Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-01-03
PAY At THE ARSENAL,
IslaId Men Have Numerous
Meetings as to the
Changes.
THEY GALL on oaPr. BLUNT.

cps M ." 1"tosetnk-h fcntntts bts
Refase sp w rs CaN tar w.g- a~.t-s
10 A"JUfeas or New or Ter Il Rsvo rec
Ali Qaist In the sa"v. Tse.y.
All is quiet at the Rock Island ar.
seual shops today, although the new
wage s. stem is the ali absorbing
topic amlng The mea eDpioy.d
there. Dariog IN. noon b 1ur today
q committee representing the ma.
chinis:s cal Led on Capt 5 h
Blunt hi his q,s.ters, s.kin.
th8t0ih, order "a, 70 ii cswors
be revoked. and that the new
schedule as 10 wages he .sue
pended until word ecu d 10 heard
from Washington. CAPT. B.unt To-
piled to the requests shat te could
accede 10 nei,het; that the ms,tet
Of readJustment VI wages had been
carefully considered by him during
the past three OF four months, aod
that ths plan Introduce had been
several times submitted 10 The au.
thorities at Washington and had re.
ceived their approval. lie notified
the department at Washington that
the new schedule would 20 into ef-
feet Jan. /, and received replies by
telegraph to so order. Ec said b.
had reported to the authorities OF
Washington that the matter Of piece
work would he somewhat extended
aud this was likewise approved
There could he no change, made un-
Ill the authorities at Washington SO
ordered. TIE men asked Capt.
Blunt IL there was any obj,ction t,
their going to work under tho new
arrangement under protest. None
whatever" replied Capt. Blunt
Your complaint will doubtless be
taken upir short time a5d we viii
then hear from IL. IL l have made
q mistake i, will be rec,itied. Tit
ruling Of the department will be en-.
forced regardless OF its nature"
The committee then asked Capt.
Blunt if he would sho " the cause for
his action, referred to in his into :
view in Saturdays Argus The COM
handing officer stated thai the law
was contained in the rules and regu.
lations for the government OF the
ordnance department under the re.
vised statutes OF the United States.
directed more specifically by Al ticle
1,167, md approved by the secretary
Of war. The sections from this az,
were pointed on. By Capt. Blunt as
follows:
l7-Contracts for labor or work.
men strictly conform to the ruling
customs or Practice OF civil en- ployss
at or near the respective ordnance
tablishments.
3l-Workmen in an armory OF
other ordnance establishment ar,
paid. as far as practicable. by piece
work. The price OF piecework l.
Fixed according TO the skill ard In bn,
IL requires, by the commanding off
Ger, under the direction of the chicI
Of ordnance.
Capt. Bluut, speaking TO an ARGU:
Representative after the retirement
OF the men. said: There are los
men engaged in piecework. aud th,
new rules extends tina. nnm Der {,
six more men. AS to the change in
pay only IL are reduced more than
4 cents. while Is are inc.csscd NOR
than that amount"
WIN asked as TO ore man being
obliged to cpora'e two msch.nes
Capt. Bluns replied that such would
be the case. This is the case 81 al
the other arsepals. with one cacep
ton, and 1t must be done here il
there il any hope Of securing the
small arms branch. TIE only oshe.
arsenal where they Go piece work b.
has been the custom here is Waterv
let. where they work on sea coas
guns. where siogle piece take,
more time TO machine. Hero or
the class Of field Carriages We are
turning out it is customary to wori
not only two machines to q man, bu'
thrce ard four"
Eeetin 70 af the Men.
Friday night the machinists had 8
meeting at the Industrial, HON,
building. Saturday mor:ing all Tbs
employees Of the arsenal convened al
Turner hall. The situation was dis
cussed a. considerable length, and 9
petition was drawn up fer circulation
among the business men and mer
chants OF the three cities, setting
forth the innecessity and Injustice OF
the reduction Of wages, and the at
tendant det,iment TO the CONNER
cial welfare Of the surrounding con
munities. The petition when filed on,
will DO sent 70 the secretary OF war
The employees held another confer
ence AZ Tu.ne, hall yesterday after,
noon. ID. Douglass Wilson, OF Chi.
csgo, grand foremsn Of the lnterna
tional Association OF Machinists, va.
present. and oounse,ed with the mer
not 20 act hastily. but to 60 over ths
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