Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1900-04-05
SENSATIONAL CHARGES.
A Chicago Labor Leader Claims that
the Contractors are Trying 10 Incite



the Contractors are Trying TO Incite
Riots.
Chicago, March 2s.--Before the in
dustrial commissions subcommittee
George p. Gubbins. president of the
Chicago Bricklayers and Stonemasons'
union, testified yesterday that the con-
tractors were trying to incite union
men to attack non-union men. that
sympathy might be aroused for the
latter.
last Sunday" he said, "a man en-
ployed by the Master MasonS associa-
tion came to me and tried to get me
to incite my workmen to attack nom
union men and main them. We don't
do things of that kind and he got no
satisfaction from me-" The commits
sion was 50 much surprised at this
statement that Mr.. Gubbins was press
ed for more details. He explained
himself in this way:
1.-The man | saw was a detective.
Of course he did not say outright that
the master masons wanted us to at
tack non-rnion men. First ne told me
that at a certain time a bus load OF
'scabs' would be going to work, guard
ed only by two men. / knew and he
told me himself who was paying him
his salary"
Mr.. Gubbins said that his union
stood 70" peace and arbitration. He
told about a visit to the chief of po-
lice asking for personal protection,
and also about a visit to Mayor Harri-
son, in which he had accused the con
tractors of employing discharged po-
licemen, criminals and levee burns"
for special watchmen and training
them to shoot union men.
When asked what prospects there
were for arbitration, Mr.. Gubbins
said: "The building contractors
council has lost it's chance to arbitrate.
1T turned us down and it's a fight to a
finish now" In response to Mr.. Ken
nedy'S questions he said he would fa-
vor amy scheme for arbitration If the
contractors would join and that he
would like to see President Mckinley
appoint arbitrators, but he had no con-
fidence in the contractors.
Mr.. Gubbins' statements were at the
opposite pole from those of Thomas
Jones. machinist employed by the
Troy Laundry Machinery Co. The
after denounced unions as selfish and
In-Christian. "UnioniSm to-day is far
worse than the saloon in breaking up
homes and wrecking the lives of hon
est workmen. The church might as
we'll bless the saloon as a labor un-'
ion.'
The other witnesses of the day were
John y. Long, business agent of the
Gasfitters' union, and James Regain, a
member of the Lathers' union. Mr..
Long came out in plain manner
against police interference with labor.
II don't think the mayor should give
the bosses the benefit of protection"
Mr. Long said that the bosses were
not all standing together and that
some of them We're being coerced by
their organization. He defended the
limitation of work demanded by his
organization as securing better quail
ity of product, and said that g7asfitters
could accomplish more in eight hours
than in ten.
Regan was one of the most fiery
champions of labor yet listened to by
The commission. He exalted unions as
the greatest agency on earth for keep
ing men out of prison, and he charged
falsity against the statements of every
contractor that appeared before the
rOmuli SSiOn