New-York tribune., 1890-08-31
THE BRICK FAMINE ATERTED.
A STATEMENT FROM THE WALKING DELE
GATES.
NEARLY TWO MILLION BRICKS UNuoADED YES
TERDAY FOR THE DEALERS.


The action of the Board of Walking Dele
gates of the Building Trades on Friday, in
raising the brick-handcrs' boycott on the brick
shipped to this city by those members of the
Brick Manufacturers Association who are not
specially boycotted, is having good results, and
yesterday nearly 100000 bricks were unloaded
at Thirtieth-st., and all danger of any brick fam
inc is over-at least for the present,-as 1t was
said yesterday that there was large supply
of brick on the way to New-York. and any at
tempt by the Brick Manufacturers Association
to corner the brick market could not succeed.
There now seems little danger that any large
number Of men will be forced to quit work by
the boycott Of the Brick Manufacturers Associa-
ton, and the members Of the Board Of of Walk
ing Delegates assert that under no circumstances
will they raise the boycott on the four firms at
verplanck's Point until they make their brick
yards union yards. Yesterday the Board of Walk
ing Delegates issued the following statement,
signed by John Chapman, the secretary:
In the year 1885 the brickmakers working. for the
firms OF King d Lynch 0Brlcn, Mcconnell 4 Vashey,
Cyrus Travers and Avery q Mackay were union men
At that time there no spcched rate OF wages PAID
and I'm order that fixed rate might be established
conference was held between the manufacturers and
the men, at which it was agreed that an increase d
IL ia cents day on the highest rate of wages then
When the time arrived for carrying into effect the
terms Of This agreement the manufacturers failed to
keep faith with their men and refused to grant tho
struck work for The purpose OF compelling their en-
ployers To keep their contract Efforts were at once
made to settle the difficulty and committee fr2ul %
state Board Of Arbitration, visited the abOvenamcd
firms hut all tO no purpose, a the employers were
evidently inclined 10 settle the difficulty BY peace
\, a last resort committee from the Building il
Trades City went tO Nerpanck's Point 4"
fhp sStuf ufaftu
ter amicnhy. The committee met Mr.. King. OF tho
manly treatment Of the committee left them no alter
nativc but to report back to their orsank9ti0m II
he Snppott Of oreani,ed labor. 1t was then decided
not 10 handle the brick manufactured by those four
firms who had refused all efforts at arbitration as a
mcctlng was afcrwari brought about between a
committee Of the Manufacturers and the icpIeSelta
tIves Of the building trade and the case OF t'c HY"
While the committee Of manufacturers could not
deny the u Of the arguments advanced IN beai
of the mon the sOunhncsS OF the ositign thcy haU
taken they took refuge In the plea that bricks wcrc
now selling ~ n loss. and that the manufacturers
,roud sniyn the present opportunity 70 close their
wards in order advance the price Of bricks In the
In order that tho public may correctly understand
the position Of the hniling trades deiefar, We W,sn
to make o, IT o%n S6n 11 into f the no G MARKET S NOR
Is there any disposition on tho part OF orr OrGaLt
thIs community lut We do and viii insist that the
four firms mentioned above shall live mp to inc terms
of tho agreement entered lnto WIN lHcT Hl'li w"
intend using every honorable effort {" compel them 10
DO 50.
There is one pccularitv about this statemrnt,
and that is thnt the Board Of walking Decsaitrs
when making IL did not take into consideration
the lapse Of time, and the incidents OF the years
issj-'sG are merged without any dividing lne
with the four years that follow. The statement
an tbiS occount ciyes one n wrong impression
concerning tho reason Of the present boycott in
stitutcd by the huilding trades Of this CITY.
The truth is that when the brickmakers
won, ON strike in 1856. long
Gght followed and the men were beaten. Then
three wears Of quiet followed until, at the sugg'S-
lion Of the remnant OF n union NJ Verplanck
Point the Board Of Walking DclcGatcs last spring
demanded Of the four firms mentioned that they
employ none but union men. This was refused
and they were boycottcd in consequence.