Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-11-09
BRICkLAYERS AROUSED.
A Labor Trouble Over the COnstruc-
ton OF the New Art Gallery.

A Labor Trouble Over the Construc-
ton OF the New Art Gallery.
There IL trouble between the bricklayers
and the stonemasons who are engaged on
the construction Of the new Corcoran Art
Gallery, at the corner of 18th street and
New York avenue, growing out of the en-
ployment Of non-union alongside Of union
men. The contract for the construction Of
the first story Of the new building wss
given to Joseph Tanning. The contract
for the brick work was sub let to Martin
Hendricks and Richard Callaghan, who
are members Of the Bricklayers' Union.
These two men began work on the 9Th
instant, although no report had yet been
made by the joint committee of the Brick
layers Union and the stonemasons' organ
tzation on the question whether the job
should be union or non-union. Mr.. Hen
bricks asserts that he had received as
suranceS from the members of the COM
mittee privately that their report would
be satisfactory to him before they COM
menced the work.
The decision Of the conference committee
IS final on the laying of the brick work.
Unless Messrs. Hendricks and Callaghan
are willing to be subject to the fine which
the laws Of the union prescribes they will,
1t Is said, be obliged to throw up their con-
tract.
A special meeting Of the Bricklayers'
Union was held last evening to take ac-
tiOI OIi the HldtteT anu SOME vigorous
speeches were made asserting that ener-
getic action was necessary, not only to
punish the offenders, but to fight Tanning
who was represented as opposed to the
interests OF the union. 1t was moved to
expel the two men, but this was not car
ried. Hendricks was present and asserted
that he was not 'scab' and demanded a
fair trial The matter finally was left in
the hands of the standing committee Of
the union and will come up for consdera-
ton again at the regular meeting which
will be held on the oath instant.
Mr.. Fanning's Statement.
Mr.. Tanning was hard at work at the gall
lery when he was seen by a Star reporter
this afternoon with reference to his diff
ference with the labor union. He said that
the story that he was fighting the union
was a mistake.
mo man is a better friend Of organized
labor than 10 Tanning" he said. "But
they should remember that here in Wash
ington a contractor must compete with men
who do not follow union methods or pay
union wages. as is evidenced in the case Of
the new city post Office. bid for that job.
but was not in 1t, for the reason that I
wages.
II am willing to stick by the union when
1t does the right thing, but when ! found
that union men are working for other men
or for themselves for less than they de-
mand Of me, why then the only thing that
Is left for me to do Is to adopt their
methods. The result is that have masons
here who are working for g a uay. The
union price is 81, but the union is not con-
sistent and had to do the best 1 could
Mr. Hendricks, the bricklayer, is sim at
work, though the union has decided that
the work is not to be done by union men.
He has refused to quit work because he
believes he Is in the right and prefers to
run the risk of being fined.
There is plenty Of work here for brick
layers at "a day. union prices. But thy
refuse to work while non-union masons are
at work here. If could wait until the
mason work was all done they would come
all right. The trouble is they are not con-
sistent."