The Portland daily press., 1890-07-19
the BOILER MAKERS.
what the Men Say Of tho trouble
and Their Demands.

40 the Editor of the Press:
In your issue of this morning there appears
an account of the present difficulty at
Qainn's boiler shop, which, without placing
the responsibility upon you for its incorrect
ness we are still bound, in justice to our
selves, to confute the statements therein
contained.
1t was our intention in the present disa-
greement between ourselves and our en-
plopers to abstain from any newspaper con-
troversy, knowing that such was not our
forte. Whilst holding the opinion that pub
lie sympathy is necessary in all matters of
this kind, and that it always goes out abund
aDtly to those who are in the right, we de-
pended upon the justice of our demands for
settlement rather than upon a written con-
troversy, and would therefore willingly abb
stain from written effort in our behalf. had
not Misrepresentation crept in ere our strike
was 4S hours old, and ex-parte statements
we're made which were inconsistent Win
facts, garbled in their nature, and one-sided
throughout. Now, Mr.. Editor, we will pro-
coed to give the public the true nature of our
demands; also the difference in prices which
we have been hitherto receiving when COM
pared with like work done In other shops,
both inside and outside. For all regular
boiler makers, the sum of $3.50 per diem,
and for two other men, who are extra skilled
20 cents above the last mentioned price, viz,
1910 per diem. Men who are not skilled
boiler makers, but are good workers gener-
ally, or what Is termed handy men, to re-
ceive So 90 per diem, uniformly on inside or
outside work. The men in the Portland
Company, when taken all round, are receiv-
ing more-considerably more-than the men
employed at Quinn's, and it is well known
fact that Mr.. Quinn's statement that he is
paying as much wages as any place in New
England, is wrong. Take Bath, for instance;
as high as So 81 per diem for our class of
men has been paid, and certainly never less
than $3.50 since the plant was first introduce
cd there, up to the present time. Mr.. QuiDn's
statement In regard to wages as paid in other
places falls to the ground, and also
the statement that the men who were at
present seeking raise in their wages were
inferior to the class in the Portland Company
| Is clearly wrong. MI. Quinn knows that
some OF the men are amongst the most skilled
boiler makers in Portland; that they are
competent TO carry out the contracts of their
employers in all branches of the trade. They
have done so here and also in other cities.
and, as a matter of fact, the men, taken all
round, are a fairly representative class of
Speaking for the last class in the tariff pre-
scented, namely, the so men, they are a de-
serving class, aud there is nothing in the de-
mand which borders on the running of the
shop. 1t was simple demand for wages for
men who are not as high up in the scale as
skilled boiler makers, but are deserving men,
and certainly useful ones, but underpaid.
Now, Mr.. Editor, we have endeavored ito
make our point as strong as possible, consist
ent with truth. There is nothing in the above
which can be controver ted nothing in it
which should not be granted, if our just
rights were considered. We only resoried to
cessation of work after other measures of
settlement haG failed. Believing that our
cause is good, we shall abide the result pa
tiently, and abstain from all argument which
is not gentlemanly, knowing that abuse is
not argument, and that public sympathy can
only be gained by reasonable demands, prop
erly explained and peacefully demanded
(Signed) w,
Secretary of the Boiler Makers Union.