The Somerset reporter., 1892-06-09
FAIL TO HARMONIZE.
THE GRANITE MEN STILL AGREE
TO DISAGREE.

After Long Discussion No Satisfactory
Results were Attained at the MeetIng
of the Different Associations.
Boston, June 3-There is no apparent
prospect that the fight in the New Eng
land granite industry will come to a
ppeedy settlement.
/ Yesterday "A conference between the ex-
scutive board of the New England Granite
Manufacturers association and tn. ma
tional officers of the Granite Cutters.
Quarrymens' and New York Paving Block
Cutters unions took place in room A of
the Quincy House.
1t was hoped that a settlement would be
the outcome. Each side however, prior to
the meeting expressed the utmost conf
denee in its ability to win. The fist thing
the executive committee of the associa
ton did when the doors had been closed
was to consider whether or not 1t would
be best to confer with the national officers
of the unions at this time. 1t was finally
decided that it would not be wise u let
any opportunity TO settle the contest go
unmproved, and a conference was agreed
upon.
There was a long discussion of the cues
ton at issue. Both parties assumed that
they were right, and were necessarily the
injured party.
At4 o'clock sub committee was APP
pointed by the executive committee N eff.
feet IA settlement with the national officers
oi the union if possible.
Such manufacturers as were not placed
on the subcommittee took recess and
awaited Developments. From their auti-
tude it was evident that they did nos ex-
pect settlement.
Secretary Grant. the first to leave the
conference. stated that no understanding
was reached. The secretary of the execu-
tive board of the association declared that
there VAS nothing To be said, inasmuch as
the conference practically amounted to
nothing. Not a manufacturer seemed to
he either surprised or disappointed at the
outcome of the consultation
he secretary of the New York Paving
Block Cutters union, James Grant, de.
clared before and after the conference that
his organization was on top, and that the
paving contractors in the empire state
were in very bad way. Secretary
Dyer OF the Granite Cutters union was
extremely cautious in his talk.
In general way, however, the represen
tatives of the men denied the stories put
in circulation about the condition of the
fight
They declared that the union men were
not returning to work; that manufac
turers were unable to hire competent nom
union workmen, and that if the lockout
was continued there would be an end of
the New England Granite Manufactures
association.
From the employers standpoint, the
status of the lockout is different. One of
the most prominent members of the asso-
citation states that he is in receipt of COM
munications from nearly every quarry in
New England, showing that men are at
work, and that their number is being in
creased daily.
Regarding the reports to the effect that
the manufacturers are divided in their
opinion rs to the ACCESSIBILITY of the lock-
out, this gentleman says that since the
contest began large number OF them
have joined the association, and that
within two months 100 names have been
added to the roll. From this he draws the
conclusion that manufacturers believe the
lockout is justifiable, and are determined
to bring the union to terms.