The San Francisco call., 1896-03-21
They Will Give the Bosses Until
Monday to Effect a
Settlement.
WILL THEN BID FOR WORK.
Claim That They Will Be Able to
Underbid the Master Painters
on All Work.

So far as the Journeymen painters are
concerned the strike that is now fairly on
is not TO be passive one, but they are in
c1ined to give the master painters, they
say, all the time necessary to consider the
situation fully and in all its bearings be-
fore they take aggressive action. 1t is not
to be understood. however, that by aggres-
sive action is meant anything in the shape
of violence, for such a course is deprecated
by every one who has any influence as a
leader of the striking union men.
There was meeting yesterday afternoon
of the Painters and Decorators Union, at
which the committees which have engaged
in the work of calling out all the men at
work made their reports. These were most
encouraging to the strikers, as they were
to the effect that with but very few excep-
tions all the men had promptly responded
to the call of the union to quit work.
The matter OF cooperation OH the part
of members of the union for the purpose
of competing with the master painters for
the painting jobs to be done was considered,
and a committee of twenty-five was ap.
pointed to devise plans for carrying the
proposed scheme into operation, should
with the strikers by Monday next.
Speaking of this phase of the situation,
Mr.. McIvor said yesterday:
"We have been offered anv amount of
work, and some of the bosses have come
to us to take the con tracts that they have
been unable to complete off their hands.
In fact, we can get all the work we want,
but we do not care to go into competition
with the bosses unless we have to, but if
we are forced to go into the market to pro-
tect ourselves we will soon demonstrate
that we are better able to do the work at
low rates than the present bosses, and we
will do this, even if we have to make great
personal sacrifices"
Referring to the statement of President
Black of the Master Painters Association,
Mr. McIvor said: "Mr. Black says that the
com bination between the master painters
is not to defeat the journeymen, but that
it is to secure materials at discount from
the prices that are charged outsiders. We
believe that the object of this movement
is to prevent us or property-owners from
buying the materials at the same rate that
has been charged the bosses, SO as to pre-
vent us from entering the market in COM
petition with them.
He also says that the property-owners
are with the master painters, as should
they lose it would increase the cost of re-
pairs for them. That is not so, and he
knows it. Property-owners OF the jour
neymen themselves can buy the material
for the same price that it is bought
by the bosses, and as for the matter
of wages the property.owner always
has been charged the full union scale of
wages whether the boss has actually been
paying them or not. / went to the whole
salers myself and they are willing to let us
have stock on the same conditions on which
they are sold to the master painters, and
we do not ask for anything else"
Energetic work is being done 20 make
the mass-meeting at Metropolitan Hall to-
night a grand success. The musicians
have volunteered to provide band for the
parade which will start from the Temple
at lis Turk street at o'clock. The exer-
cises at Metro politan Temple will begin at
P. NJ, and will consist of addresses and
literary and musical programme. 1t is ex-
pected that there will be large attend
ance of the best laboring element in the