The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-05
STRIKERS CLAIM INCREASE.
CONTRACTORS SAY THEY RAvE ALL
THE LABOR THEY WANT.

thsOns' Dcmanu OF Cnatnam Acnu-
envy Trustees and Board of Educa-
ton That Only Union Men he EN-
pIoyed on New School Buildings.
Strikers Planning for "A Big Parade
Next MOndny-They Propose to Es-
tabIish a Strikers Restaurant.
The labor situation yesterday presented
few developments. The unions are max
ing an active canvass for recruits to their
ranks and claim TO be meeting with sue
cess, while the contractors as a general
thing are content to get along as they
can with non-uniop labor, of which they
say they are getting all they want or
can use.
The Builders Exchange, now that mat
terE seem to have settled down into a
state of siegeA or a question of which can
hold out the longer, has discontinued its
daily meetings, which were inaugurated
on May l, and will return to the old
arrangement, by which the exchange was
open daily, but executive meetings were
held only on Mondays. The members of
the exchange state that there has been no
detection from their ranks and that there
will be none, as the men who compose
the exchange realize that TO submit 10
the demands of the unions will be to
establish a precedent which the men will
use on every occasion to press further
demands whenever they see fit.
One contractor on whom the fight has
been principally waged by the unions
said yesterday that he thought it would
be but a short time before the men would
be willing to return to work. and, in
deed, one union man who had quit him
on the first Of the month returned 10 work
yesterday of his own volition, stating that
he had wife and several children de-
pendent on him, and that he couldn't
make out on Sc a week, the sum paid by
the union during his idleness.
The unions, on the other hand, claim
that the strike is daily gaining voluntary
adherents They claim that at two meet
ings yesterday the initiated into the ranks
forty-eight men. and that others have
slgnified their intention of coming in. In
one case, they said, contractor and his
whole force of nine men will join their
ranks. An officer Of the union said last
night that in his presence one member
of the Builders Exchange stated that
he would resign should the matter
not be settled soon The union
outlook for the securing of their
demands brighter now than at any time
since the fight was begun.
Among the men initiated yesterday, were
the last four non-union men at work on
the Cathedral. and Messrs. Miles and
Bradt, according to Mr.. Wilbon, have
given their promise to the unions that in
future none but union men will be en-
ployed.
AT a recent meeting of the Building
Trades Council, a resolution to the Board
Of Education was passed, and will be sent
this morning. This resolution demands
that in the rebuilding of the Chatham
Academy. only union labor be employed.
and al the scale of wages and hours that
have been specified in the demands of the
unions on the contra ctors. The resolu-
ton recites some of the grievances of the
men, stating that they are citizens, and
taxpayers, that they have children in the
schools, and say that they have not been
shown proper amount of consideration
at the hands of the board. A letter of SIM
liar purport was sent to one of the trus-
tees of the Chatham Academy, on account
OF the proposed Eighth Street
School of which no notice, they
said, taken. The letter
goes on TO say that should the Board
of Education not comply with these de-
mauds, they will find to their cost that
the laboring man is no small factor in
politics. and that his united vote will be
cast against their reelection.
The resolution will hardly have much in
fuence with the Board of Education, since
it has nothing to do with the rebuilding
Of the Chatham Academy, and the Chat
ham Academy trustees to whom the let
ter in regard to the Eighth Street School
was sent, have nothing to do with that
school. AS to the opposition to the ire
election of of the present Board of Edu-
cation" it is a matter of speculation and
curiosity how such fight would be made.
AS a sign of their strength a parade of
union men has been arranged for Monday
800 and 1000 men will be in line, and with
two brass bands win march through the
principal streets of the city. The unions
will carry floats on which will be mottos
and sentiments expressive of their opin-
ion of the fight and the men whom they
regard as their opponents.
Another decision reached yesterday was
to establish in the near future a common
restaurant at which the men out of work
could be fed at minimum cost. Families
of such men will be taken care of also
being given such food as is needful and
protected from eviction by some arrange
ment with the landlords
An officer of the unions said last night
that a plan is now being perfected to be
put into operation within the next few
days that is sure to bring the Builders
Exchange to terms if il does not succeed
in disruptng the organization altogether
This plan is, he said, is not ready to be
made public.