The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-17
CONTRACTORS ARE FIRM.

They will Make No Concessions-How Yes
terdsy's Troubles Began.
The primary cause of the strike, yester-
day, was the failure of the contractors of
the Alsbama-streer sewer, Doe. Deloyia a.
Sullivan, to come to the terms of the Team
sters' and Shovelers' Union. 1t Is claimed
by President Hoffbauer. of the union. that
these contractors had promised TO meet him
at the courthouse. yesterday morning. and
that they had failed to do SO. President
Hotfbauer waited for them all of the morn.
ing at the office of the Mayor. That official
had been appealed to to act an an arbitrator
in the matter. and both parties had agreed
to 1t. But the contractors did not
show mp. President Hoffbauer got I'M
easy. and finally said that If mat
tiers could not be brought TO @
head any other way q general strike would
have To be ordered. Later In the morning
he got wind OF q rumor that the con-
tractors proposed entering into q combine
to withstand the demands of the union,
and that settled II. He at once went TO
the headquarters of the union and had his
men on the way to notify the laborers as
soon as possible.
The striking men are firm in their asser-
tions that the contractors have treated
them unfairly In their dealings with them
the present season, and say they pro-
pose to make the present fight one which
will decide for all time the questions of
difference between them. They demand
above all things that they work but eight
hours a day, and that they shall be
paid for that Sl.65. and for teams IS. 70.
They claim further that the contractors
have been gradually shutting down on
them, and that they believe 1t is their in.
tention TO cut wages to the lowest limit
and force the hours to the highest. The
strike on the AlRbama-street sewer has not
been a successful one so far as the men are
concerned. They had hoped TO force the
contractors TO an immediate issue. but they
will not be forced. This ia one of the rea-
sons which leads the men to believe that
the contractors of the city are about to
enter into n combine. If they have not
already done so. to have things their own
way in the matter of wages and hours.
Both contractors and men have appealed
TO the Mayor To intercede In their behalf.
That Official IL at homo sick In bed, hut not
withstanding that fact Messrs. Doe and
Bruner, of the former. and Philip Hoff-
bauer. representing the latter. called on
him at his house yesterday morning. They
were unable to arrive at an agreement, and
only succeeded IN augmentIng the May r's
headache. The contractors are equally firm
In their position. which is that they have
COMPLIED with the schedule of wages as pre-
pared by the union at the first of the sea-
son. and that they do not propose 10 make
any further concessions. W. *. Mercer,
who is building the East-street sewer. said:
when / gor this contract 1 went to the
union and asked its officers what they were
going To demand In the way of wages this
summer. They told me. and the men
themselves will agree with me when
j say that | have paid those prices. My
men were all satisfied and willing to work
ten hours until these men came in here and
got them agitated. One thing IS certain.
aud that 10 that i will not give in 90 any