The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-21
sToNEoUTTERs GO OUT.
A Mistake in Regard t o an Agreement
Leads to a Small Strike.

The nineteen stonecutters who were al
work on the new government building,
quit work yesterday on account of a mis-
understanding with regard to the pur-
chase of the tools which they are using in
their work
1t seems that the understanding on the
part OF the contractors who employed
them, was that the men were to buy
their own tools, while the men state that
they were to buy only portion of them,
and they claim also that they were
charged too high rates for the tools
which were ordered for them by the CON
tractors, Messrs. Thomas Clarke & Sons
of Chicago. They were paid
OFF last Saturday night, and
appeared at the building yester-
day morning, but did not go to work.
The reason for this is stated that
the amount due for their tools was taken
from their wages, according to the agree
ment, which, it is said, they had before
going to work. They claimed, however,
as stated, that too much was deducted
and that they were required to pay for
more tools than they had bargained for
MIR. John ROssiter who has charge of
the work for the contractors, said in re-
gard to the matter that the men were
mistaken in the charges they made
In the first place, he said, they say
that they were required to furnish all
pattern hammers and the contractors all
other tools. When the men were hired in
LlthOnia it was with written under
standing that they were required to pay
for all tools. To this they agreed, and
you can find two-thirds of them now who
Will corrOborate this statement. In fact
all of them should, and don't think one
OF them will deny its truth. Men hired
here entered into the same agreement.
The principal objection they made was
the price charged. Those tools cost in
Chicago 25 cents per pound and express
charges were cents more However, l
agreed to reduce this price to the lowest
rate at which they could get them for any
place, but their spokesman. r. p. Nichols,
IN writing stated they would pay nothing
whatever for those tools, and we would
have to furnish everything but bush
hammers The statement is made, too,
that one mans weekly wages was S18
and Sl4.7O was kept for tools. This is
grossly misleading. He was paid S32. so
for two weeks work and Sl4.70 was the
value of tools he received during three
weeks work, and which amount
would pay for all the tools
required during the ten weeks cutting
Any one of the tools would last at least
two years, so that, at the very outside, 81
TO Sl.25 per week would amply pay for
them. This applies to all cases cited
The case is just this, the men positively
refuse to pay for the tools at any price.
and repudiate the contract under which
they were engaged. The rate of 30 cents
per pound is high, but when they had to
be expressed from Chicago in order to
get the work under way the
rate is easily explained But Thomas
Clarke g. Sons do not require the
men to buy from them. In fact it was
only an accommodation to bring the tools
here, and it is the first time they have
been compelled to do So The men can all
60 back in the morning if they wish, and
they can buy their tools wherever they
please. 1t was a pure accommodation for
the firm to bring the tools here. The
work will not be delayed more than a
day or two, as other men are now being
engaged, :"