The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-04

The trouble that has been brewing for
some time among the workmen employed
by Smart 4 ca. in the grading of First
avenue. and whch eliminated on Monday
morning in a strike. has resulted in conn
plete.y stopping for the time being the
work Dir. Smart. who was arrested at
the instance Of the Western Central La
Dor Union fox violating the city ordinances
regulating ia6or hours. was to have had
a hearing on Monday afternoon. but 1t
was postponed until today at O'Clock. in
order to give the defense time 10 prepare
tAeir case.
Ine dispute Is this: The men have
struck for an eight hour day and s. under
the city ordinance directing that no day
iaborers employed on city work shall be
worked longer than eight hours u day.
Smart & Co.. on the other hand. he'd that
they do not come under the ordinance,
because they are employing and paying
Their men by the hour, and not by the
day. They pay, 1t is stated, ~ cents per
hour.
The strikers hello meeting yesterday
morning TO discuss the situation, bat
what was done. If anything. is being kept
secret. the men processing TO know nota-
ing about IL.
SIR. Smart, in an interview with a Post
Inteiligencer reporter yesterday, said
I'VE are not asking any men TO work
ten hours day. We are paying them
by the hour. and IL they want 10 work
only eight hours We have no objection:
but We cannot be expected 10 pay them
then for ten hours work. a number OF
men came back to work this morning.
among them several new hands. but the
strikers gathered around them in "a body,
and by threats Ct bodily violence succeeded
Ia illuminating and driving them away.
We could get plenty OF men. have, in
fact, large number of applications, but
when they discover the disposition Of the
strikers they are afraid 10 so 10 work.
We fee. sure that IL our men were guar
anteed proper protection the work OF
grading could go steadily on. instead Of
being delayed IN this exaspeTating man
ner.'
1t has been said that the twenty men
who struck on Monday morning had been
restrained by. the company from boarding
and lodging elsewhere than in the camp"
building. &13 First avenue, provided by
the company for their accommodation.
and also that they objected 10 the kind
of food and lodging given them. Asked
If there was any truth in that statement,
Mr.. Smart said:
AS far as nay knowledge goes ii is alb
solute.y false. Not one man has ever
made the isast sign of dissatisfaction to
me in regard 10 the accommodations fur
nished. There was certainly nothing TO
object to in the lodging, and the food was
good and plentiful, prepared by a thor
oughly competent cook. As for our COM
pelling the men to board and lodge in
camp that is untrue. We established
the camp purely tor convenience and in
order TO have the men together in case
of emergency. The men who left the
camp TO live elsewhere did so, not because
of dissatisfaction. but because they were.
mostly, men with families who preferred
TO be at home. These men. as soon as
they found out they might have the privi-
lege of leaving. did SO, and without the
least objection from US. The company
has not run the camp to make money.
and has never made a cent out of it,"
When a man leaves your employ VOL
unfairly. do you pay him at once the
wages due him up 10 that timer
'.No, that Is impossible. We are not
paid by the city until the a0th of the fo.-
lowing month, and so cannot pay of a
man who leaves us until that time. IL we
discharge a man, however, he - paid off
on the spot.
The delay OF the work caused by the
stflke IL, tne city oiliclais say, GnlortuIl-
ate for the city. for the grading was UNI
der full Roadway and the street Is SO torn
UP that in soma places it is almost i'm
passable. Eight months is the time grant
ed by the city for the completion OF the
contract.
II the work is so de.ayed by the present
situation that 1t cannot be finished within
that time. and Smart & Co. lose by the ex-
tension. Mr.. Smart says he can and Will
recover. Mr.. Smart said that another
great hindrance has been the siowness Of