The morning call., 1890-05-06
SOLEMNLY SILENT.
MilImen Emulate the Egyptian
Sphinx.
The Public Has Nothing to Do With Them
They Will Give the Cold Shoulder to Their
Hands-A Dissenting Minority.

A reporter, whose bump of reverence is
in an undeveloped state, met an aged men,
Der and officer of the Millmen's Protective
Association on Pine street yesterday morn
ing.
Unto him the sordid scribe made the re-
mark, 81 understand that the millmen are
going to NEE. this afternoon and consider
certain propositions which their former en-
ployes, who are now on strike, have made"
THAT is none of your business" replied
the aged millman.
mot mine, but the peoples. A propo-
sition has been made by the strikers to your
association to reduce the hours of toll and
the wages. What are you going to do
about it?"
~ am going to lunch and don't see what
the public has to do with the business of an
association"
" The business Of your association is the
business Of thousands Of men and women
who are not members, and who depend
upon the press for information concerning
the associations actions. represent these
people. and / ask whether you are going to
adopt the eight-hour system or not?''
g am going to lunch, and don't want
YOU"
HUMBLE APOLOGIES OFFERED.
The reporter apologized for having ap-
peared before the public in the society of
the humble and public-spirited millman,
and took up his station at the door of the
room where the ASSOCIATION assembled. He
was, as matter of course, refused admis-
sior. The association has nothing to con-
ceal, but is differing from an epidemic of
acute modesty.
Committees representing the striking ma
chine and bench hands appeared at the
portal and established communication with
the secret fraternity within.
The machine men sent in statement that
they we're willing to continue working for
nine hours per day until August 1st, but
that after that date they would work but
eight hours per day. The bench ands.
VINO are skilled carpenters, stated that they
would work but eight hours per day and
leave the question of wages to be settled by
the law OF supply and demand.
BY vote Of Is to the propositions of
both classes were rejected, and it was re-
solved that no concessions whatever should
be made to the employees.
The seven members of the minority pro-
posed but did not present the following ad-
dress to the unions:
THE MINoRITY's ADDRESS.
SAN Francisco, May 8. 1890.
Millmen's Protective Association OF San Fran
cisco. w. j. Thompson, President; w. NJ. Miller.
Secretary. To the Carpenters Union and mill
hands of San Francisco:
WHEREAS, There seems to be universal de-
mand OF the mechanics OF the United States and
Europe TO establish eight hours days labor.
We. the Mlllmen'S Protective Association OF San
FRANCISCO, are not opposed to the demand, eX-
cept as II affects our pockets under existing cir
cumstances for millwork that we have on our
hands and a fear OF competition from mills aud
factories not IN our association, who will con-
tlnue TO work ten hours that furnish more or less
material In our line for the completion of MILL
work IN buildings
Now, we VIII resolve to run our mills eight
nHFd Ila fnI Hun
Flrst-That our present employees will faithfully
stay with US II required until August l. 1890 aud
submit 10 pro rata reduction Of wages being now
pald aud VIII not approach the subject of wages
til August lst and at that date the value of wages
can be regulated by the supply and demand.
second-As large proportion of our bench-hands
are members of th- Carpenters Union we insist
that the union pass resolution follows
Resoired, That after May 18th the members of
the Carpenters Union of san Francisco Will not
by any mill working more than eight hours per day,
excepting such material is furnished by eight
hour mill and brought to the buildings by their reg
ular delivery wagons
Our interests are mutual with yours, and we
are not opposed 10 any movement for lhe benefit
OF mechanics, for you can see that we Will sulfer
large loss by the tyngup of our capital and
plants, While large portion of our expen Sc s,
spch as rent insurance, etc, VIII continue TO be
the same as though We had worked nine hours.
Requesting an immediate answer to the above
proposition, THE MILLMEN's ASS oCIATIoN.
RESOLUTIONS OF THE BENCHMEN.
The benchmen, who formed union on
ounudy, met yesterday ana passed the tOl-
lowing preamble and resolutions unani-
mouSly:
WHEREAS, The committee appointed failed
to present 10 the Millmen's Association a resolu-
ton passed on Sunday, and also failed 10 explain
TO The Milimen's Association what the milf
workers wanted, and return their reply as in
structed. Therefore, be 1t
ResotUed, That the meeting unanimously re-
quest the millmen to make eight hours consti-
tute days work within the jurisdiction OF their
association from now onward; and be II further
ResOlUsd, That we, the bench-hands, will posi-
lively refuse 10 WORK nine hours a day for 80,
so or 80 days, as we consider 1t entirely I'M
necessary, as our employers knew for year or
more that May 1st ended all nine-bOur days for
tie carpenters in this city, and are sure 1t is
detrimental TO employer and employees alike TO
continue tile agitation any longer, therefore we
respectfully request our employers to cOneede
eight hours for days work henceforth; and be IL
ResOlUed, That committee be appointed TO
present these resolutions TO the Minen's AssO-
clation with request for their favorable con-
sideration and reply to the same and report such
reply to an adjourned meeting GU this Tuesday
afternoon.
The bench-hands, after passing the above
resolutions, voted to form a permanent Or
ganizatiOn. They were addressed by Secre-
tary McGlynn Of the Federated Trades and
will probably join that body. They will
meet this morning at the Coast Seamen's
Hall