The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-07-04

City to Work.
The carpenters are very enthusiastic
over the mass meeting which will be
held in the armory next Thursday
evening and the committee in charge
is working earnestly to make it sue
cess. They received a telegram yester-
day from Mr. Mcclure, saying that he
will positively be here to address the
meeting on that occasion.
1t can be stated with almost absolute
certainty that President Samuel Comp
ers, Of the American Federation of
Labor will not be present, as the in
vitation extended to him was not pre-
sented by the proper body. The Ameri-
can Federation of Labor has affiliated
with it national, international and
state bodies and also the Central Labor
unions of the various large cities. The
invitation to Mr.. Gompers was extend
ed by the Building Trades council and
not by the Central Labor union, and it
is understood that it will not be ac-
cepted.
The press committee of the Building
Trades council state that there are
many misstatements in MIR. CaruccrS
statement which appeared in yester-
days Tribune but they say that they
do not desire a controversy and will
refrain from entering into any refuta-
tiOn. They state, however, that the
yards are not working and that Mr..
Carlucci was not told that if he re-
signed from the Builders Exchange
the stonecutters employed by him
would sc back to work.
HAVE LITTLE TO SAY.
In regard to the opposition to the
Building Trades council. manifested by
certain members of the Central Labor
union on Sunday, the press committee
has very little to say. They state that
the motives of the Building Trades
council have been misunderstood and
that that body is not antagOnistic to
the Central Labor union The Objec-
tion raised at Sundays meeting Of the
latter organization was that the Build
ing Trades council were apparently
holding aloof and had refused to ap-
point delegates to attend the meeting.
A Tribune representative yesterday
made a canvass among a number Of
the leading contractors of the city for
the purpose of discovering how many
carpenters and other skilled workmen
they have at work. Hover &, Slender
reported having four carpenters work.
ing, which they say is all they require
at present. Frank NJ. Meyer has four
teen carpenters and several painters at
work Taylor & Tubbs, of Taylor, re-
port having no men at all at work
bn
eral contractor, stated that an agree
ment had been entered into between
himself and Conrad Schroeder, Peter
Stipp, John Colligan and s. Sykes &
Co., by means of which they eXchang
cd workmen of the various trades as
necessity demanded. He said that be-
tween himself and the other four con-
tractors the following workmen We're
employed: Twenty-four stone masOns.
fourteen bricl<laYers. ten plasterers and
eight lathers. He further stated that
every job that needed to be pushed was
being rushed ahead and that the strike
was affecting his interests to a very
small extent
WOOLSEY'S MEN.
j. r. Woolsey & co. reported having
four carpenters at work and the Green
Ridge Lumber company have sixteen
carpenters busy. John Benore & Son
have six carpenters employed. Mr..
Judge of the firm of Mulherin & Judge,
stated that they had four carpenters at
work and that there was only work
for that number. He further declared
that he was not very much concerned
about the existing condition of affairs
and that he was willing to wait until
the strikers gave up the struggle.
The above figures show thai the
building trade in this city is not quite
so completely tied up as has been sup
posed. While the members of the Ex-
change are, no doubt, Handicapped to
certain extent by the tie-up, they are
| nevertheless making very fair progress
with the worl; they have on hand. 1t
| must not be understood. however, that
the men who are working for union
Workmen are boilers from their various
unions.
There are, of course. a few of these
latter but the majority Of the men en-
gagged are either men who have never
belonged to the unions or those who
have not been connected with them
for some time.
1t is the opinion Of many persons that
| the strikers are fighting for a hopeless
cause and that as the fall and winter
season will be here i'm q few months
| that they must inevitably suffer de-
| feat The strikers pOoh-pooh these
| prophecies, however, and are still con-
| iident that their efforts will be crown
| ed with success in the end
SITUATION THE SAME.
The struggle as regards the plaster
| ers-tinners strike is i'm just the same
| condition as it has been all through
| last month and neither side shows any
| signs of weakening. Secretary Laudig,
of the Builders Exchange stated late
| yesterday afternoon that the master
| timers of the city have been i'm re-
| Ceipt within the past two weeks of let
| ters from forty timers from outside
| the city asking for employment.
He stated that these men would be
sent for and put TO work at the end
of the week If the striking timers held
| out tin then. In fact many of the
| contractors are OF the opinion that this
| week will see the end OF the present
| struggle and that the men will soon
| be back to work at the old wage rate.
| Time itself can, however, be the only
| proof of this assertion.