Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-05-12
FOR SHORTER HOURS.
Pattern Makers at Their Annual
Gathering Will Recommend
TIE EIGHT-HoUR SYSTEM OF WORK
A League Only Two Years Old Spreading
and Growing Rapidly.
LABOR PROBLEM TO BE CONSIDERED

The second annual meeting of the
Pattern Makers League Of North America
will be held in the Seventh Avenue Hotel
this week, beginning tomorrow morning.
About 25 delegates are expected, but last
night none of them had arrived, though the
reception committee was at the hotel waiting
for them. The eastern delegates are sched-
uled to arrive this morning.
Speaking about the association and the
coming meeting, President 7. j. McGon-
nell of this city, said last night:
There are only 5000 pattern makers in the
country, and 200 Of them belong to the organ
izatIon. In Pittsburg there are $50 pattern
men. and 95 belong to the local assembly. At
present We are trying to establish an associa-
tion in Hamilton, Canada, and outside Of this
place we are not represented in the Dominion.
We have associations in l6 cities scattered over
the country, and we expect representatives
from all of them.
WORK TO BE DONE.
The meeting will probably last. the greater
part of the week. and we intend to have BAN
quet Thursday evening. There are a number
of things to be considered. The constitution Is
crude, was hastily constructed and needs to be
modified in some particulars We are thinking
of establishing a contigent fund to work up
associations in new fields, strengthen weak
Dudies and to assist generally in keeping the
organization together. 1t is more thar prob
able that we will appoint paid organizat ton.
The tools of pattern makers are very valu-
able, and at present we have plan CT insurance
to protect them from loss. This insurance
feature will be perfected further, and, in ad-
dition, we will discus the advisabilty Of estab-
fishing beneficial feature in connection with
the League.
Another thing we are anxious about is the
eight-hour system and the abolition Of piece
work. These subjects will be considered. 1t
Is the aim Of the League to keep up the agita-
tion for shorter hours Of work, and we prefer
to work by the day. The quality of work
turned out is better than by the piece.
SHARP MANUFACTURES.
We find, too, that when man exerts himself
and makes some money at piece work that
when we work by the day the manufacturers
expect us to do as much as we do under the
piece plan. In the end we find we make less
money and work longer hours under this
system than by the day.
The question of limiting the number Of ap-
prentices will also come up. For myself I
think that one to every SIX journeymen should
be allowed and no more. As to strikes we are
very conservative. and have no desire to be
antagonistic or pugnacious unless there Is
grave necessity for It.
At the session tomorrow morning, Presi-
dent Mcconnell will read his annual ad-
dress. He states there are some points of
interest in his report, but he declined to
speak of them in advance. He will also
suggest some new ideas that be has mapped
out The officers OF the league are:
P. P. Duchemin, Secretary, Boston: General
Vice President, William Case. New York; Ex-
ecutive Board, Thomas Moon, Philadelphia;
W. 81. Lose. Allegheny and Louis KirchbeEg,
Chicago; Local Reception Committee, G. N.
Heaslet, Harvey Heaslet, w. Mclean, Joseph
Knipschild, ]. F.. Wakeman, c. b. Connelley,
Thomas Bayliss. Sam Warren, Fred Suess and
present.