The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1900-02-19

$4,000 men
OUT ON STRIKE
Building Trades Industries Of
Chicago ParaIyzad,
10000 OTHERS ARE AFFECTED.
Many Non.unIon Men H,Vs Been Brought
From the hslghburlng Cities.
FEARS OF A CLASH ENTERTAINED.
Vast Interests tdsesd Amoual Of Monsy in
'''sd ia fls-up Estimated al $50 oOO,O 900.
Ss.sn nj Made BY the Con rac,ors

Chicago. Feb. 19.--Confronted with a
great labor war. which has turned
Vhoysands OF workmen into the streets
and completely tied up building oper-
atona, the c.ty ls beginning 10 fear a
repetition OF the troublous times at
tending the great railway strike Of
1894. REQUESTS for police protection are
being received every day from con-
tractors and manufacturers by Chief
of Police Kip.ey, and reserve forces OF
policemen are kept at the various sla-
lions dag and night.
Ii is struggle TO determine who
shah control the building industry OF
Chicago. the labor unions or the con-
tractors. Not satisfied with obtaining
the wages and hours asked for, the al
lied unions OF the various trades en-
gagged i'm the erection OF buildings used
their growing power TO dictate limi-
tation on the amount OF work a man
should do in an eight-hour day; they
placed restriction on the building ma
terial, which should be allowed 10 enter
the Chicago market: they restricted the
use OF machinery so as to give more
work TO union men, and to inforce
these and other exactions they har-
assed the contractors with numerous
sympathetic strikes, which eraailed
many aggravating and expensive de-
lays. The contractors decided to rem
edy these conditions before starting on
another year of building, and after
overtures for arbitration had been
ignored by the unions the contractors
united in form ulating new rules TO gov
ern the workmen. The labor men qui;
work rather than follow the new rules
ana both sides have expressed their
determination 10 fight II TO a finish
$4,000 UNION MEN.
There are 10000 union men and $500
contractors involved in the Struggle. In
addition TO these there are 10000 work
men In the Chicago mills an1 factories
where the material for building Is pre-
pared who are Indirectly affected. max
ing q total OF 80 900. The men In the
material trades unions have voted 10
stand by the strikers, and tn s may re-
suit in their being thrown out OF EN-
nloyment also. The material men have
refused 20 work on any material 10 be
furnished To Jobs where non n-union men
are put IN the pace Of the strikers. and
Az Al'S way nave tlnllfldSSed the con
tIhctofs. Tie latter declare. however,
ahat Chicago lis now an open market
Tor material. and II the local manufac-
turers allow union dictation 20 hold
h1ck Their material they viii purchase
outs de.
with 10000 unemployed men walk.
ing the Streets and the possibility nf |
tnis number beng increased 10 % 600 |
the contractors re Bringing In large |
number ~ non-uniOn men from neigh. |
boring e ties 90 '1rry on the urgent |
work. The non-union headquarters has |
Already been me objective point for |
'tnWis or angry 81 kers despite tho !
p"tce guard az the entrance. Serious |
CLASHES NAV take place arnny time.
VAST INTERESTS AFFECTED
Vast interests arc badly affected hv
the paralysis Of the building Industry |
conservative estimates Dlarc tho
amoun, of money involved I'm the tIr-
up AZ $3O.D00,000. Furthermore. the ef-
It't mas been 10 bring all real estate
business practically 10 a standstlu !
Investors are holding hack contracts
amounting TO large sums. until some
permanent settlement OF the 9lf9cui-
tics has been reached.
The en- rmous extent To which build |
ing interests have suffered i'm Chica
20 under prevailing labor conditions IS
shown by comparison with other
cities and with local nditlons I'm other
yearS-Tbc falllas IL n i'm bulldinr ia
1899 was particularly marked when
compared with the record In other
c.ties. Contractors and others inter
6Sted found that I'm nearly every large
city OF the country except in Chicago
there WAS an appreciahle increase i'm
the amount or building operation
The records show that the season
just closed was the wors the building
industry has. experienced In Chicago |
i'I 10 years. There was not one-third
as much building dcne as during the
year preceding the Worlds Fair
LABoRs EXAcTToNs.
Ore Of the most conspicuous in
stances of the eXactlons Of abor and
the restrictions on materials was The
trouble raised at the time OF the laying
Ff the corner stone NJ the new Chica-
30 post pfiice in October The labor
unions threatened % break up the fan
festival unless they had their way. and
even tried to involve President McKir.
lPs in their quarrel They compelled |
/ resident Mckinley 10 accept card OF
u norary membership IN the local I
brickiayeis and stone masons' union.
before he handed the trowe in the
corner stone laying ceremonies. Work
is now at standslill On the building.
and local stone cutters threaten To keen
the buildnr tied up unless the granite
~ dressedcin Chicago instead OF 40 80
Quarries at Mount WaldO. Me, as had
3 sch arranged by the contrat tor.
Tho Chicago building Trades ccun- |
CH, the central body. with which all
the unions OF he p building trades are
affiliated. Is said q be the most power
fui organization of It's kind in the coun-
try 10 claims that ~ has never lost "A
fight with the contractors. and that N
viii not submit TO defeat in hc present
ftrlggle. Pres. Carroll OF the local |
councilis also president The Na ional |
building Trades council and n other
ways the local body r. ln close touch r.
wish kindred organizations al over the
To force the contractors 10 come 90 !
terms, the council has threatened 90
extend the strike 20 all work In other
cities In which a chicago contractor is
Interested