New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-21
FEARS OF A BRICK FAMINE.
SHIPMENTS TO CEASE TOMORROW.
ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND MEN EXPECTED IL
BEruRowN OUT OF EMPLOYMENT, IF
T. long.
THE BOYCOTT LASTS long

brick this city, uCfOHliHE " thO w.
ton. have decided to stop supplying BRICK on anu
after tomorrow TO the builders commission men ana
dealers I'm buildng material Of this city, Brooklyn anu
Jersey CITY, until the Board OF Walking Delegates Vi
the Building Trades have raised the boycott recently
Instituted against four brick-makng FIRMS at VET
plancks Point. These firms are O'Bren \husheS'
CYRUS Travers King & Lynch, and Avery 'ach'S.
Thi, boycott begun August IL, for inc ae5cu
reason that these had refused to force tAer en-
n,ovcs IN ioin the union The manufacturers, hnding
that the dealers would not handle the boycocu o'oH.
placed the matter In the hands OF comnl''ee' Vi
which George Kerr, Of ROndout, Is chairman. uPoh
the report OF this committee, at meeting Oh inc ho
cioted Brick Manufacturers Of Newborn ana bfooh'
Ivn at the Astor House Monday, 1t was uhahl-
nors,v decided 70 withhold shipments of brick to all
nont included I'm the boycott instituted By the Board
OF Walking Delegates
Interviews with several Of the largest brick nauu-
f,cturers and commission men yesterday sho" 'lat
strong feeling exists against the walking deegHtes anu
the brlck-handlcrs' unions. and there seems 10 be
general determination TO overture" ,ieIr a'Venp' I"
dictate TO the manufacturers.
william, n narnes Of the commission firm OF wash
buyn & Barnes among the largest handlers ana MANU-
facturers Of brick in the three cities sad Inc a-Icc
mcnt on the part Of the manufacturers WIN u""o"OO
IL be carried into effect Friday ma III ''S h"pp''
there will be at least 100000 men thrown out vi en-
ployment. The season thus far has been sood ono
and I believe would have continued TO improve had, 1t
not bccn for This dcvsh action OF few men WHO can
themselves walking delegates. out of the 2'ooo OF
more men employed I'm the Manufacture oil DITCH at INC
Point there are not more than 100 am rnormc"'
who belong 10 any union. and 1t Is 10 iorcc 'HS III"
,orltv 10 come In that these tr0ublcmakcs have Sc
cured the help Of the brick handlers and caftMehs
unions.
OTHER TRADES WILL DE AFFECTED
"of course a refusal to supply brick will before
r,ftp aip
brIcklayers brlc-handlers cartmcn carpenters JON
e stone masons laborcrs, sazicrs, roofs painters
stcanfttcrs and decorators. beside the brcyari men
themselves do not think the effect OF the stoppaSe
viii he felt Immediately. There are st good many
bricks coming and the supply on hand Is not SNAIL
There Is little doubt that If the manufacturers oAN
stand by each other the delegates viii bc Defeated.
They will get little sympathy from the dealers or com
mission merchants. IN the first place they cannot DC
relied upon 10 live up 10 their agreement Three
years ago when the trouble among the brick handlers
first arose. the matter submitted 10 their own
board Of arbitration. who decided against thcm' bu'
whose decision the delegates rC'lsed 10 abide by' II
they have level heads. and consult their best hclN''
they will Nise the boycott"
one Of the largest manufacturers Of brick IN ms
city, who refused 10 have his mentioned in con
necton with the present trouble. he was not di-
rectly connected with the association, said Il nope
the manufacturers who are In the a'~ocaion VIII 'hg
together and win this fight As | am Informed. tI'
firms who have agreed 10 stop furnishing brick 70 tL'
dealers in this city. brooklyn and Jersey city repre-
sent about 80 per cent 81 the largest Erns In the bn'
ness. There are only few large firm" out Of the
association The feeling IS general nevertheless That
the association will not hang together. The fear that
all the manufacturers would not stand by each Othcr
has prevented them from taking this step sooner ~
Is a tremendous strain each firm. and means the
loss Of thousands OF dollars. :" stop shipping a.; once
Il probable tha, Of the firms. on one ground
or another. win continue IN ship brick. some VIII
claim that they have contracts 10 III. aud Will want
an exception made in their cases. For tins reason
there IS not the fear and uncertainty among dealers
that the circumstances would apparently warrant
stil 81 shipments stopped Friday by these large
Manufacturers 1t cannot fail seriously Ia AFFECT the
building trades and may put up prices considerably
and as SAID before the feeling against the "alMhs
delegates aud their attempted domination Of the mani
facturers IS so strong on all sides that should not be
surprised II a bitter war would result, in which both
parties would suffer-
NOT ALL THE BIICKMAKERS CONFINED.
Several other largo manufacturers who belong to
the association Of the opinion That all Tie hrns
in the association who had adopted the report Of IN"
committee woud refuse TO furnish brick Ia the points
Included IN the boycott after Friday. one Of these
said There arr, only u few firms Of any importance
wis, are not bound BY the agreement Of Monday.
Among these IS jacob Lorard. the only manufacture
1 believe, who sells directly 20 the purchaser. such
an enormous quantity OF brick IS required at present
even 10 carry on the work already begun that The
material supplied by these few outside firms would be
A. a drop IN the bucket. do not believe the hsit
will last long but II II by any possibility does con
tinue "a week or two there viii " vast amount Of
suffering among large class Of worImcn and dealer
IL /. also likely 10 have the effect Of forcing up prices
cnsidcTably.7
The general gloom and de-pondcncy apparent among
the commission and dealers at the Building En-
change Yesterday good indication Of the serious
ness with which the impending brick war T. Looked
upon.
WITH THE WALKING DELDGATEs.
There arc about 1000. 900 brick used daily In New
York and more Of them are landed on the piers NJ
Thrtieth-st and the North River than at any other
place IN the city. Walking delegates patrolled the
wharves Yesterday and keenly Inspected the bargcs, a.
the tugs pushed them up 70 the wharves, laden with
brick 10 sec whether there we're any OF the boyroted
brick being received. None came a good indication
Of the power Of the labor union that Is accentuaed
by the reticcnce Of dealers in building supplies Nearly
all the builders in New York buy from agents, and
know little about the manufacturers. The names
the bovcottcd firms were submitted 10 several builders
I'm the city, bnt they said they knew nothing of them.
that they dealt with s0and 80, naming one ol the
many agents in the city. The builders are evidently
under the yoke Of the labor union, and did not care
10 say much abOnt the sltuaNOl W. . H"riSoh' "a
Harrison Co.. architects and builders, oil thc Aldrlo
Building, Broadway, who j. at present engaged Oh 'he
| building at No 20 Broadway. SAID that he had been
| too busy to think about the matter, but he hadn't
! begun 70 feel at all frightened
From what little he had heard Of the proposed boy
colt from other builders. he inclined % think that
though II threatened a good deal and possessed all tho
possibilities Of clog 10 building operations IN
| New.York Il wouldn't be carried 10 the extent I'M
| g. exceedingly
NOT so BAD As IT LOOKS.
at IL a very hard thing to stop the wheels Of New
| York said Mr. Harrison, "and ] don't think the
brick manufacturers can do IT, nor the labor unions.
| haven't thought enough of the matter owing TO d
great press Of work. 10 form opinion of the justice
Of the matter, and who is right and who
wrong but | think money Will buy labor and