Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-15
THEY WANT TO KNOW.
Carpenters Make Inquiries.as to How
Strike Money Was Spent.
THE BROTHERHOOD is OUT AHEAD.
D. B. Oliver Signed the Amalgamated Scale
for MOorhead, Bro. & Co.
MISCELLANEOUS INDUSTRIAL ITEMS

The carpenters of this district have been
considerably stirred up within the last day
or two over a statement that has been made
in the official organ of the brotherhood to
the effect that SIS, 900 was sent to Pittsburg
during the recent strike. E. A. Holmes, who
has been acquitted of all charges brought
against him through his local union
for having participated in placing
the condition of the brotherhood
before the public during the strike
has discovered something new.SSPrevious to
May 1 there WAS less than 5000 in the treas
ury of the brotherhood. The current num-
ber'of The Carpenter states that a total of
$26, ,3oS 45 was paid to unions on strike or
locked out from May to June 80. As it was
impossible for the brotherhood to have that
much money of its own, Mr.. Holmes has
theory that the amounts paid as strike ben
efits from the funds of local unions are cred
tied as coming from the general fund.
What Mr.. Holmes Has to Say.
Mr.. Holmes was seen yesterday and
while he was disinclined to talk, he
referred to the financial condition of the
brotherhood. which he thought was
sufficiently suggestive of how matters had
been handled during the strike.
send $4,000 here, because they did
not not, have it. They did send
se,ooS @ IN two m equal % amounts I'M
paid out by local unions. But notice how
nicely the brotherhood comes out of the
fight financially. They loan the strike fund
$1,c0O-nearly every dollar IN their treasury.
They receive by a special assessment
loan from the American Federation of La
Dor and other sources of SIS, 1862 81 They
paid out for strikes $26,30S 40, leaving bal
ance due the general fund of $6,054 &c. The
brotherhood is not out much through the
long fight"
Ex-Agent Irwin was also seen yesterday,
and he said that while the national organi-
Zation of the brotherhood had not lost
much money, the local unions had, and they
would do the suffering. Mr.. Irwin has also
been acquitted by his union of the charges
brought against him for publicly declaring
that the Planning Mill Association had done
the proper thing in refusing to grant shorter
hours. Mr.. Irwin said:
Hard to Hold Together.
"The leaders will have a very difficult
time holding the unions together. Union
No. COS has about decided to give up their
charter. Of course, the constitu ton says
that no union shall be dissolved so long as
ten members object, but what will ten do as
against 150 to 175 who want to leave the
brotherhood? At the last meeting majority
voted to leave the brotherhood and they
will form an Independent organization of
their own. Some other unions will do the
same"
Commenting on the failure of the building
trades strike in the demands for shorter
hours,P. T.Maguire says this week in his Off
cial organ:
"where defeats have been encountered
they were due to variety of causes, prin-
cipally to want of preparation beforehand
and to lack of attention to the necessary
and essential details in thoroughly uniting
the men and in canvassing the bosses and
men carefully prior to the strike and in fail
ing to ascertain the exact situation before
entering into the strike. Many of the pro-
carpenter trade, and which have called for
the expenditure of large sums of money
from our treasury and have brought great
Sa crifices to the men, could be avoided
were a policy of diplomatic conciliation and
business-like negotiation adopted by the
men as well as the bosses.
Why Strikes Are Often Disastrous.
"Too often strikes are rushed into frant-
ically and enthusiastically, even with all
the backing of large numbers and a good
and yet end in woful disaster.
And all because the necessary preliminaries
to insure success are disregarded. The
sheer force of numbers on the side of the
workmen or the display of an arrogant bull
lying manner backed up by bluff, are not
the sole essentials to gain success in strikes.
Too often this only begets a corresponding
spirit of resistance and hostility from the
employers"
The general Executive Board is now in
session in Philadelphia and it is likely that
q committee will be sent to Pittsburg to in
movement here. President KIiver told q
reporter two weeks ago that he
would come himself, but it is expected now
that a committee will come.