Grand Rapids herald., 1893-04-09
STILL THEY ARE OUT
Fuit,ess Conference OF Mason
Contractors and Joumeymen.
THEY COULDN'T GET TOGETHER
Ths Cnioa's Arbsarasboa Conaias~s
lssy of Gsacs k.xpars Toasossow.

Last night the bricklAysss ssd mzsons
and ths eontraetoss Sess apparently
farther than evrs from . settlement.
Thiags ssre looking rather hop~fai
about rhs Builders exchange along an
the middle q the afternoon. lt vas a
somexhAt agreeable surprise when in
walked fvs 20 the union men and re.
qu-sted little conference With the
bossrA The mason contractors vito
we're present a. once appointed . confer
enee COMMITTEES consisting ~ Contrsc-
tors Curtis. Hausrr and Sullivan. The
representatives ~ the UNION Uerc
President Courtney. Edwin Hoskens. Al
f'isgg and John ke~f.. After friendly
chat b~tween members u the exchange
and the committee and some other
yourneymer who called IA. the two CON
mitrees held a long session in the west
-Hd - the exchange. Ii lasted tili after
d O'Clock and xss evidently entirely
fruitles-
A reporter Tor Tas HsnsIp met the
unson men Just after they left the es
change. Their faces showed that the
conference Sas without result. In re
ply IN a question of whether they had
60 lgether. one SAID. No. it's war to
the teeth" Another said. We couldn't
agree on anything Another remarked.
oh. II va Just little friendly talk We
hal; that's all
Nothing ca Divuig~.
At the exchange the atmosphere hail
chansed entirely Nothing 10 report.
~a- the grun response II the secretary
IN answer to a question about the con
ference. Nothing new about II what
ever. Nas the still more grun
reply ~ Contractor Sullivan.
Tho reporter intimated that the
public was interested in the matter u
quite an extent. and should b. couccd-d
fair report 10 tho situatIon. but the
secretary bearish.y remar k.d that II the
reporter wash z satisfied with what they
tod him he could stay outside. They
WIRE reminded * the fairness with which
ToE HERsLD hal reported the strike
thus far. and the impo~-ibility 81 sup
ptesslng the facts FROM the newspaper
bat "a no effect. the officers apparently
being impressed with the notion of ~
erecy. IL seems President Courtney
had been mis9uoted by an afternoon
paper. which resulted IN a misunder-
standing between himself and Contractor
Hsskens. and somebody had suggested
stunning the papers in consequence.
one of the contractors present remarked
that the union men came there merely
of their own accord for friendly talk
but their communication published elss'-
where and signed Arbitration Commit
tse." disIs~es II any question but that
trey were duly authorized by the union
At lts regular meeting Friday night.
The Work mems Claims
Union men seen yesterday claimed
that tho contractors could not import
good men from other cities to work nine
hours day. because eight hours was
III. custom nov IN nearly all other cities
They were willing TAI work an hour less
f'g ies- nay proportionately. They also
Cam that tho smaller Jobs about town
a.e being contracted for by the journey
men out of work. and that IL the con
tractors are ohdurate they will soon be
in a position where they can do nothing
having NO men On work with. They say
their hours can make no difference To
the other trades.
Contractor Hoskens says il is singular
ho~ many ~ the men say they are will
Ing to work hine hours when seen sepa
ratsly while at the same time the union
demands eight hours or nothing. lie
ssys the time for an eight hour day has
not yet come IN Grand Rapids and the
contractors must firmly decline. Ac
corfling IN the terms of the resolution
adopted ny the exchange Friday night
the contractors will -eek this week Ia
employ mgu wherever they can get
them who will work nine hours.