The San Francisco call., 1895-07-19
.FAVORS FOLSOM'S STONE.
Granite-CutterS' Union Urging
Its Use in the New
Depot.
RAYMOND COMPANY's STAND.
Comparison OF Figures to Show the
Advantage In Cost to Be
Gained.

Urdnlu6~CuGUeTS
Union called upon Labor Commissioner
Fitzgerald yesterday to inform him that
action had been taken by the union in
favor of the use of granite rock from
Folsom for the new depot, the affiliated
colleges and other prospective State under
takings in that line. The delegates were
Robert Flood of Oakland, w. f. O'Donnell,
Charles J. Coyle and A. w. Sargent of this
City. Both Messrs Flood and Sargent
were able to use ex-Congressman John r.
Glascock's s name as reference.
According to the representations made
by the delegation an attempt is being
encouraged by President Knowles and
Secretary Hosmer of the Raymond Granite
Company to get up secret meeting at
Humboldt Hall next Sunday to start an
agitation against the use of Folsom rock
for any public purpose in this City, and
the men who will in all probability COM
pose this meeting, so said the delegation,
will be simply the employees of the Ray
mond Company none of whom are mem
bers of the Granite-cutters' Union.
Some time ago difference OF opinion
arose between the Granite-cutters' Union
and the Raymond Company about the
number of hours which was to constitute a
days WOTk. In consequence IHele Aao
ever since been bitter estrangement, and
the members of the union do not go to the
quarry of that concern looking for work.
The Granite-cutters Union of North
America has mem bership of about 5000.
AT the last meeting of the local branch
the whole question of quarrying and cut
ting came up, and as a result resolution
was adopted pledging the union to recog-
nize the advantage to be gained by the
10 ,a af a
proposed meeting at Humboldt Hall was
also fully discussed, and it was learned
that it would be nothing more than nom
union gathering and that only between
thirty and forty persons would take part
in it.
1t seems from the statements made by
the members of the union yesterday that
the labor involved in quarrying is very in
significant when compared with the skilled
labor employed in the cutting, and that
the quarrying is done mostly by aliens who
do not become permanent residents of any
community. A quantity of stone sufficient
to keep 200 cutters busy could be gotten
out of the quarry by ten or twelve men; in
fact, the proportion of unskilled to skilled
labor is usually not over or 3 per cent, it
was asserted As the artisans will there
fore be greatly benefited by the i'm
tation of Folsom rock here, the, union
pledged it's members to handle and cut 1t
If the State decides to use it.
A committee of three of the union re-
Gently conferred with Harbor Commits
sioners Cole and Colnon respecting the
new depot, and the following is the SUBJ
stance of a communication anent that
matter from Secretary William Davidson
to Mr.. Fitzgerald, omItting some unim-
portant references. The reason for the
placing of confidence in Mr.. Fitzgerald is
found in the fact that the union is greatly
interested in the work he is doing respect
ing alien contract labor and the free en-
ployment bureau, and the union has as
sured Mr.. Fitzgerald of its hearty co-opera-
tion in labor reforms:
AS secretary of the San Francisco branch of
the Granite-cutters' National Union and as one
of a committee of three which called to see you
on the Sth inst in reference to the proposed
new depot, l wish to say that we are only
working on rumor and hearsay just at present,
and our information is limited, but will state
to you the resolution that was passed by. our
branch. twas that we would cut the Folsom
stone, irrespective of whom it might be quar-
ried by. We would like to see the State put up
its buildings with its own granite, and we
have pledged ourselves to do all in our power
to have it that way.
The following figures will show you the diff
ference in cost OF the various GRANTEES in the
State on the basis of 80 cents per cubic foot
twelve cubic feet in q tom and freight
charge of So per ton for the Raymond granite
and the other GRANTEES being landed here: Ray
mond granite, $l2 90; Rocklln granite, $12 TO-
Lincoln granite, $12 10; San Diego granite,
$13.
Now you can readily see what great saving
it would be to tue State If it could get the same
rate of transportation from Folsom as it would
for broken stone for roads, viz: 85o per ton
and the cost of quarrying being merely the
maintenance OF the convicts employed and the
providing of the necessary tools. Another
point wish to give you is that cutter can
accomplish more work on the Folsom stone
than most of the other GRANTEES. Yours respect
fully, WILLIAM DAVIDSON, Secretary.
The committee of the union will see all
the State officials interested in the pro-
posed buildings and endeavor to induce
them to give preference to the Folsom
granite.