Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-06-06
CARRIED INTO COURT.
Suit for $4,000 Entered Against the
Planning Mill Association.
CIRCULAR TO THE LUMBER TRADE.
The Penitentiary Board Adjusts the Hours
Under the New Law.
IRON SCALE YET UNDER DISCUSSION

As predicted in THE DISPATCH some
weeks ago would be the case, q suit for
damages has grown out of the builders
boycott. Yesterday Attorneys j. w. XII
near and j. A. Wakefield entered suit in
Common Pleas No. 3, on behalf of George
! NJ. Cote, an East End lumber dealer and
contractor, against the Allegheny County
Planning Mill Association and D. G. Evans,
President; Hugh Murphy, Vice President,
and Edward Eiler, Secretary, claiming
$40, 900 damages on account of an alleged
boycott against him. The trouble grows
out-of the strike for an eight-hour day by
the carpenters, Cote contending that he is a
free agent and has right to make his own
contracts without interference. The ap-
pended circular explains the basis of the
suit, it being charged that it was issued by
the defendants to the lumber trade:
To the Lumber Trade:
GENTs-The Allegheny County Planning
Mill Association, n list of whose members
you will find on the back of this letter, are
at present engaged in a life and death strug-
gle against unionism, socialism and
anarchy. We are fighting against eight
hours, increased wages and the insulting
and impudent dictation on the part of labor
leaders. We respectfully request you to help
us by refusing to ship any material into this
section. except it be to or on the order of
legitimate planning mills or lumber dealers,
recognized as such prior to May l, 1891
Claims of the plaintiffs.
Plaintiff alleges that since the above cir
cular was issued-to-wit, on May 18-de-
PENDANTS maliciously wrote to Wood, jerks
s. Co., of Cleveland, that members of the
association complained that they had sent
material direct to contractors and had as
sisted them in their calculations as to what
was wanted on housework, and, further, that
George NJ. Cote was regarded as the agent
of Wood, jerks & Co., and was selling ma
terial contrary to the rules of the
Builders Association, adding, eff SO,
it would be to your advantage to
discontinue il" Cote says that subsequent
to this time he needed particular kind of
lumber dealt in by the Cleveland firm and
they refused to sell it to him for fear of a
boycott. In consequence Cote says he has
been greatly damaged by his inability to fill
engagements, other dealers, whom he sup
posed to have been similarly terrorized, re-
fusing to help him out of the hole.
A committee of three from the local
plumbers organizations called at the De-
partment of Charities yesterday to ascertain
whether they could secure cheap rates over
the railroads for some plumbers that came
to this city to take the place of the strikers.
Chief Elliot said the contract made with
railroad companies by the Department of
Charities would not allow him to grant a
reduced rate under such conditions and SO
informed the committee The strikers are
being partially successful, however, in get
ting men who come here to take their
places to leave the city again.
Labor Leaders as Confident as Ever.
There were no new features in the strike
yesterday. A report was started in the
afternoon that at the next meeting of the
Carpenters Council the strike would be de-
clared of. That there is no truth in the
run o. was shown by the statements of the
special agents, all of whom said the men
were as firm as ever, and that the indica-
tions for the success of the eight-hour move
ment are as bright as ever.
E. A. Knox, a prominent contractor of
Allegheny, said the contractors are sure of
winning, and that the strike cannot last
much longer. He said he knew of at least
six firms who have all the men at work
that they need, and others are returning to
their Old places.
A number of stonemasons left the city
yesterday for Europe for tour of England
and Scotland. There were 29-in the party.
The bricklayers met last night. The
main fight of the Builders Exchange has
been made against this craft, but it was re-
ported last night that the men are about
holding their own.