The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-01
THE STRIKE is STILL ON.
TRADES COUNCIL DECIDES NOT TO
DISCONTINUE THE AGITATION.

Majority for the Continuance of the
Struggle for Less Work and More
Pay-The Striking Journeymen of
All Trades VIII Go Into the Com
tracing Business for Themselves.
Secretary j. vi. SNiIbOn VIII he in
VIII Bid ON Contracts Submitted
to Him-Both Sides Claim to Have
Won out ON the Fight.
A meeting of the Building Trades
Council was held at Labor Hall last
night, BY large majority it was decid-
ed that the strike now in progress should
be continued ard that the strikers should
go into the contracting business for
themselves.
The meeting of the Council was presided
over by President G.. w. Gruver, while
J. M. Wilbon acted as secretary. The
movement to discontinue the strike and
to accept the terms offered by the con-
tractors was begun in the meeting, and
had some supporters, but. as has been
stated, its opponents were in a very
large majority and the proposal to give
up the fight and surrender met with scant
encouragement. When the motion was
placed upon its passage it was easily de-
feated by its opponents.
OF The thirty-three members of the
Council twenty-one were present and
voting. A considerable number of these
representatives of the journeymen of the
various trades took part in the discus
sion that followed the proposal to dis
continue the strike and some of the argu-
ments were of the ,red-hot order.
1t was determined that the strikers
should go into the contracting business for
themselves, on the cooperative basis. This
part of the work of the strike and the
strikers will be in charge of Secretary J.
Nj. Wifbon, who will open offices at ~
Barnard street. The journeymen will I'M
dertake the construction of buildings of
every character, and they believe that they
will be able to find the capital that will
assure the success of their undertaking.
AS to their mechanical ability to complete
the work there is of course no doubt.
The strikers rely much upon the public
sympathy with their cause, that they be-
lieve exists in Savannah. They think that
this will induce the people of the city 70
give them their contracts rather than the
regular contractors, and that in this way
they will be able to provide. work for all
of their members who are now idle. At
sympathy
seems to be somewhat doubtful quantity,
and whether this new departure of the
strikers will meet with encoura cement
sufficient to guarantee its success, re-
mains matter of considerable uncertain
ty.
That the contractors and their jourrer-
men have. not been able to reach an agree
ment as to their pending controversy &C.
casions the regret of the general public
Whatever be the rights or wrongs of their
disagreement, the unbiased citizens of
the community, uninterested particularly
| in either cause, had cherished the hope
that the whole matter would he settlsd,
in a manner that would be satisfactory 10
all. That this most desirable resu has
rot been accomplished and that, on the
contrary the warning factions are fight
ing each other as hard or harder tnan
ever brings general public discontent.
Tonight there will be a mass meeting
of the members of the various unions to
consider matters in connection with the
continuance of the strike and to listen to
speeches from the more prominent of their
speakers. The mass meeting will be held
at Labor Hall and it Is expected that the
fading courage Of some CT the strik RS
will be revivified by the eloquence of tho e
who will address them. The leaders an
nounce ii as their determination 10 fight
out the fight to the bitter end ard to
,
have assumed.
Reports have it that patches of union
mechanics are being transferred TO places
other than Savannah, and that in their
new h mes they are receiving the wages
TO which they think themselves entitled
The leaders of the strike are as confident
as ever that they will win out in the end
and that the contractors VIII come to
their terms.
On the contrary, the contractors say
that they have all the hands they need,
and that they will have absolutely no
difficulty in carrying out any contracts
Il at may be entrusted 10 them. So far
as mechanics are concerned the contrac-
tors claim to have more applications for
positions than they have vacancies to fill,
and their contention is that the majority
of these applicants are first-class work.
men. The contractors sem to be as
abundantly satisfied as are their striking
ex-employes.
FOR LARCENY AND ASSAULT.