Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-21

cities and neighboring boroughs will neces-
state the expenditure of many millions in
hotels, warehouses and residences within
| a year or two, but the capital ready for such
| investment will be withheld if such rates
for sleeping apartments, rents and charges
must be imposed to bring in an ade'
quate return as will make them impossible
| to obtain.
A Combination of Capitalists.
The Builders Exchange is not in this
struggle alone; neither is it making the
fight on its own account alone. Back of it
is the moneyed capital of the county. Its
membership includes some of the wealthiest
firms in the State, and it has received unso-
licited support from various manufacturers
associations, not alone here, but in other
cities. Assurances of support have been re-
-ceived by the Exchange from the moneyed
interest, whose battle it is making, and
from individuals whose championship of any
cause is always powerful. By these the
struggle is regarded as being directed mainly
against the dictation-ls it is termed-of or
ganized labor, and the belief is general that
if any attempt is to be made at all to shut
off this assertiveness of the working class,
now is as good a time as any, and that
a trial of strength might as well be made
now as at any other time.
AS stated day or two ago in THE DIS
PATCH, organized labor in Allegheny
county, was about cognizant of the real
meaning of the attitude of the Builders
Exchange; it was accepted as challenge ,and
the gauntlet thrown down by capital has been
picked up by labor. Organized labor-and
the term means the various unions of
workers in the county-recognizeS this as
II. -
to take issue against capital on that basis.
Organized labor can never afford to be
whipped, for to sustain defeat once is to
lose prestige that cannot be regained in
many years The principle must be main-
tanned at all costs, and this principle, it is
learned in very reliable quarters, the vari-
Gus organizations in the county are prepared
to uphold
Fighting Now for Recognition.
Conservative leaders admit that mistake
was made at the outset, but the matter has now
come down to point where a fight forrecogni-
tion as organizations takes the place Of
struggle for obtaining a benefit The
American Federation of Labor will be
brought into it, and by withdrawing the
various trades affiliated with it from
their employments, hopes to bring about
a public sentiment whose strength would
be too powerful for the Exchange to with
stand. Already the Amalgamated Associ-
alton of Iron and Steel Workers, the Flint
Glass Workers Union, the Window Glass
Workers Association and Typographical
Union No. z have contributed some thou
sands of dollars in support of the strikers.
The Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners
has so far held aloof from its brethren here,
but it was stated positively yesterday that
sum of $4,000 would reach the city
tomorrow in aid of the strikers Samuel
Gompers recognizes that much of the sue
cess ofhis eight-hour project depends on the
outcome of this fight, and he and his lieu
tenants attach especial importance to, ana
will make every effort to gair,. victory
here for the prestige it will give the move
ment in other cities. Pittsburg has long
been recognized as the stronghold Of
unionism, and a victory gained here would
be heralded throughout the country as news
OF the best kind to workers. The struggle
is thus likely to be keen and lengthy one.