Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-03-01
SILENT SHEDS.
Sounds of Granite Cutters
Tools Have Ceased.
About 5000 in New England Demand
a New Schedule.
Settlement Already Effected at Barre. vs.
One AaIIoweIl Firm Makes Offer.

Boston, Feb. 2S.-The granite indus
try of New England, which has made
many localities famous the country
over ana which gives employment to
fully 5000 journeymen cutters, will BE-
at a standstill, tomorrow. by q wage
contention between tn. manufacturers
and the National Cutters Union.
The strike. it appears. will be gen
oral. although there are some indica-
tons that Individual settlements will
be reached quickly 50 that business in
such cases will hardly be disturbed
The strike will be due to an article in
the constitution and bylaws Of the
National Cutters Union. which says
That the new scale of wages. on
March /, shall be SO day, ana s
hours"
Tonight, the New England states as
a whole face what may result in the
longest, cOstliest labor contest, for
years. The men who are ready to
strike, are among the best paid arti-
sans in the East. and the sum total Of
the wages they will lose if the strike
is a protracted one. will be exceedingly
large. Granite manufacturing is wide
~ distributed for quarries crop out at
all parts Of the Appalachian range in
this corner Of The Union. each locality
having It's own particular trade or
color of granite. AT Quincy. Mass,
there is much monumental work; at
Concord, y. H., and Barre. VT. fine
building stone. while the quarries on
islands along the Maine coast and at
points not far inland, yield material
which enters into some Of the most
imposing structures in the country.
Tomorrow. at the call of the Nation
al Union. most of these QuarrieS will
be deserted by the cutters. and the first
stop will have to be taken to enforce
. demand. The grievance of the cut
rers is that their time and wage
schedules have not been uniform
Manufacturers heretofore have govern
ed their price lists to cutters on indi-
Vidual ability of the employee. The
demand of So per day has been paid to
skilled cutters. but they object TO the
demand that that figure he the mini
mum price paid. The S-hDur demand.
while objected to in many instances.
has not been the chief question. as
NEST quarlieS have longcd worked on
the 9-huur schedule The strike will
not he a hasty one on the part Of the
cutters nor Il surprise to the manufdc-
tuners
The latter We're given ample notice
Of the unions intentions and the past
weeks have seen much Of the material
worked M into finished product 1t is
4 remarkable feature that the granite
business has been very brisk all win
ter and cutters have had little or no
JUL times The union men according
~ in good shape for "A strike, but they
claim that the manufacturers have
contracts on hand representing millions
Of dollars.
The New England Granite Manufact-
urcrs Association. which represents a
ma jority Of The quarrias, replied to the
cutters notice that it was not possible
q gran the request, as the margins
Of profit on contracts already on hand
would not allow REIMBURSEMENT of wages
and hours. Contrary to the general
aspect Of strikes. this one will begin
with very little preliminary debate be
Uecn employer and employee. evincinE
the belief of the National Union that
the manufacturers will accede to the
demand with little delay.
The cutters employed in local shops,
about 80 in number. decided at 4
meeting. tonight. that in view of the
fact that existing contracts did not
expire until April T. they would wait
until that date before insisting upon
their demands for an average rat" OF
- cents an hour and an S-hour work
ing day