The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1892-06-01
TIE GRANITE LOCKOUT.
Greatest Labor War in the His,
tory of the Stone Industry.
Work Stopped on Many struc-
lures in All the Large Cities.

The war between labor and capital in the
granite industries, which for months had
been confined to skirmishing, began in real
earnest a few days ago, and the conflict ex'
tended through nearly every State in the
Union.
Dispatches received from all the points
involved stated that the New England
Granite Manufacturer Association, COM
prising the owners and operators Of fifty two
Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Con-
necticut carried out it's threat to lock out
all the paving block cutters and quarrymen
employed by its members because Of the
strikes inaugurated by the PAYERS unions in
New York and other cities.
By this move the greatest labor war in the
history Of the stone industry was fully de-
clared.
In New York City the strike. which had
been ordered for the purpose Of bringing to
an end the lockout Of 10000 men from the
New England quarries, was begun at day
break, and before nightfall at least $4,000
men were idle in consequence. In that city
and Brooklyn about 5000 men have stopped
work
As result Of the lockout in the quarries
sympathy" strikes were ordered all over
the United States wherever piece Of stone
turned out by the New England Association
was used. The direct effects Of the strike
were felt as far West as the Missouri River.
The number of locked-out men was in the
neighborhood of Is, 600 men.
In New York and its vicinity alone the
strikers numbered about 30,00O including
PAYERS, granite cutters, longshoremen,
marble workers and rammermen. As the
Central Labor Union Endorsed the action OF
the PAYERS and their associate unions, every
other labor organization which had to do
with building was, Of course, affected.
Beside the men directly employed in paw
strike included many branches Of tha
building trades, such as derrickmen, en-
gineers, truck drivers brickmasons,
hodcarriers plumbers, gasftters, car
penters, plasterers and IRON
workers. The effect on the building in
dustry was seriously felt in New York City,
Philadelphia, Washington. Albany, Chicago.
Milwaukee, st. Paul and Kansas City. The
New England Association supplies large
quantities Of stone to all these cities.
Among some Of the principal structures
In New York on which the men were ordered
to quit work were the new Black building,
the Mutual Life Building and Grant Monu-
ment; in Brooklyn, the Memorial Arch and
all sorts Of monument and tombstone work;
the Capitol, at Albany; Betz Brewery and
Richmond Terminal building, at Phila-
delphia; National Library at Washington
and some of the Worlds Fair buildings at
Chicago.
The origin Of this gigantic labor struggle
dates back to about the first OF the year. Ac-
cording to the paving cutters it has been
their custom and that Of the contractors to
sign scale Of wages for each ensuing year
K h1n hn Nm.
tractors insisted that the scale be signed JAN
uary 1. The paving cutters refused, saying
that by 80 doing they would be at q disad-
vantage, In that they could not make as
good terms as usual.
The contractors would not yield, so the
PAYERS Of New York City took the matter
up and declared a strike unless the demands
or their fellow-workmen, the paving g-cutters,
were granted. The contractors retaliatsd
by locking out all their employees, and the
unions in turn ordered q general strike.
The strike was directed principally from
New York City and from Concord, n. H.,
where the Executive Council Of the Granite
Cutters National Union was in session. Sec.
retary Grant Of the Paving Block Cutters
National Union, had his headquarters be-
fore the lockout at Westerly. R. l., but
they were moved to New York City in order
to give better opportunity Of directing all
the operations.
Advices from Brooklyn, Washington,
Albany, Boston, Baltimore and Philadelphia
assured the strikers OF large financial assis-
tance. Newark IN. J.) contractors declare
that If it had not been for tne strike New
ark firm would have been awarded a con-
tract for erecting the new postoface there.
The granite trade in New England was
paralyzed and work will probably be at
standstill for long time. conservative
estimate placed the number Of locked out
quarrymen at about 10000. They lived
mainly in Boston, Quincy, Monson, and Mil
ford, Mass; Concord, N. a.; Wateryille,
Clark's Mills, and Portland, Me-, and West
erly. r. I.
All work has ceased in Concord, N. a.,
except at the New England Granite Com
pany's shops, where the association allowed
42O men to continue on some Government
work. In Barre, East Barre, Williamstown,
Montpelier, Mortified and aardwick, VT.
the lockout began in the yards of all concerns
except the American Granite Company.