The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-20
PLUMBERS LOCKED our
The Masters and Journeymen
Again at Odds.
A REDUCTION OF HOURS
Was the Demand Made by the Latter
Which Precipitated the Trouble.
Masters Decided to Bring
It to Head.

A lockout was inaugurated yesterday
against the journeymen plumbers, and
all the plumbing that was done, with
the exception of one firm, was done by
the master plumbers themselves. If a
proposition that will be submitted to
the master plumbers by the journey
men to-day does not meet with appro-
val, the conditions of yesterday may
be expected to obtain for some time to
come, and the people with leaky pipes
or plumbing jobs they are anxious to
get finished, may look for a repetition
of the siege of last fall, when the
mand An effort was made yesterday
to get statements of facts from both
sides to the controversy, but the mas
ter plumbers and journeymen plumbers
were alike reticent and would have but
little to say. A statement of facts as
near as they could be gotten at, is
this:
Some time ago the master plumbers
received an intimation that a demand
of some kind would be made by the
journeymen plumbers with the opening
of spring. Some three or four weeks
ago conference committees from the
masters association and journeymen'S
union met to consider routine matter
and the committee from the masters
association brought up the rumor that
had come to them by requesting the
journeymen' committee to submit for
their union statement of the scale of
wages the journeymen would demand
this season.
When 10 days or two weeks had
elapsed the journeymen, through their
conference committee, submitted
proposition asking for a reduction of
hours for Saturday. The proposition
was that the journeymen should work
eight hours every day in the week ex-
cept Saturday. when they would work
six hours and get full days pay.
The proposition was unsatisfactory to
the master plumbers and they sent
back a counter proposition. which was
to the effect that the scale must re-
main as it is, or eight hours at IS a
day. To this the master plumbers re-
ceived no reply, and as the time of year
has arrived at which tho must figure
on contracts for new buildings to be
erected and as they could not figure
on such contracts without knowing
what they would have to pay Journey
men plumbers, the master plumbers
termine on a course of action calcu-
lated to bring the matter to a head. 1t
was decided to lock out the journeymen
plumbers until such time as the matter
of hours and the scale of wages to be
paid was adjusted for the season.
In accordance nth this decision. with
one exception, the shops We're all closed
to the journeymen at the hour for 60
ing to work yesterday morning. The
exception was the shop of Isadore
Kruger, who was communicated
from the masters association for his
course in the strike last fall, and who
therefore does not affiliate with the
other master plumbers. Aside from
Mr. Krueger's shop the only work done
yesterday was by the masters them
selves, who decided to do as much work
as they could while the lockout lasts.
The journeymen met during the after
noon and formulated a new proposition,
which will be submitted to the master
plumbers to-day. What the nature of
it is the journeymen declined to give
out. Should it prove unsatisfactory.
the lockout is liable to last some time
and much inconvenience will result.