The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-30
NO WORK ON SEWER TO-DAY.
ANOTHER STRIKE OF THE DITCH
LABORERs ON.

|
Nelson and Two Hours Work
Done-Tbe Order Then Reversed by
Contractor Delaney and the Men
Quit WOrk-The Contractors Say
That 81 "a Day Is the Prevailing
Price for Cheap Labor and They
Do Not See why They should Pay
More-AIdcrman WyIIy Says the
Contractors Must Make Better
Progress or Council May Take
Charge of the Work.
There was another strike on the house
drainage work yesterday morning. 1t was
a second edition of the first strike, how
ever.
When supt. w. II. Nelson, who has
charge of the sewer work, arrived at the
excavations on Randolph street about z
o clock he found a large number of the
| Iaborers who had struck Monday gath
cred. He began talking to them and, see
ing that they wanted to work, told them
that he was anxious to push the work on
the sewer and he would pay men in the
ditch $50 a day, men Oh the sides of the
trench S1.25 and others 81. This offer was
promptly accepted and nearly all of The
men, about seventy, set to work with
will They had been working about two
hours when Contractor Delaney arrived.
! He learned from Foreman Nelson the
rates at which he had employed the men
and promptly and emphatically declared
that he would not pay more than 81 day
for the work and instructed Mr.. Nelson
TO knock off the men.
The report of what Mr. Delaney had
said reached the men, however before
Foreman Nelson and they dropped their
picks and shovels and jumped out of the
ditch without waiting to be ordered out.
No further work was done, but the men
continued to hang around the greater part
of the day. A Morning News reporter,
who visited the scene, found between
IS and 100 men gathered along the
sewer. They were discussing the situa-
ton but were very quiet and orderly. The
only dsorderly person was a white man,
and he did not appear to be working
man.
The men. who were spoken to- talked
freely. They said they did not think IL
right that they should be required to work
in a ditch in several inches of mud and
water for 10 cents an hour. 1t would take
half they made 10 pay doctors bills, they
said Another point to which they object
ed very seriously is that pay days are
only once a month instead of once week,
and that men who need anything in the
meantime are required to take orders on
the commissary.
The contractors have arranged with Mr..
Thomas Cooley, at West Broad and River
street to honor these orders in trade. Some
of the men said they had been told that
they could get cash on discount of 10
per cent.
There were a score or more of white men
around, but most of them were strangers
to the city, and some of them said there
were not over four or five Savannah white
men employed on the work.
Alderman Krouskoff said, in reference
to the matter, that Mr.. Delaney had assur-
ed him. previous to the signing of the con-
tract that he would pay good men 81. 80
a day, those not so good at ST. 20 and old
men at 81. These prices he thought very
fair, and he so announced in council when
he urged the acceptance of the lowest bid.
Contractor Delaney when seen about the
matter gave substantially the same ac
count of what occurred at the work as
that told above.
1--WE can make no great progress with
the work anyway" said Mr. Delaney,
until council or the committee defines
the river outlet for us. AS to wages find
that employers generally throughout the
city are paying $1C0 day and less for or
binary labor l do not see why l should
pay more, especially as l am informed
that labor Is very plentiful here just now.
I am satisfied that we can obtain all the
labor we need at the figures we offer"
Mr.. Delaney said he had not heard what
success Mr. Harmon had met with in OBJ
tanning labor in Montgomery.
Mr.. Thomas Cooley, who is honoring the
orders of the contractors to their laborers
af Cfn af n
street, said yesterday to a Morning News
reporter that he was not running a com
missary. Il simply accept the orders in
trade" said Mr.. Cooley, land sell the men
supplies at the same prices al which I sell
to every regular customer, and these
prices will be found to be as reasonable as
can be obtained at retail stores elsewhere
in the city,
The contractors do not expect to do any
| work on the sewer to-day. Whether
| the contractors employ labor at 81
| a day or whether they import labor
here TO do the work. one thing is certain,
and that IS they will have to get move
/ on, and that pretty soon. The members of
! the drainage committee and of council
! generally had expected 10 see the drainage
/ work in full blast by this time and they
/ are not pleased with its slow progress.
4 Contractor Delaney cannot attribute
his slow progress to the river outlet" said
Alderman WILLY, chairman of the drain
! age committee. THAT is a small matter
and need not interfere with the progress of
| the work upon the sewer or elsewhere 1t
was expected when the contract was
| given out that the work would be in full
! blast by Jan. l. We were willing to allow
the contractor a reasonable time in which
to make all preparations and gel material
on the ground. This reasonable time has
about elapsed. Unless the contractors can
show by Jan. that they are in condition
to go ahead with 1.-THE work and push it
| successfully to completion, the matter will
| be brought to the attention Of council.
! Under paragraph of the contract, if at
| any time the work is unnecessarily or I'M
! reasonably delayed, or if there is doubt of
the ability of the contractor TO complete
his contract, or if he is executing the con
ditons of the contract in bad faith, the
| city can, by written notice, require him TO
| discontinue the work or any part of it, and
| may take possession of it and make such
| arrangements for its completion as il NAV
deem best. Similar conditions are express
ed in other sections of the contract In
fact. the contractor is, by the terms of the
( contract directly under the control of the
I