New-York tribune., 1896-05-13
THE CARPENTERS STRIKE.
REPORT OF THE STATE BOARD OF ARBITRA-
TION on THE DIFFICULTY.


TION on THE DIFFICULTY.
AS result OF its investigation the New-Jcrsey
State Board of Arbitration has reported fol-
lows on the carpenters strike in Newark:
The original act creating the State Board OF Arbi-
tration contained the following section:
That whenever a strike or lockout shall occur or
IS 9%y r., ,b IN any par q n ns Sai h a m
IT'S duty and II u hereby directed to proceed as soon
@ aS pac,rane @ 10 me locay 81 sncn s,ke @ or osK
ties 10 the controversy, and endeavor by mediation
and IT, in its Judgment II is deemed best inquire
into tlie cause OF he conroyersy and 70 that end
nessGs, compel Their attendance and send for per-
sons and papers.
BY virtue OF that authority. the State Board came
to Newark last Tuesday for the purpose OF ascer-
tainng the facts in the wages dispute between the
The secretary communicated by messenger with the
Idle journoymen and By mail with w. X Bingham,
secretary OF the Master Carpenters Aaa0ciation.
a delegation from the district council of the Journey
men carpenters met the Boarl on TUESDAY after
The delegates stated their position in temperate
ana logical manner. and freely answered all ques-
tions The summary of their statement was to this
I'VE are not on strike We have left work he
cause the boss carpenters have ignored cur re.
quest for the establishment OF minimum wage OF
rs per day ard working week OF hfty-three
hours hours on five days of the week and
eight on SATURDAY. We simply want back the
ssa Since then we have been Working in the most
unsatisfactory manner There has been no fixed
SctIs pl Pay. NUfu "a HhN went ln lJOh iOl II jon
he was asked how much ne wanted. He replied
that he was looking for al ne could get In some
81 80 TAc highest OF thess figures is less than What
Is paid hoi-carri.rs and we have to serve APP
pToyde our own tools tool and pay for
rot worth s. 10 day. but they can pick their own
men. and We don't expect them 20 keep anybody
who Is not worth that much TO Them. We make
our demand now. az the beginning ot the building
cordinsly in making their contracts. We gave
timely notice of our intcntion. and some of the
bosses have told us that they figured this years
work with the expectation of paying $40 day:
any but skilled workmen."
II was further stated by the delegates that great
pressure was being eXerted In some quarters to
meni for 81 Is rate not generally signed, but
The Board made an urgent request that nothing of
frer ne KIM ,h be termlied until the Board could hear
The only answer received from the master
Thing in its power to help settle the difficulty was
in the shape of The following note 10 the secretary
Dear SIR Your communication received | have
called called meeting o. the master Carpenters tof to-
Guilty in adjusting the matter Of difference II there
is any, We viii notify you Yours our truly iyy;>c,,,,n
From the newspapers WAS learned that the mas
ter carpenters had made an offer OF 2Iia cents for
per day even II the mea worked nine hours instead
Of EIGHT or sa,ur,iay rhe proposit!on was unani-
The Board Of Arbitration is emphaticaly Of the
P GPPought bot BOTH sides togetncr in saiisfactofy sn
permanent agreement, had the master carpenters
accepted promptly did the tourneymen the
Boards offer Of mediation. The Board is satisfied
that II could have prevailed upon the journeymen
to accept an agreemen, for SIS per week OF nfty
three hours. and that such an agreement would
have been signed for one year and renewed; per
haps indefinitely. with such changes might be
mutually agreed upon at the beginning OF each
building year OF course an agreement Ike that
would require the minimum rate 10 he paid to all
carpenters. no matter whether doing fine or coarse
work but that objection has not been considered in
superabe in other trades where like agreements are
In operation by establishing "A minimum wage Of
doing and paw the highest class Of men 8 - or
more they saw H.. Yearly agreements. where
faithfully ard honOrably observed. seem to be the
most effective yet discovered for preventing
strikes. with al the dis.fter and business d'H1r
gauization that follow In their wake.