Telegram-herald., 1886-05-17
STRIKE SITUATION.
Indications Point 10 a General
Walk-Out Here
If THE Tfs-H0Ua PLAN IS ENFORCED
he Workingmen Have Their Ssy 4
Card From The worden Furniture
Co Committees Wiii Strive
10 Heal the Breach.

10 Heal the Breach.
TIE situation among furniture workers
is not as bright as Vas generally hoped for.
and indications point lo several wax
outs" before The sun SETS tonight Fred
Luce. OF the Mctord 4 Bradfeld company
Is ca pecied hoale lr ,m Chicago today, and
should an attempl 6s made 10 enforce the
ten-hour plan, as proposed. the men
threaten 10 walk oul" at o'clock. The
same can be said of the men in several
other factories. aud except some immediate
change takes place a general strike may
result.
The employees of the Worien factory
case, but "lsck out" They are all Amer
lean citizens, no dynamiters or Socialists.
and they will resort TO none but honorable
means To win their hight for eight hours.
They are determined to stay out until their
principles axe carried out, and Will endeavor
this morning. through their committee, 10
secure another Jrlai oi thc eight hour plan.
The employees will meet al the Eshth ward
engine house This morning al go to hear
the report Of thtir conference committee.
The conference committee appointed by
the furniture workers OF the Norien fac
tory, are out in card as follows.
"A. T. WOrden n al article published
Nav -. stated that the Manu- 'acturers
Association had agreed 10 give the eight
hour system "a two weeks frai aud SO nOti-
ied the committee from the workIngmen.
Ne einphatically deny the above assertion.
and furthermore say that there WAS not one
word said before the conference committees
Ia regaid To its being Of but two weeks
duration II IS sluply buildOzing scheme
meant for some special pose Of their own
and that must be To make the men who the
committee represented think they have
been buldozel by their committee. We
took nothing back To the men whom we
represen led, except what the manufacturers
agreed with us To take the men we repre-
scented. We can bring good reliable men
from the Manufactures Association who
we're present at the meeting t. corroborate
our statement. CONFERENCE COMMITTEE.
The Worden employees publish the follow
ing card
rhe furniture workers of the Worlen
Manufacturing Company request all men
seeking work not to apply TO the NOrden
company for work without first consulting
the committee at 122 Jefierson-st. on the
West Side.
CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE OF FoRrY SIX
The Worden Furniture Company give
their side of the present trouble as follows:
1t appears that some OF our employees
charge us with bad faith in carrying out the
eight hour system at our factory. When
the factory committee called on rs To in
umr. il we had adopted the eight hour plan
we told then. our furniture association had
adopted it, but that it vas against our ludg-
ment; that we did not think II could sue
Gee IN small factories, that we could not
aid sufficient machinery aud help 10 supply
the deficiency entailed by the reduction oi
working hours; that although We might
increase our production some. Yet that
would be done at an increased loss Of goods
10 be forced upon a market which was
completely demOralized, that while ahlr
men made no demand FIR immediate in
crease of wages we We're confident they
would not Toe satisfied 10 continue
to work for eight hours pay, and for the
purpose of discovering what effect the
Phwnix adiustment would have upon our
nv roll, We made up our last weeks roll
uDOn that basis and found that II was over
- per cent. advance Couple this adyan e
of cost with that which Is incurred by the
adoption of the eight hour system aside
from the direct advance IN wages and u
would be impossible 10 place our goods on
the market aud meet com petition from other
points where factories are being operated
ten or twelve hours Gay. We called oar
employees attention TO these and many
other difficulties bearing upon the subject
which Ne thought would bee in-urmouutahie.
We told them IL was revolutionary
experiment which we feared would pr isiraie
the business Of The cIuntry-ihat owing 10
The limited capacity of our factory we
deemed il impraciicable 20 adopt the eight
hour system. but out OF Difference to the
desires of our employees We were willing TO
try H. and when they became tired of 10 We
would gladly return 20 the ten hour plan
Ne did not. however leave n discretionary
with them ~ iO when we should return
II was fully understood bv our men that 10
vas an experiment, and that u It's adoption
dii not become universal throughout the
country II would not only become impras
ticahle, bur fatal to our local 10 eresfs %
| insist upon iis enforcement here We have
tried tho plan in good faith. and bad
ordered machinery which IS row bc
ing made. with which 90 increase
our production Any charge of bad faith
on our part cannot bee sustained. Mr. John.
son notwitt standing VI nave taken care
| ID see thar our mil has been run to rs fuil.
est capacity the past twp weeks, and not
Wiihsianding the fact that more men were
| empi0Vc cd than heretofore, Vet The produc
ton duing that time has been over forty
| per cent less than the Two weeks ending
| Nav / When We consider this large reduc
/ ton in produc e. The inevitable advance M
wages. aud numerous items 81 eKpenss
which cannot be avoided. such ~ interest
! insurance taNes salaries of Office men and
! salesmen ..ndthe wear apd tear on property
ue believe IL would be runous. and ar
| therefore uewiliiug 70 pursue the eight
/ hour system further We called err meT
/ together saturday and stated these an
/ other facts 90 them and esve them. ss VI
/ thought sufficient reason tor our prese
/ attitude and Ne bad reason 10 think Tbs
they would be guided hs the same goo'
/ counsel and Judgment that had character
| iyri their former action. We are positive
! that flfIv fwo.fhirls Of our men Vouil
/ willingly return % the ten b9ur plan wen
/ they nef threatened thai hy - d0ine the
would lncar fhe di-piessafe " some d.sof
ranigins organization AfIer stating ou
/ reasons we neriae3 uar MEN fhat on Mon
iav nur fafo~v wfuld hsFin runHnE re'
( hnnrs day ana ws hoTed ther w0nd p
/ present a. usgsl. and that we s1guii under
/ stand taaf those Rho presented fhes~f' 10
af fnai fIfne we're willing 60 work ten naflr'
an3 fi.af ~hen fhr prfces of onr goods hsv
s.ltaussi sufficiently fo warrsnt suF n
crease Iu vales lhrF pHl hf caefriaN