The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1893-04-11
GREAT STRIKE SOON OVER
Nearly Ten Thousand Worlds Fair
Workmen Go Out and Will
GO Back.
And 90 Per Gent of Them Will
Work for Exactly the
Same Wages.
Organized Labor Comedies tho Right OF
the Government T." Employ Union
or NOn-Union Mon.

Organized Labor Comedies tho Right OF
the Government to Employ Union
or Non-Union Mon.
| CHrcAGo, April 10.-The great strike M
| tho Worlds fair is thing of tho pagt and
thc men who walked out this morning will
walk back again tomorrow morning, and
ninety nine out of every 100 of them will
| work for the same wages and the same
number OF hours as before the strike. For
the first time since its inception, organized
labor came squarely in contact with the
Unised States government. and while all
questions of wages wers satisfactorily SET
tied the right OF an employer to use nom
Union tnen or union men; the right OF men
to be In the ranks of organized labor or
without them, was insisted on by the rep
reaentatives Of the national government
and acknowledged by the union men them-
selves. For twelve hours to- day the re-
suits of the painstaking expenditure Of
moro than twenty millions of dollars. the
good name OF mighty nation, and it's
pledges to the nations OF the earth, were
imperilled and endangered, while the men
VIZ" AoaPoh eAo 0oucut u Luo 6XpenQlLurG
OF that money argued with the men who
controlled it. over the question of five cents
an hour and the right of mon to act and
think as they please within law.
1t took cool heads and temperate blood TO
guide the dispute to peaceful issue, but
fortunately these elements were not lack
ing. 1t was 10 O'clock tonight whom the
meeting between the council of admins
tration and representatives OF tho building
trades council came to an agreement which
is to continue throughout the entire
period of the exposition, and under which
future trouble seems impossible. Tho men
have received the formal concession of a
minimum rate of wages. and have yielded
to the demands of the exposition officials
that they may employ any man. whether he
be or be not member of any labor orpan,-
zation.
The first step looking toward peace was
made this afternoon when a committee Of
strikers submitted to the council of ad-
| mlnlstration proposition to arbitrate
April 12. The council was in session and
promptly returned answer that it was pre-
pared to meet the men at once To this
the committee agreed and the result was a
lengthy meeting. All points in the case
were gone over, and at 10 O'clock Tonight
| the council presented to the executive COM
| mittee of the strikers revolutions declaring
| that in the employment of workmen or
| artisans representatives of union or organ
| lied labor shall be entitled to equal con-
slderation with non-union, and that work
| men heretofore employed. who to-day
| struck, shall not be refused employmens
| hereafter on that account; it being the ex-
| pressed purpose of the council that organ
| lied labor as such. shall not be disorimi.
| mated against; and further. that there shall
| be paid every artisan employed at least the
| minimum rate of wages prescribed for
his trade. These concessions we're
they be accepted by the executive
committee as full settlement and solution
OF the present controversy; that the men
who have gone on strike shall return 10
work at once. and that the provisions and
stipulations of said resolutions shall con-
tinue in force and be operative during the
whole period of the exposition.
These resolutions were at once signed b7
all members of the strikers executive COM
mittee, representing eight or nine Thousand
laboring men. and the trouble was over.
only for its opening but for it's success
The work of tho men who struck to-day is
nearly over, and while they could not have
ruined the fair they might. by stopping
work, have SO delayed matters that the ex-
position could not have been In complete
readiness by the first of August. There
was great relief expressed ON both sides
when she thing was over. for both alike
were fearful Of the weight of public opinion
which would fall upon the party that op-
posed or obstructed the success Of the ex-
position.
The strike to-day WAS an attempt to
unionize the fair. nothing more. nothing
less. Labor leaders declare that the fair
authorities had not kept faith with them
because they had refused to consider the
uly,y 49, Al r.
the fact that a majority of the contractors
employed by the exposition had already
made arrangements with the men entirely
satisfactory to the latter. Two years ago,
when labor representatives made a demand
that none but union men should be en-
ployed at the fair. they were asked if they
could guarantee that the unions could fur
nish enough men at all times to enable the
work to be prosecuted without delay. After
TAXI nR account OF stock they were forced to
confess that the unions were not strong
enough to furnish all the men the exposi-
tion might require. They were then in
formed by the national commission that
the government could not and would not
| discriminate against men because they
were or were not members OF a labor organ
ization. This ended the argument on tho
union question and the matter was dropped
until two weeks ago, when the unions put
i'll II demand that non union mon be dis
charged. 1t WAS refused, and then the
trouble began which eliminated in to-day's
strike.
1t was n strike OF labor leaders, and not
strike of men. A vast majority of the men
were unwilling 30 strike, and only went out
whom ordered by walking delegates, and
most of them very unwillingly. There
were several Quarrels and numerous minor
fights during the day. but nothing of q Sc
rious nature occurred.
Tho conference between the council of
administration and the committee was on
tirely friendly. and only once did matters
look dark. and that was before the confer
ence when MIR. Russell. representing the
strikers. approached with a proposal for
arbitration. Russell was met with the reply
TINT the council could not and would not
discuss a proposition to employ none but
union men.
MIR. Massey, of the national commission,
Is also a member of the council. and said
that the law of the United States bearing OH
the freedom of contract forbade him, in his
capacity as government officer. to vote for
anything that involved discrimination be-
tween citizens because they are union or
non union men.
Commissioner Massey further asked
Russell whether he had stopped TO consider
the very unpleasant position the union
assumed whom it laid itself liable to the
charge OF conspiracy. not only against ths
state and national Inv but auninat tfaatv