Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-07
THE CARPENTERS.
A Statements of the Position OF the
Journcymeu.

were to be seen yesterday morning a
large number of well-dressed men. most
of them young, who, while good-humor-
odiy chatting and laughing, were evil
IDENTIFY unskilled in that by others much
practiced past.time commonly called
"loafng." They were i'll at ease in this
pursuit, and most of them distinctly
looked as if they would rather be at
work than at leisure. These were mum
ber Of the members of Richmond Local
Union, No. 1872, OF the Brotherhood OF
Carpenters and Joiners of America-an
organization which is now $4,000 strong.
On Easter morning there arose dis
agreement between the Richmond mem
bers and their employers about working
hours, since which time they have not
been to their usual days labor. The
employers in the meanwhile are proceed
ing with their buildings with nom
union hands, most OF the employers
having heretofore worked mixed
force of union and non-union carpenters.
Mr.. G. T.. Edmondson, who came on
here from Washington at the request of
the Executive Committee of the Brother
hood of Carpenters. said yesterday that
he had visited majority of the employ
ing carpenters, and had been well re-
ceiyed in nearly every instance. He had
ascertained that the relations between
the contcnding parties continued plea
SAINT. "a majority of the employers,
am informed, said Mr.. Edmonscn. "re-
gard their position as unfortunate and
unnecessary others, however, think
differently, and as vet do not see the
way clear to a settlement, but | hope
that we may be near to it. The employ
ers think that they are bound by the de-
cision of their association. Never IN my
life, continued Mr.. Edmondson, "have
seen a more orderly set of men than
the Richmond carpenters. They are
sober and intelligent, and | have seldom
seen them going into barrooms. BY the
way, / have observed that this trouble Is
sometimes referred to as a strike. It's
MT strike in any sense of the word.
The men were at work on the nine-hour
system, and the bosses told them that
they must either work ten hours or quit.
The men could not return to work con-
sistently with their obligations to their
Brotherhood. No, sir, it is not "a
strike it is n lockout Most OF the
men belonging TO this union are skilled
wOrkmen, and if this matter is not soon
settled they will have to leave Richmond
for some place where their skill and ex-
perience will be appreciated. Oh, yes,
they can get work elsewhere-no doubt
about that; but the question is, Can
Richmond afford to lose them 2"
Mr.. James II. Gibbs said that as
member of the Richmond Union he
would like for the public to know that
what they were asking was nine hours
work with nine hours pay. "On the lst
of January, 1887, said he, "we gave no
tice that on and after the lst of March,
1887, we should expect to work nine
hours, and this we did all of last year.
Some few OF the bosses kept on at ten
hours and allowed ouruniOn men to work
nine hours. Union men and non-union
men have worked together. This year,
on the briefest sort of notice. we were in
formed by the Master Carpenters Asso-
ciation that we must work ten hours.
They only gave us about two weeks no.
tice. and some men, indeed, were not
notified until they were paid off that
Saturday night. However" continued
Mr.. Gibbs. "there are still several en-
ployers who only work nine hours; there
is Mr.. George Duke, Mr.. Parsons, Mr.
Fleet, Lacy a Langley, W. A. S. Davis,
and Willie Allen. Mr.. Parsons has
charge Of Major Ginter's new building
on west Franklin street Mr.. Gilbert
Hunt. president of the association, told
four of us that it was immaterlal to him
whether the men worked nine or ten
hours, but that the association having
taken a stand, he as member must abide
it,
We deprecate, continued Mr.. Gibbs,
any bad feeling, and as far as | know
there is none on our side certainl there
is none. Another thing | desire the pub
lie to know is that politics has nothing in
the world TO do with this matter, and we
recognize that the interests of employers
and employed are identical
Mr. Gibbs further said that Commit
tee on Arbitration had been appointed
by the Richmond Union, and, added he
"Our Union was not organized by
Yankee all of those who were promi
nent in its organization, with one excep-
ton, are Richmond men-born and
raised here and, furthermore, We insist
that it is not fair to call this strike.
Really, it is q lockout. All we ask is
nine hours pay for nine hours work
just as we got last year.
The Female Institute Musicale Last
Night.
A Soiree musicdic was given by the
young ladies of the Richmond Female
Institute last night with decided success.
The following programe was rendered
and much enjoyed by the large audience
present:
Part Ii Chorus. Night, tFrgmann). ?. Pi-
anO quartette Fest POlonalse, (huckcn-Jansen
Mssses Eflie Broughton, Enlo Cofer. Media
Mann. and Eva Baker 3. Vocal Duet The
Gypsies, (Brahms) Misses Oolah Duke and Mary
Perry. 4. Piano solo, Widmung, (Schumann-
LizsL) Miss Efiie Cofer 5. soprano solo, Bolero
Vespri Siciann, Verdi,) Miss Anime Hammer.
q. Piano duo, Menuet ct Gavotte, (St Saens.)
Misses Oolah Duke and Daisy Anderson. :. So
prano solo, Forbidden Music, (Gastaldon,) Miss
Mary Perry. :, Piano solo a, Sublime Evening
Star, (Wagner-Lizstl b, Waltz. Op. ~ Chopin)
MIS-, Eva Dhhfl. y NONAl ludtbtttcf may Dhu'c,
UIamerk.) Misses Duke. Perry Hammer, and
COfcr.
Part Ill. Piano quartette. Allegretto,
Haydn Wolf) Misses Fannie Dickenson, Fan
ME Jones. Annie Pierce, and Maria Herndon
? soprano solo, Romanza. tOoni2etti.) Miss An
ME Louise GriswOld. 3. Plano solo a, Waruin,
(SchumannO b. Polish Dance, scharwenks,)
Miss Enle Cofer. {. Soprano solo. BoauteOus
Cradle. (Schumaun.) Miss Anime Hammer. 5.
Piano dno, Yalse Brillante. Low,) Misses An
ME Willis and Hattie Willis. g. soprano solo,
The Meeting, (Ardiu,) Miss Oolah Duke. :. Vo-
cal trie, A Fades the Evening Hour, Crours,)
Misses Anime Hammer, Eva Smart, and File
Cofcr 8. Piano quartette, Einleitung zum drt-
ten Akt Lohengrin, (WagnerJ Misses Mary
Perry, Virginia Walker, Hattie Pierce. and Rosa
lie Hammer. o. Chorus, Awake, Awake (ADt.
Remember the Aged and innrm
Poor.