Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1892-05-27
THE GRANITE LOCKOUT.
Greatest Labor War i'm 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 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 Manufacturers Association, COM
prising the owners ard operators Of fifty two
quarries in Maine. New Hampshire, Vermont,
Massachusetts,, Rhode Island and Con
necticut carried out its threat to lock out
all the paving-block cutters and quarrymen
employed by its members because OF the
strikes Inaugural ted 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 20 900 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 a result of the lockout in the quarries
sympathy" strikes were ordered all over
the United States, wherever a 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 IL, 600 men.
In New York and it's vicinity alone the
strikers numbered about 30. O00 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
ing and doing stone WORK on buildings the
strike included many branches of the
building trades, such as derrickmen, en-
gineers, truck drivers, brickmasons,
hodcarriers, plumbers, gasftters, car
penters, plasterers and IRON
workers. The effect the building in
dustry was seriously felt in New York City,
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-
deIphia; 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-
corning TO the paving cutters III mas DGSn
their custom and that OF the contractors to
sign scale of wages for each ensuing year
about May l. This year, however, the con-
tractors insisted that the scale be signed Jan
uary /. The paving cutters refused, saying
that by SO doing they would be at a 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 strike unless the demands
or their fellow-workmen, the pavlnG-cutters,
were granted. The contractors retaliated
by locking out all their employees, and the
unions in turn ordered a 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
rotary 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-
lance. Newark On j. contractors declare
that if it had not been for the strike New
ark firm would have been awarded a con-
tract for erecting the new postoffice there.
The granite trade in New England was
paralyzed and WORK will probably be at a
standstin for long time. A conservative
estimate placed the number Of locked out
quarrymen at about 2o,OOl They lived
mainly in Boston, Quincy, Monson, and Mil
ford, Mass; Concord, n. H; Wa1erville,
Clark's Mills, and Portland, Me, and West
erly. r. l.
All work has ceased in Concord, n. H,
except at the New England Granite Com
pany's shops, where the association allowed
400 men to continue on some Government
work In Barre, East Barre, Williamstown,
Montpelier, Mortified and Hardwick, VT,
the wards
except the American Granite Company