The morning call., 1893-10-28
FOR HOME LABOR.
The Carpenters and the
MidWinter Fair.
SOME SERIOUS CHARGES.
Reports by Delegates to the Council
of Labor About Men Working
on the Buildings.

Two hours were devoted at the meeting
Of the La Dor Council last night to the dis
cussion of means 10 prevent unjust ard
uureasonab discrimination against labor
lug men of San Francisco by the executive
committee of the Midwinter Fair.
I!came up first in the reports of the CON-
mlttees. Delegate McGlynn, to whom had
been assigned the duty of conferring with
the commission concerning the employ
ment of home labor, reported that he had
been completely hoodwinked. He had
seen several Of the executive committee,
who made every promise they could think
of. DiTector-G General de Young gave his
personal assurance that California me-
chanics would have the preference. First
the married men would be cared for; then
the single men, and that no outsider would
be engaged so long as there was an unem-
plOyed Californian seeking work. lie
also promised that established wages and
established hours should prevail IN the
work of construction.
- But the matter ended in promises.
When finally the contracts were let with
out regard TO conditions, McGlynn again
visited The commission, and was informed
that they were politicians, that they had
TO promise every thing before election"
bat now that the fair WAS an assured TACT
the commission could do as II liked With
the trades unions. They acknowledged
they never had any intention TO regulate
hours and wages.
Delegate Bagge of the carpenters or
ganiZatiOnS OF the city came before the
council for such aid as II saw ut to give.
He promised his statement with review
of the acts of the MidWlDter Fair COmmls
sion, which went before the people for
aica
that the construction OF the buildings
should give employment 10 idle mechanics,
and upon this representation many OF the
subscriptions, and nearly ali the. small
amounts, were obtained.
The carpenters organizations went be-
fore the commission frequently, and each
time were put OF with the promise that
their claim would be considered at the
next meeting. This was kept up until all
the contracts were given out, each of Them
ignoring the custom that eight hours should
constitute days labor.
Delegate Bagge said that it is true that
in the contract for the Administration
building an eght-hOur clause was inserted,
but no penalty is provided for breach OF
the same. He had personal interview
with Mr.. de Young, who told him 0luntly:
You cannot afford TO antagonlze this fair.
If you do. we viii bring carloads OF men
from Omaha, Ogden and Chicago"
Delegate Baggy further declared that 50
per cent of the men now at work on the
buildings were strangers and that more
tran 50 per cent had not lived in the State
three months; that Contractor Smiley
worked his men ten hours, Messenger nine
hours aud HuriDurt eleven hours and
twenty-five minutes per day; that adver-
tlsementS had appeared IN Seattle papers
for carpenters for the MIdwinter FAIR;
that members in the organizations IN San
Francisco applying for work were invarl-
ably refused, while strangers who ap-
peared with a bit Of note. which came
from source unknown to the local organ
.lZatloas, always got situations.
Later in the evening Delegate Nugent
said he was able TO show that these bits OF
paper were obtained upon payment Of $50.
BY consent MIR. Meyer of Carpenters
Union No. % addressed the council, Say
ing tnat the MIdwinter Fair Commission
and the contractors had treated the car
penters' organizations OF Sah Francisco
with lil-concealed contempt, and that the
painters ana plaSteTers were likely to re-
celve no better treatment.
The matter was referred to a committee
OF i've, whU were authorized TO collect tes-
timOuy on the Subject from whatever
source they could and prepare a statement
for publication, to be submitted first to the
council. The committee consists of M.
McGlynn, w. GOff. q. w. Van Guelpen,
c.. H. johnson and T. E. Hampton.
Delegate Furuseth reported that sea-
mems wages were going down; that deep
water men were getting SIS and coasting
S25. Five dollars had TO be paid for a
berth on a cOasting vessel, aud the whole
advance, if possible. for deep water.
Delegate Burman reported furniture
workers wages had been reduced 10 to 20
per cent. He bad been credlbly Informed
that the Furniture Manufacturers Asso-
citation was devising means still! further to
reduce wages if they could do so without
strike. They may attempt it by cutting
down each man singly.
The executive committee recommended
that the council indorse the boycott on the
National and the Jackson bTeweries.
After spirited discussion the recon-
mendation was carried without dissent