Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-16

Il
The iourneymen house painters all over the
| city quit work yesterday morning and went OF
strike. What they demand is that eight hour
shall constitute days work. Men of some o.
the other building trades now work only eigh
hours q day. There are about $50 master
painters in the District and the journeymer
say that n majority Of them have acceded to the
request for the eight-hour day, while some Of
the bosses who employ many hands have posi-
lively refused to accede and express determi
nation to stick out against the journeymen til
the bitter end While the eight-hour move
ment on the part Of Labor Assembly 1913
| Knights of Labor. is not o new thing the pres
ent strike is the result ola
| MEETING OF THE ASSEMBLY HELD SUNDAY EVEN
4 ING.
When the men quit work Saturday all Of then
| we're not aware Of what the following day
would bring forth, but an advertisement in
Saturdays STAR brought QUE many members Of
the assembly and the Sunday meeting was
| largely attended At that meeting the matter
! was freely discussed, and it was only after full
and free consideration OF the question that the
| assembly decided to demand eight hours yes.
terday morning.
This question was discussed in May-more
| than three months ago-when an attempt was
| factory to both the labor assembly and the
master painters.
| PROPOSITION OF THE MASTER PAINTERS IN MAY.
| On the Esd Of May, after q meeting Of the
| master painters, resolutions we're passed and
sent to the labor assembly. as follows
Resolved, That on and after the LIST day OF
May, 1891, that the Master Painters Assoca.
| tion agree with the Painters Assembly that
eight hours shall constitute days work and
the rate Of pay shall be 81 cents per hour.
Resolved further, That IL the exigencies
should arise that the men should be required
to work over hours, that the rate shall be the
| same for any time within two hours, and that
| after that time the rate shall be Sc cents per
hour, except on Sundays, when it shall be
double time.
Resolved further. That conference COM
mittee Of five from the M.P.A. and five from
the 7. A. shall meet on the 18th day Of April,
! 1891. and that if at such meeting the conferees,
or part OF them, shall present petition signed
by two-thirds Of their members in good stand
| ing requesting the above change the same
shall go into effect, provided, thatth Painters
| Assembly rescind the fifteen-minute rule, and.
further, that when journeyman painter con-
tracts for work he shall be considered
| master painter and shall be compelled to
withdraw from the Painters Assembly as o
journeyman, and the Master Painters Associa-
ton be so notified.
Provided further that the arbitration COM
mittee of the Painters Assembly meet the ex-
ecutive committee of the Master Painters As
ISOLATION in all cases whenever disputes may
arise in any shops belonging to the NJ A to
settle any differences that may be brought be-
fore them."
RESPONSE OF THE KNIGHTS.
In response to that resolution was sent the
following:
May &c, $780,
'Mr. Thos. A. Brown, Pres of M.PA:
Sir: At regular meeting Of L. A. 1898. X.
Of L., held May 23. 1890, was instructed to
notify you that the propositions submitted by
the MP.A. could not as a whole be acceded to,
and that the following proposal be placed in
the hands OF your committee for consideration:
That ON and after April l. 1890, eight hours
shall constitute days work and the rate of
pay shall be % per day, with no alteration Of
our bylaws. II acceded to on your part the
agreement shall be signed by both parties and
the same be published
YOURS, respectfully, c. 7. WALPoRT,
''R. s. L. A. l79S."
MISUNDERSTANDING.
This proposition is what led to the present
strike. The members of the assembly say that
their proposition was entirely ignored by the
master painters and the latter say they under
stood that the matter had been settled till ne xt
April. But there appears to be no paper
signed by both parties, nor was there ever any
ATTITUDE OF THE BOSSES.
Some Of the bosses declare that they will
fight the matter to the end, while others are
DESTROYS OF settling the trouble as soon as pos
sible. What they complain OF mostly is that
they were not given more notice, but the men,
bers of the assembly think that the notice was
sufficient in view of the action taken in May.
There were many painters at the assembly
rooms today discussing the situation and an
other meeting will be held tonight to take
further action in the matter.
WHAT CHAIRMAN pENHAM SAYS.
Mr.. Thos S. Denham, chairman OF the arbi-
tration committee Of the assembly, said this
morning that they had submitted fair propo-
sition to the bosses and they are willing to
stand by il. He referred to the proposition
printed above.l That proposition. he said, the
master painters refused to recognize, and when
il was delivered it was thrown upon the stove.
They have treated u.s." he said, with silent
contempt. II they had acted upon that propo-
occurred" He said further that Mr.. Brown
did not present it to all of the bosses, and one
Of them said yesterday that he had never seen
the paper.
ACTION OF THE MASTER PAINTERS LAST NIGHT.
The master painters held meeting at the
Office of President Brown on street last even
ing and after discussing the matter adopted the
following resolution:
Resolved, That the Master Painters Asso-
citation refuse to accede to the demand of
Painters Assembly, 1898, for eight hours per
day."
NoS-UNIoN MEN PAINTING THE WHITE HOUSE.
The result is that work on many houses and
large buildings has been stopped. The White
House was included in the list, but today five
non-union men were employed, and they went
to work repainting the outside of the build
ing. MIR. Fred s. Newman has the contract
and his ten men quit work yesterday. He said
to o STAR reporter this morning that he thought
it an outrage for the men to strike as they did,
without giving any notice. Some of the men,
he said. were on their way to work yesterday
before they were aware that strike had been
stood that both sides had agreed that the
eight-hour rule should go into effect April Of
| next year. The master association, he said.
agreed to give eight hours and the assembly
| accepted it. He said that he had five scabs
from outside the city" working on the White
House now. He thought he would have no
trouble getting enough men to finish the work
on his present contracts.
Mr.. Brown said that he did not care to dis
cuss the matter at present
WHAT A MASTER PAINTER SAYS.
Mr.. Hodges OF the master painters said tina.
there were many houses turned upside down
and people wanted to know why the work
could not be done. He added that the master
association did not want to import men. They
wanted the work done by people in this city