Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-11-06
THE sToNEcUTTERs.

Commissioner Tobin's Inquiry Into the
Causes of the Recent Strike.
On Monday last the Governor requested
Labor Commissioner Tobin to investigate
the circumstances connected with the re-
cent strike of stonecutters employed in the
Capitol grounds Mr.. Tobin came at once
to this city, and proceeded with the in
quiry. Yesterday he submitted the fol-
lowing report as the result thereof:
SACRAMENTO, November 5th.
Hon. r. ". Waterman, Governor Of California;.
SIR: In accordance with your instructions of
the 4th inst, proceeded to investigate the
causes which led to the suspension of work by
the stonecutters employed on the Capitol
grounds, and found them to be as follows:
1t appears that the Corresponding Secretary of
the stonecutters' Union of San Francisco lodged
a complaint at the headquarters OF the stone
cutters National Union at Barre, VT, stating
that the stonecutters in Sacramento were cut
ting convict labor quarried stone.
In making such complaint the Secretary
acted entirely on his own responsibility, as he
was not instructed SO to do by his Union,
The Sacramento Union thereupon received in
structions from headquarters that II was in VIC.
lation of the laws of the National Union to cut
such stone, and in obedience to said laws which
they had pledged themselves to obey, the stone
cutters employed on the Capitol grounds sus-
forwarded remonstrance to Headquarters to
the effect that they did not consider that they
were violating the laws of the Union, because
the stone furnished by the state Prison at Fol-
som was not Quarried under the contract sys-
TEN.
The State itself furnished the rough material,
and under the law by which the improvements
on the Capitol grounds were authorized it was
expressly provided that the material to be used
was that quarried at the Folsom prison. The
men who had suspended work appointed COM
mittee to go to San Francisco and confer with
the branch in that city, in order that objections
to their resuming work might be withdrawn The
Superintendent of the work J. Carroll accom-
panied the committee, who were successful in
their mission.
The Unions at San Francisco and Rocklin sus.
tanned the Sacramento Union in the position 1t
had taken, of its right to resume work consist
emily with the laws of the National Union, and
the result was that q telegram was received
from the officers of said Union, authorizing tn 2
men who had suspended to resu ne work Ac-
cordingly, the stonecutters resumed work at the
usual hour this morning, Tuesday. NoYem-
Der 5th.
From report OF the facts submitted to me on
the part of the Sacramento Uuion, duly signed
by its President and Secretary, and from care
full inquiry among those cognizant of all the
facts in the premises 1 feel convinced that the
men who suspended work did so reluctantly and
from high sense of duty to the officers and OBJ
legation to the laws of their National Union.
They lost no time In placing the exact condition
OF affairs in proper light before the higher au-
thorities in the Union, and when they gained
their point of contention resumed work prompt
ly. In my intercourse with the men / was
treated with due courtesy and consideration.
Respectfully submitted, ]. J. ToBrN.
Commissioner of Labor.