The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-05
NO NEARER A SETTLEMENT.
PIumbers' Strike Continues, With
Small Chance of nm Agreement
J., A. Moore's Statement.


There are no present indications that
the difficulty between the journeymen and
the master plumbers viii be settled soon.
Last night the Building Trades Council
met at the hall of the Western Central
Labor Union and discussed the situation.
At the close of the meeting delegate
informed a Observation-Disclosures reporter
that no general strike had been ordered
OF the unions engaged in the building
trades, but that the council reaffirmed
its decision TO stand by the Journeymen
Plumbers Union.
This means that the trades unions en-
ployed in the building line will strike be-
fore they will work side by side with
nonunion plumbers. The gravity or the
situation is felt by both members of the
Master Plumbers association and the
1ourneymenS union
Wages are high in Seattle at present
for men in the building trades, and work
Is plentiful For this reason the workmen
claim they have the advantage. The mas
ter plumbers, however. affirm that the
demands of the journeymen's union are
j. A. Moore, of the Moore Investment
Company, who is erecting several brick
structures in the city, said yesterday con-
corning the strike:
"A condition exists in the building af-
fairs of Seattle which threatens to kill
construction for the rest of this year. at
least, and possibly entail losses from
which the city viii never recover. The
danger is so serious t1aI II SlOulO enlist
the earnest and immediate attention of
every man interested in the material
progress of the city, but more especially
of the 5000 men engaged in building OPP
erations. IL some remedy is not applied
at once building will be tied up harder
than it Is in Chicago, thousands of me-
thanics will be thrown out OF employ
ment, merchants will be deprived of large
trade and all enterprises will be stag
mated.
1.-The plumbers of this city entered into
a formal contract last year, binding til
August /, under which they agreed TO
a certain scale of wages till that time.
The carpenters and other unions have
likewise obligated themselves by written
agreements to abide by an established
scale The plumbers have evidently brok-
en- their plain agreements, after contrac-
tors had taken work involving expendit-
ures of hundreds of thousands of dollars,
based on those scales Demands are now
made for increased wages. the effect of
which, If acceded to. would be great
loss, If not absolute bankruptcy Of the
contractors, or many of them, who now
have strikes on hand or are threatened
with tie-ups
"The wage scale agreed to by the plum
bers was 81 a day till August l. They
have struck for "A. 80 day. yet their con-
tract does not expire for three months.
The carpenters seem to be on the verge
of striking in sympathy with the plumb
ers. If they do, the city's growth stops.
IT wish to point out and emphasize the
danger that mechanics are very apt to
pull down the temple on their own heads
and involve their own ruin. I have sue
ceeded after great effort in getting more
than $4,000 Of Eastern money to be put
into the construction of new residences
and business blocks in Seattle. 1t was
obtained on the faith of the investors
that the present high wages of building
mechanics should not be arbitrarily adj
vanced. For our company, at least,
can say most decidedly that we would
not undertake any new construction I'M
der existing conditions New capital seek
ing investment here is now waiting to
see the extent to which general strike
will cripple the business OF the city,"