The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-04-11
Five thousand Men at Worlds
Fair to Go Back Today.
A LAsoR LEADERS, STRIKE.
The Walking Delegates Coerced the
Union Men to Quit Work.
Minimum Rates of Wages - Ne Paid
but No Diserinination-U and
Non-Unien Aen Are te Ne Em-
pleysd.

CHICAGO, April l0.-The great strike at
the Worlds fair is thing of the past, and
the men who walked ou. this morning
will walk back again tomorrow morning,
ann nine.y-nine out of every hundred of
them will work for the same wages and
the same number Of hours a. before the
strike. For the first time since its incep-
tion organized labor came souarely
in contact with tho United States govern
ment. and while all the questions of wages
were satisfactorily settled. the right of the
employer to the use of non-union men
or union men: the right of the men to be
in the ranks OF organized labor or without
them, was insisted upon by the represen-
tatives of the national government and
acknowledged by the union men them
selves. For twelve hours today the result of
the painstaking expenditure of more than
$50 600, the good name of q mighty ma
tion and Its pledges to the nations Of the
earth were imperiled and endangered,
while the men who reaped the benefits OF
the expenditure of that money, ar
gued with the men who con-
trolled it. over . question of S
cents an hour and the right of the men
to think and act - they pleased within
the law. 1t took cool heads and temperate
blood to guide the dispute to a peaceful
issue. but fortunately these elements were
not lacking. It was 10 o'clock tonight
when the meeting between the council Of
administration and the representatives of
the building trades council came to an
agreement, which is to continue through
out the entire period of the exposition.
and under which future trouble seems inn
possible. The men have received, q
formal concession of the minimum rate of
wages and have yielded to the demands of
the exposition officials that they may en-
ploy any man whether he be or be not Q
member of any labor organization.
The first step looking toward peace was
made this afternoon when q committee of
strikers submitted to the council of ad-
ministration proposition to arbitrate on
April II. The council was in session and
promptly returned an answer that it was
prepared to meet the men at once. To
this the committee agreed, and the result
was lengthy meeting. All the points
in the case were gone over, and at 10
O'Clock tonight the council presented
to the executive committee of the strikers.
resolutions declaring. that IN the employ
ment Of workingmen and artisans the rep
resentatives of unions or organised labor
shall be entitled to equal consideration
with non-union men: that those working
men heretofore employed, who TO-DAY
struck, shall not be refused EMPLOYMENT
hereafter on that account, it being the ex.
pressed purpose of the council that organ.
ICED labor. as such, shall not be discrim.
mated against and further that there
shall be paid to every artisan employed
at least the minimum rate of wages pro-
scribed for his trade. These concessions
were made with the distinct understand
ing that they be accepted by the executive
committee ~ full settlement and solu-
ton of the present controversy, that men
who have gone on strike shall return to
work at once, and that the provisions and
stipulations of said resolutions shall con-
tinue and be operative during the whole
period of the exposition. These resolu.
tions were at once signed by all the mem.
bers of the strikers executive committee.
representing 5000 or 1900 laboring men.
and the trouble was over.
Tho conference between tho council of
administration and the committee was
entirely friendly. and only once did the
matter look dark, and that was be-
fore tho conference. when Mr.. Russell.
representing the strikers, approached with
q proposal for arbitration. Russell was
met with the reply that the council could
not and would not discuss the PROPOSE
ton to employ none but union
men. Mr.. Massey, Of the national
commission is also of the council, and said
that the law of the United State, bear
ing on freedom of contract forbade
him in his capacity as govern
ment officer to vote for any.
thing that involved discrimination
between citizens because they were union
or non-union men. Commissioner Mas
sey further asked Russell whether he had
stopped to consider the unpleasant posi-
ton the union had assumed when il laid
itself liable to the charge of con-
spiracy, not only against the state
and national law, but against the treaty
laws prevailing between the United States
and the foreign countries represented in
the park. This seemed a new thought to
the labor leaders. and after consultation
with President Cogswell and other repre.
sentatives, there was no delay in conciud
ing the conference.
1t was close call for the exposition:
not only for its opening, but for its sue
cess. The work of the men who struck to-
day Is nearly over. and while they could
not have ruined the fair, they might. bv
stopping work. have delayed matters so
that the exposition could not nave been
in complete readiness by the Ist OF Nav.
Great relief was expressed on both sides
when the thing was over for both alike
were fearful oil the weight of public op,n-
ion which would fail upon-the party that
opposed Or obstructed the success of the
exposition.
Ihe strike today was an ATTEMPT to
unionize the fair. nothing more and moth
ing less. The labor leaders Claimed tina,
the fair aui uihorities had not kept faith with
them, because they had refused 10 con-
slider the making OF new agreement in
the lace OF the fact that a majority of the
contractors EMPLOYED BY the exposltion
had already made arrangements with the
men entirely satisfactory to the latter.
Two years ago, when the labor representa-
tiyes made q demand tha, none but union
men should be employed at the fair. they
we're asked II they could guarantee that
the unions could furnish enough men at
ali times to enable the work to oe prose.
cuied without delay After taking account
O! stock they were forced 10 confess that
The unions were not strong enough 10
furnish ali the men the exposition might
require. They were then informed by the
national commission that the government
could not and would not discriminate
against men because they were or we're