Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-04-19
cnaacEs A coMsesaAcv.

Epfrok GkASp hArIe HHkAlD-Ihe
committee IL the Briekssyerv' and
Aasons' union have asked me TO place
Q statement before the pubic Il their
trouble with the boss csLfrscton
have had nsore tslk with the css1-
TRACTOR than with the men until re
cea,ly. And nov ! know Why the nen
uers - reticsnt- simpiy tsc&uss they
arc more honorable than the nosscs. a.
that they have stood BY sn sgreenent
made st the t<ginning. while the tssses
have. With premeditztsoA sad fuae-
thought played -dirt" on the inca.
During the winter therr hes been con
tiuued talk IT an eight-ho day be
tween the boss-s and the nioG. Ia Gle
case In the rsou.s of the union. and IL
was supposed Ia he settled. the oniy
thing neoessary heanS Ia psesrni the
contract foT signature. One u THO meet
prominent contractors said thai his
fingers would get sore enough working
eight hours" and he was desirous that
eight hours should be the rule. Alder
man Hauser remarked 10 the writer last
winter that he hoped the boys would
get eight hours that he had always been
AN eight hour ulan. Another contractor
said that IL there was any craft In the
world that was entitled Ia eight hours II
was the brickmasons
speak Of these things. Mr.. Editor. 10
show your readers that the proposition
vas mutual. and. IL anything, the bos-es
were more anxious than the men But
behind all this there Was = scheme on
the part u the bosses which the men
were ignorant OF.
The Builders and Traders exchange
is composed of contract brickmasons.
contract carpenters, lumber dealers.
lime. brick ond stone deaie -. boss plumb.
ers. boss painters. etc. OF the whole
only a small fraction are boss brick
masons and il seems that these dozen
men or thercabout have formed q syndi.
cate OF their own. wheel within
wheel. for the purpose u doing up" the
other members Of the exchange. This
syndicate has been holding secret mset-
ings and had settled upon plan 10
freeze out all the other members 81 the
exchange who presumed 10 meddle With
their part OF the business: that Is, car
pcntcrs who took contracts 10 put up
buildings partly az brick or all brick.
Their intention was 10 Use the brick
masons OF the union ~ q tool 10 carry
out their conspiracy 10 freeze out their
brothers OF the exchange. and the inno-
cent brothers hit" by voting To sustain
the boss masons in their refusal Ia carry
out the agreement Ia grant the eight
hour day. In furtherance ~ this plan
they asked the privilege Of attending the
meetings Of the union and take part IN
its deliberations for the purpose IL adj
vancing the scheme To form a combina-
ton with the union 10 freeze out the
other members Of the exchange. and
they did attend the meetings Of the
union.
Now for the sequel 70 this conspiracy:
Along about the first of February a
committee. Of which Alderman Hsuser
was chairman. presented an agreement
TO the committee Il the union 10 sign.
In the agreement il WAS stipulated that
the bosses would grant the eight hour
day and pay IS cents an hour until the
first Of June. when they would pay 30
cents an hour provided that the brick.
masons would work for no others but
the boss masdh contractors in the ex-
change. The committee 81 the union
refused point blank To sign the agree