The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1890-08-22
BUILDERS IN ALARM.
The Brick Manufacturers
Tie-Up May Cause Great
Sorrow and Loss.

lecturers takes place tonight That this
tie-up will take place seems today newt
able, as stated in THE JERSEY CITY NEWS
yesterday.
Mr.. j. Z. Washburn, of the firm of
Washburn Brothers, the largest dealers
in brick in this city, said last night that
he felt certain the manufacturers would
stop selling brick at six O'Clock tonight
He said his firm belonged to the Associa-
tion of Brick Manufacturers and
that the firm would do as the
other members of that union did Their
yard at Glasco, N Y, where two hun
dred men are employed, would close
promptly at six O'clock tonight and re-
main idle until the boycott is lifted from
the bricks manufactured by O'Brien &
Vaughey, Cyrus Travers, King 81 Lynch
and Avery & Mackey.
This MEANS" said Mr.. Washburn,
''that at least 100000 men will be thrown
out of employment in New York before
Tuesday. night unless the boycott is
| lighted"
do you believe this win be the re-
sultp'
"Oh, yes; but how soon the men will
see the absurdity of the boycott no on 9
can tell"
''How will it effect Jersey City?"
1
| sociation until the result is seen in New
York and Brooklyn, which may not be
| for several days, and perhaps not at all;
| but if we are tied up it will prove very
| serious matter to dealers in building ma
| terials, contractors, owners of buildings
| being erected and workmen The work
men will suffer from it the most and next
| the contractors A contractor who does
| a large business IN this city told me q
| few days ago that a protracted tie up
| would ruin him if the owners held him to
| his contracts"
| ABOUT A WEEKS SUPPLY ON HAND.
| "How much brick is there in the city?"
| I'VE have on hama here and at Hoboke
| about one million bricks, and we cart
away daily about nine thousand, beside
what we dispose of to the vessels. q | do
| not know exactly how many bricks there
! are in the two cities, but there are not
| nearly enough for q weeks supply in the
| event of tie-up.'
will not you endeavor to aid contract
ors who need brick to finish present con-
] tracts?'
| Eyes; we intend to ask the associate
for privilege to fill existing contrac is,
| but we will not furnish a brick for new
! contract until the boycott is lifted from
| the Verplanck firms. The tie-up will be
decidedly worse for the men than it is for
| us.''
"How many men in this county will be
| affected by the tie-up if it takes placer"
| II believe not less than O.OOO which,
| allowing five to a family, means 100000
! people. This includes all persons who
| contribute to the erection of building.
| The action of the walking delegates is
/ foolish in the extreme, the members OF
| the association believe. Two years ago
| the delegates told the firms at Verplauck
| Point that they must employ none but
| union men and pay union prices. The
| Manufacturers Association told the firms
| to fight the walking delegates by closing
down their works. The association
| pledged itself to pay the firms that closed
4 their estimated profits until the walking
delegates became tired of war. The
| firms were closed for one year, and our
| share to the association for their support
| was 1900. Last year there was no
trouble when they resumed business and
| opened their yards, and everything was
harmonious until the walking delegates
| caused the present trouble. This we will
| crush out 1t would ruin the business to
allow the laborers to dictate how we
| should run 1t, and il there is any way to
break up the boycott on the firms men
| toned we intend to do it."
| MEN DO NOT WANT TO JOIN.
I 'Do the men in all the yards want to
| join the unionW
| ''By no means. The two hundred men
we employ do not want to. They have
| told us so. A brick yard population is at
/ best but floating one, and those who re-
main near the works in the winter usual
| ly find work cutting and handling ice.
| They need no union and ask for none, and
| declare they do not want to work under
| union rules, which exacts from them a
1 portion of their wages to maintain the
union. Yes, If the tie-up takes place, and
| presume it will, it will hurt very many
| people, and we can stand it much better
| than the Workmen."
| CoptrQct0r t w Edwards of the finn
| of Edwards Brothers, was found super
| intending the construction of the new
building being erected by the Title Guar
| antee and Trust Company. When he
| was asked what he thought of the pros
| poets of tie-up IN this city he replied:--
81 do not believe there will be tie-up
here, but if there should be it will shut
| up everything In the building line tight
as drum The Manufacturers Asso-
| citation will probably try New York and
| Brooklyn first and then, if found neces-
sary, will close up Jersey City and Hobo
| KEN"
What will you do with your contracts
| if the tie-up reaches here?"
| There is only one thing we can do, and
| that is to let the contracts go by default.
| OF course If this is done we will suffer a
great loss, but lido not see what else could
| be done"
II suppose other contractors would be
| compelled to do the same?"
Eyes; if they can't get brick they can't
/ do the work that is sure, and it only re-
mains then to default in the contracts
which means great loss and perhaps ruin
| to some"
| "Are you taking any new contractsp
"No; and we will not until this question
| of boycott and Tie up is settled.
SERIOUS FOR EVERYONE.
Contractor Cutley said that the tie-up
| would prove serious thing for everyone
| interested In it.
ut will not stop work on Police Head
| quarters" said he. t''for we have brick
| enough to finish it, but it will prevent an
| early completion of many buildings such
| as the Fourth Precinct Station House,
| the First Baptist Church, Hoboken, the
| Title Guarantee and Trust building
| Helms block of fifteen buildings on
| Madison avenue, Lembeck Il BetZ brew
cry and hundreds of smaller buildings. !
"How much brick have you on hands'
eve are caught like every one else,
| with but very little, and it puzzles me tc
know what to do
"What do you think will be the result
| OF the tie ups'
II believe the men viii beat the associ
tioa,n
| "WhySn
because | think that when the price
of brick goes up one dollar thousand oi
| more, one of the firms, members of the
association, will take advantage of it an6
| unload all thoir stock and thus reap I
| harvest You see the manufacturers cal
not afford TO keep a great quantity o
brick on hand, for ft must be handled s,
oftNn A break DV one firm would mean