The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-04-22
who consider him unworthy of their

who consider him unworthy of their
good will.
I'VE employ only union men," said
he, land we pay for our labor. 1t
should be given out plainly and dis
tinctly. that the public can understand,
that there are many contractors out
side of the exchange in this city who
are competent capable and willing to
do any amount of building. The public
must not be led to believe that such is
not the case"
Steve Calm. a plasterer, said that he
could get all the plasterers he wanted.
so long as he paid the union scale of
prices and that he was not a member
of the exchange, either. He stated that
the exchange exacted from the contrac-
tors certain per cent. of their contract
prices. namely. from the plumbers, 20
per cent; masons, Is per cent; plas-
terers, 12h per cent, and carpenters 5
per cent.
"Where does this money go, 7 want
ITO know? Who stands the extra per
cent? Why, the owner, of course. Con-
tractors are not giving away from five
to 20 per cent. of their profits, not
much
James L. Caufield, a carpenter, said
that he knew positively that carpenters
in the exchange We're required to do
nate to the exchange five per cent of
their contract. Others present express
ed themselves as confident that the ex-
change eXacted certain per cents. from
the contractors. 1t was argued that by
the operation of this method the build
ing public would in the end quit loser.
1t was the unanimous sense of the
meeting that no organization be eff
fected to antagoniZe the exchange. That
was not their purpose. If the exchange
can live. all right. but they do want
RI tp, nd hat
rs independent solid, well-reputed con-
tractors in Butte who stand ready to
do contract building. They oppose what
they term building trusts corners"
and the like.
The committee appointed for the pur-
pose at the former meeting to draft a
set of resolutions reported, but as the
resolutions mentioned the name of the
exchange and applied to it Throughout.
they were not adopted. These resolu-
tions, drafted by Messrs. Brady, Bry-
ant and McTucker. disapproved of The
methods employed by the exchange and
sought to convey the impression that
the public was being victimized: that
its organization was not intended for
the best interests of the building pub
lie.
AS a substitute, the following, intro
duced by James Armstrong, was adopt
ed:
The undersigned builders and con-
tractors of Butte City, belonging to no
association or exchange are prepared
to figure on any building that may be
required in this city, and that we are in
a position to give bonds for the proper
performance of the work given under
our SUPERVISION
This was signed by the % contractors
present. The list of signatures will be
extended to include every contractor
in Butte who is not member or SYM
pathizer with the exchange.
David Marley, boss bricklayer, said
that he was satisfied his craft was not
fully in sympathy with the exchange.
I'VE can get all the men we want by
paying union wages, and we can do the
work just as well, if not better than
we ever could. AS far as the present
grievance among the plumbers is con-
cerned," said he, lit is only a test case
Those master plumbers who are in the
exchange are opposing the non associa-
tiOnists merely to ascertain the final
outcome. If they can make their fight
stick it will have a strong bearing on
similar actions which might be taken
in other crafts. The plumbers are an in
ternational body, and the union in
Butte is strong, and whichever way
this trouble ends it will have it's intlu-
ence on future contingencies In my
opinion, this exchange can do nothing
but do somebody"