Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-01-02
THE 0-HOUR SCHEME.
What Local Builders and Contractors
Have to Say Thereon.
LABOR LEADERS VIEWSEXPRESSED
Opinions That Pittsburg VIII be Good
Place to Begin.
OPPOSITION EXPECTED FROM K. OF L

OPPOSITION EXPECTED FROM K. OF l.
General Consensus Of Ideas Upon Vital Subject tt
the Masses.
Local views upon the most interesting sub
ject of eight hours for days labor give
every shade of opinion as to possibility, ad-
visibility and probable success Opposi-
tion and encouragement carefully canvassed.
1t appears from dispatches sent out from
New York recently that the Federation of
Labor was soon to insugurate movement
against the contractors and builders who
are now working their men over eight hours
day.
President Gompers, in an interview with
the Associated Press representatives Sun
day, said that an effort would soon be made
to make the eight-hourl law universal This
could only be done by gradual movement
on the part of the labor organizations, he
said, but it would become reality il it was
worked in the right way. The carpenters
and jOiners, the bricklayers and stone
masons would have to be brought into the
| fold first and subsequently, the other organi-
cations by gradual affiliation which would
embrace every labor organization in the
United States.
BUT LITTLE OPPOSITION.
He said that he expected little opposition
to the scheme if the letters which he had re-
ceived from employees could be taken as a
criterion of what the others intended to do
The only opposition which he fears is from
the workingmen who are now working long
hours and are not confident of the success OF
the undertaking. It is intended to first en-
list the building trades, and, by degrees, the
Others he thinks, can be brought in.
Yesterday afternoon visit was paid to q
number of architects, builders and contract
ors' Offices in the city in order to obtain their
views on the subject The offices of A.
PEBBLES, A. Y. Lee, j. A. Jacobs,
q. S. Barker and George Daniels were
visited by a DISPATCH representative. Mr..
Jacobs was the only one who was in his
Office, and when asked what he thought of
the movement, said he had nothing what
ever to say about it, as he belonged to a
labor organization, and would not commit
himself in any way.
AN ARCHITECTS OPINION.
J. q. Barr, the architect, was seen at his
Office, No! 421< Sixth street, and said he was
in favor OF the eight-hour movement, and
would like to see it adopted in Pittsburg.
''The laboring men work too long as it is,
he said, land anything which will ameliorate
their condition should be welcomed by
every liberal minded citizen. 1 am in favor
OF having the change brought about in a
quiet way, and hope it will be accomplished
without any strikes and unpleasantness be-
tween the employers and the employees.
There are plenty of good men in this country
who are apt and quick at any trade, but the
men who have made speciality of one thing
for years, and are skilled mechanics must
be given the preference.
A PLEA FOR FAIR TREATMENT.
"I want to seethe laboring men treated
fairly and will do anything can to better
their condition. Whether eight hours la
Dor would do it or not is another matter en-
tirely, but there is one thing certain and
that is that they would have more time to
devote to their families, and the more time |
man gives to his family the better citizen he
is"
Another gentleman speaking on the
same subject, who did not wish |
to be quoted said that Mr.. Bars theory ex- |
pressed his views almost entirely, and he |
would like to see eight hours be the work |
ingman's time. When the laboring classes |
are contented the country is safer from in
ternal strife, and Anarchists, Communists |
and agitators would have to seek other |
fields in which 10 spread their pernicious
doctrines.
WHAT A CONTRACTOR SAYS.
C. A. Balph, contractor and builder, Of |
Al Seventh avenue, was approached yes
terday afternoon.
he was very averse to saying anything as
an individual, but as a member of the Con-
tractors and Builders Union said: ''The
scheme will certainly be fought by the con-
tractors and builders OF this county. We
are now thoroughly organized and can give
the wcrkmen fight which they will hardly
relish. They are now working only nine
hours day, which is too short a time for
any man who wants to earn his wages 1t
takes entirely too long to put up building
now, and if the workmen would only come
to some reasonable terms it would not only
benefit us, but also themselves. They caught
US mapping two years ago, and almost be-
fore we knew it had reduced the time to
nine hours. There is limit to everything,
and believe they have now reached that
limit
NO TROUBLE ANTICIPATED.
Samuel A. Steel, OF Steel & Hall, brick
contractors, OF Williamsburg, said he had
nothing OF Importance to advance on the
question except that he did not anticipate
any trouble owing to the expected move.
He had not received any official notification
from any of the labor unions in which he
was interested. "We leave the hiring of
men to our foreman, +" said he, sand hold
the foreman responsible for. the quality of
the work. They Ne also expected to hasten
it as fast as possible, and we find that if the
men want to they can do as much work in
nine hours as they can in ten, if in the
latter case, they are not disposed to rush.
This is the stronghold of labor organizations
in this country, and / suppose when the
movement is cooked and primed it will be
first tried by the builders trades in Pitts
burg and vicinity, and if they succeed here
do not doubt but they can make it almost
universal in the United States.
THE MOVEMENT CAN SUCCEED.
A member of the Builders Exchange was
found on Liberty street, and when told what
Mr.. Balph had said, significant grin stole
across his countenance, and when asked to
give his views for publication consented to
do so If his name were not used.
THE DISPATCH can safely say that we
are not Balph men by any means. 1 do not
want to be known as trying to injure the
Master Builders Association, or throw cold
water on Mr.. Balph, but if the builders
trades start out to make the eight-hour
success they are going to sue
ceed. The carpenters and joiners have the
strongest union in the country. They are
an intelligent lot of men and make the best
citizens we have. do not believe that
they want to cripple contractors and
builders, or indeed anybody else. 1
do not believe either that they
would make any unreasonable de-
mands, and indeed I do not know
whether or not they are desirous of working
only eight hours. They are, too, a sober
and home-loving set OF men, as a rule, and
if it will benefit them any to work only
eight hours they ought to have their way.