pay The
firm told them that they could not agree to
this and they all left. The firm say that the
factory will be kept closed until the labor
question is definitely settled.
The st. MichaePs Toy company has in
formed its $50 employees that it will not grant
ten hours pay for eight hours of work. The
employees are still at work.
The Hercules Iron Works on Canal street
will begin the eight-hour system with ten
hours pay tomorrow morning.
The great packers at the stockyards are
the latest representative employers OF CHI
cago to be called upon to grant the eight-hour
day. They give employment to between 25,-
600 and $4,000 men, and this afternoon, dele
cations were to wait upon the heads OF each
establishment with a request that they adopt
the eight-hour system after May 1st. The
firms to be visited are Armour & Co., Fowler
Brothers, N. K. Fairbanks, Hately, Nelson,
Morris, Jones and Stiles and Silverhorn. 1t
is only within the past few days that the
eight-hour question has been .agltated at the
stOckyards. The men, with few exceptions,
belong to no labor union, their desire to adopt
the new labor day was only formed WITHIN 1
the past week. Yesterday Mr.. Sid Kent
told his 1900 employees that after May 1st
they need only work eight hours a day, tor
which they would be paid for nine hours OF
work. This concession caused the men EN-
ployed in other houses to demand that eight
hours be hereafter considered days work.
Several meetings were held and the result
was the formation of an organization from
which the committee today was to wait upon
all packers.
Fifty of the freight handlers employed by
asked that eight hours constitute days
work.
The Chicago Daily News this morning says
that the officers of the p lllce department
have ceased in their attempt to allay the
fears of the last few weeks, regarding the
labor movement. Their sole idea now is that
with the approaching strikes of Tomorrow,
there will be great deal of trouble. 1t was
decided last night to place the entire. police
force on reserve. The force will be kept at
30 AVrfx mn
ment's notice. 1t is said that the matter OF
procuring special policemen has also been
considered.
CHICAGO, April 30.-Owing to the number
of strikes which are occurring throughout
the city, the leaders of the eight hour move
ment have determined to form central gov
erning body composed of delegates from the
trades assembly, central union, eight hour
committee and every other organization in
yolved. This body will meet every night to
consult upon the situation. Every strike
will be reported and as far as possible Will
be governed through this body. The follow
ing is a pretty accurate summary of the sit
uation tonight:
Brewers numbering about 1000 will be granted
a reduction of hours, from 16 to 10; formerly
they worked in most cases all day Sunday, they
will now be required to work not more than three
Bakers, Numbering 1000, former hours from IA
to IS, after May 1st 10 hours, except Friday,
Furniture workers have already received the
consent of about 25 of the manufacturers to 8
hours day with an increase OF 20 per cent III
wages.
English Clothing Cutters Assembly, Knights of
Labor, has received notice from 40 out of 43 es-
Establishments in the city, that they VIII pc conced-
ed 10 hours pay for hours work. This assem-
bly, numbers not less than 1000 members.
Employees engaged at the Chicago south side
cable railway company, numbering over 700 Will
receive hours pay and be required to work but 8
hours.
The Cigar Makers International Union. mum.
bering 400, eight hours work for eight hours
Beer barrel makers who worked by the piece
will have their hours reduced from twelve TO ten,
and will receive an increase OF pay OF from 10 to
20 per cent.
Ali building trades, including bricklayers,
sSns al work hoas d
Typographical Union, No. 8, (German) will in
augurate the eight hours system Saturday.
The tobacco factories OF Charles W.. Allen and
Messrs Cradle & Strait have granted the eight
hours day to their 700 employees, and every fac
tory in the city will follow suit.
Other wholesale and retail firms whose hands
will receive the concession without oppeSltlon
are Gassage s. Co. and James Armstrong Il Co.
These firms employ about $50 persons persons. c,n,
will give nine hours pay Tor eight hours work
to their 2,0Ou employees.
w. b. Jones, shoe firm, VIII accede TO the eight
hours regulation at the old scale of wages.
The furniture works of Pullman will cooperate
with the Knights OF Labor there. They Will night
The butchers, who number between the Ger
man and English unions about 600 members,
demand a reduction of hours from 16 to 10, with
the old standard of wages Though quite num-
Der of the bosses have acceded, majority OF the
men anticipate trouble in Sc curing their demand.
The dry goods and grocery clerks, bookkeepers,
hardware clerks, both male and female, are Or
ganizing but will be unable to fall in line with the
The coopers' assembly of the knights of Labor
will fight for eight hours in all the packing
houses.
The shoe makers local assembly, knights OF
Labor, No. 1873, are going to make a demand Tor
ten hours pay and eight hours work.
The Fairbank lard refinery which employees ov-
er 800 hand will allow an eight hour day to be es
tablished with slight reduction in the wages OF
the higher paid mechanics, but the wages of the
comihon workmen and unskilled labor will re-
main at the old figures.
Brcklayers and stone masons numbering over
1000 hands are prepared to sacrlheeItwo hours pay
to obtain reduction of hours and they Will strike
if their terms are not conceded.
The Carpenters Unions, which comprise the In
ternational, Independent German and German
carpenters will have to fight for the eight hour
concession.
The North Chicago bricKmakers are about 1900
strong, and the South Side brickmakers number
1900. Both are determined to make stand for
eight hours, those on the South Side demanding
Metal workers have 1900 members who will de-
mand eight hours
The upholsterers having received an unfavora-
hours work will declare war.
The molderS' three unions and the newly organ
lied marble cutters VIII demand hours and full
pay.
Unions that have as yet made little or no show
in taking action and will probably take none, are
the painters BARRIERS bench moderS, harness max
ess, horse shoers and blacksmiths, tanners and
curriers', united naers, rollers and heaters,
walchmakers and paper hangers.
About noon today, Sc girls ranging in age
from 10 to 20 years, employed by Wilder and
Hall, manufacturers of shoe insoles, went
on strike for 10 hours pay for 8 hours
work
The immense iron works of Crane Bros
Manufacturing Company will close tomor-
row for several weeks at least. The COM
pany intimates that it will then inaugurate
the hour system and deems shut down
necessary to arrange for the new order of
affairs. The Goss d Phillips Manufacturing
Company which owns very extensive plan
ing mills has arranged for hours with all
their employees on a basis of hours pay be-
ginning tomOrro.
The propretors of every one of the nine
ty-three lumber yards in the city received
today circular from the Lum6ermen's
Union demanding substantially ten hours
pay for eight hours work, commencing
May Sd. This affects $4,000 workmen.
What Men Say of the Movement.
CHICAGO, April 30.-Busness men are
disposed to look to the Real Estate Board
for signs of any approaching depression;
Next to it the Builders Exchange is most
sensible to the touch of labor agitation and
strikes
.o.ao;5oa+ of tho