The Portland daily press., 1891-08-08

The story of the recent trouble between
the cutters Of paving blocks and their en-
ployers was told briefly by the dispatches
from day to day; but few readers obtained
correct idea Of the magnitude of the affair,
or the significance of the result. This weeks
Rockland Opinion gives history of the
affair, which, irrespective of an obvious
bias on the part of the writer In favor of the
labor union, gives very good idea of the
origin and extent of the trouble. In the Fall Of
1889. the New York Sc Maine Block company,
doing business at Mt. Waldo, in Frankfort,
Waldo county. made reduction in the price
paid for making paving. The next spring
the men moved for a restoration of price.
The employers did not accede, matters be-
came complicated by the refusal Of the en-
ployers to recognize the union, and finally In
May. 1890 strike was ordered, Ten Of the
fifteen men. Of the Union vent out, while
with the remaining five and E, me new men
the business was continued on non-unioD,
or "scab," basis. At this tim the affair was
merely local. But the Mt. Waldo strikers
appealed to their brethren of the paving
cutters National Union for assistance. The
The National Union tried to induce the man
ayers Of the Mt. Waldo company to recede
from their position in regard to their en-
ployes in the little Frankfort quarry, but no
satisfactory result was reached. At last the
Union determined to strike at the business
Of the firm elsewhere, which was extensive.
So an appeal was made to the New York
Central Labor Union for assistance, and that
powerful body at once consented to boycott
all the paving made by the New York 6
Maine Block Company. There was at ence
in New York City big strike Of PAYERS,
rammermen, cartmen. clippers, stone-hand-
lers. laborers and helpers. Furthermore the
New York stevedores or those who un-
load the granite vessels were brought into 1t.
and the company's freights could not be un-
loaded. 1t is said that at one time feet of
over thirty vessels was waiting in New York
unable to get unloaded and all the time
running up demurrage charges. In this
strait the firm called upon the New England
Granite Manufecturers' Association for help,
and counter iblow was struck by that
association bordering lockout Of paving
cutters throughout New England. 1t is
thus seen how far the little disturbance in
Frankfort year ago developed into Ian
extensive labor tronble. But as has
been announced already the trouble
was Eamicably settled by an agree
ment THAT only Knights of Labor and
union men should handle the product of the
Maine firm from the time 1t should be quar-
ried until 1t should be used on the streets.
The Rockland Opinion claims this as VIC
tory for the unions. and 1t seems to be such.
This affair illustrates what has often been
noticed before, that the laboring men of the
nation are making steady progress In their
ability to use organization TO effect their
purposes. The trades unions and Knights
OF Labor have had their "boom" periods,
which collapsed under the force of public
criticism and by the mismanagement of
,eauefs' But out of all these affairs the
,apoling men come each time with added
knowledge and experience of the policy
necessary to make organization effectiye.
Ihey learn by their defeats. Fortunate,v
the very fact that they do learn TanSors
them less likely to make pnreasonohIa A.
mands on their employers; and II ;s rroS
able that organized labor, while II NAV pOD rrOu,
more powerful, will also grow more usaTn, say"
and less harmful.