The morning times., 1896-11-30
WINTER WORK TO Be SLOW
Labor Anticipates a Dull Time
During the Cold Months.
NO RELIEF IN PROSPECT
Prominent Craftsman Takes a Look
Into the Hardships of the Com-
ing Season Some of the Causes
Which Have Operated Disastrous
ly-Scheme for Reorganization.

Laboring men are beginning to think
about the prospects OF getting through
the winter safely AMI honorably.
There is an adage among them that.
IL they can get work up 20 Christmas
they will be able to tide over the winter
season. This has been true for many
years in Washington. 1t has been their
boasts and pride that, except in sporadic
cases labOring men OF the District, that
is those who live here, have never been
obliged to seek the public charities or
any kind for assistance. The rule posi-
bly, may have an exception this year.
One Of the higher officers OF organized
labor sale. yesterday that while there was
nothing acutely alarming in the outlook
yet 1t was one that had already been the
cause of much foreboding There Is
nothing in sight except the work on a rev
school buildings, competition Is very active
and strong and there is natural disposi-
ton to do work for less than regulation
wages. This puts organized labor at
disadvantage and while it. may benefit
few it reacts disastrously on the many.
ONLY A PHRASE.
Organized labor, it appears, is only
phrase In respect TO some OF tue trades
OF the city. There was a time, for In
stance, when there was but one carpen-
ters' union, and it had a membership OF
about nine hundred competent men. Now
lhtTe are iOuE WIFI
total membership OF scarcely more than
four hundred and fifty. There has been
no exodus OF the men OF this craft from the
city, SO that 1t Is evident that at least
four hundred carpenters are free lances
in the line of getting work where and
how and at what price they can.
This numerous contingent OF the unat-
tached in all the trades is said to be taken
advantage of very prOfitably to themselves
by some OF the real estate men who have
WORK done in the winter. With them it
is an open and shut game, even although
it is a fact that the four carpenters unions
OF the city stand Loyalty together and
maintain their rates of pay. The work
in this case is given out by the piece and
it is well known that there are numbers
OF such jobs done, the average Of which
does not furnish the workers with more
than I5 cents a day, instead OF $3.50 a
day for eight hours or 50 for nine hours.
The bricklayers are in better plight. They
have but one organization and control the
work winter and summer. This is because
there are very few OF the local brickla yers
who are not union men, and who all demand
and get fifty cents an hour
Another big organization is the plaster
ers. IL is said that up TO within year
| this body Of men Was in good shape to con-
| troll work at good pay Other organizations
| have, however, been formed OF men who
| for various reasons split Off from the parent
body, and whose plans practically put
| the old plasterers at the mercy of EN-
ployes, unless by the always unpleasant re-
| sort to the boycott. A case in point is like
| ly to come up today in which the evil OF
| the multiplicity OF organizations in such
| a small city as ashington will be demon-
| strated
Unions. it is said, are to offer themselves
today at scale OF wages much less than
| the regulation. The effect of this will
| probably be to cause the former union men
| to give up their jobs as matter ofprindple,
| while the wages to be paid to those who
take their places will hardly be sufficient
| for more than bare subsistence.
| KILLING COMPETITION.
The lack of work is further emphasized
| Just now, and for some months past, by
| the killing competition between contractors,
| especially on government work. 1t has been
| SO great that many contractors commonly
| called legitimate in labor parlance do not
| bid at all The recent experience OF the
| District government has been that these
| contracts We're made at such a low figure
| that the work had to be taken away from
| them. Another hercontractorhasb sbeeninformed
that if he has not his contract, now over.
| due, finished by the lst of January he
| Will lose 1t.
The conditions, as they appear to some
| of the men do not, therefore, favor y
| present are not numerous, and they see
| nothing ahead. 1t Is true that the recent
| storm has been a windfail, but IL affected
the timers more fortunately than any OF
| the other trades, the thinning work being
| not vet completed. The other trades which
shared in the disaster" have about got all
| they will get out of the friendly cyclone.
Laboring men know that something
must be done this season to provide at
| least for other seasons The Federation
of Labor, for instance, is fighting for a
bill, which is generally favored, TO abolish
| all contract work on government buildings
and to substitute days labor. This. they
say, will prevent the employment OF other
than competent craftsmen and secure
the return to universal standard wages.
| They believe that the profit will 20
| where it belongs, TO the laborer and not to
the contra ctor, and that in addition the
work will be of better class. While such
plan could not go into operation before
next July, yet it is q matter which will
be pushed vigorously before Congress.
There is another movement. the success
of which will depend on the members of
the trades themselves The various splits
in the unions, the disintesrstion of force
| and the scramble for work, the putting of
disorganized workmen at disadvantage
before employers, are facts patent to all
.aborng men, and they have never been
SO patent as now, with a long winter to
face and the chances of distress more i'm
.ninent than ever.
A REPRESENTATIONS.
The movement looks to a reorganiza-
ton on the old lines. 1t has been pro
posed to sound all the local assemblies on
the question of getting together once
more. This carries with it the conSe
Quence of the abolition OF all central
bodies, and the formation out of all the
forces of j compact single organization
So far there has been an expression Of
opinion that such a new central body, il
which all differences could be merged
would be more effective If il were purely
District guild. They say that the one
piece of legislation which has been oi
| most advantage othe laboring me through
out the country, the eighthour law, wal
engineered through Congress- by the Fed
| Grafton OF this District, which has no,
been affiliated with any outside or ma
| tional organization. This is used as an
| argument TO offset the claim that national
| organizations have a better chance ofpoints
| of contact with individual members Of
| Congress in their respective districts
Whether these plans will or will not
| succeed, 1t has become apparent to labo
interests in the District that there must
be a revival of some kind. The nationa
| organization has recently added to tn,
! confusion, instead of allayiDg the discon
| tent, and this discomfort has become sc
! acute as 10 embolden or eXaSperate til,
| local orders into rebel lliOn against tn,