The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-20
MAY GET MINE-H0URS DAY.
RESULT OF LABOR UNIONS HEAR
ING BEFORE CITY COUNCIL.

Adoptfon of the Nine-Tiour Day for
City Labor, Dating From July 1.
The Resolution to he offered at
Meeting Tuesday Afternoon When
General Discussion Is Invited.
Labor Men withdraw Other De-
nands-Mayor Myers Regards the
Movement with FnvOr-TaIIz of
Some of the Union Men.
Official notice IS given in to-day's Morn
ing News that, at meeting of Council
to be held Tuesday afternoon at 4:3O
o'clock, the following resolution will be Of
fered:
Resolved That, beginning with July
!, 1900, the employees of the said corpora
ton in the departments, under the con-
troll of the Committee on Streets and
Lanes and the director Of public works,
shall work nine hours a day, the time Of
work TO be between such hours as the said
committee and director OF public works
shnll deem best"
The notice further states that all inter-
ested are invited to be present, and that
they Will be given an opportunity to be
heard if desired. The resolution Is the
result of the action taken by Council in
Committee of the Whole after hearing
from the representatives of the Building
Trades Unions, and of the Builders Ex
change, upon The petition presented by
the union men for the adoption by the
city of nine-hour day, and the employ
ment of only union labor on public work.
There was a large attendance of labor
ing men and others interested at the hear
Ing before Council yesterday afternoon,
and number of addresses were made,
especially from the labor side The chief
arguments offered were that the work
ingmen of the city employed in the build
ing trades are now engaged in desper-
ate struggle 20 better their cond ton, that
they have made reasonable and moderate
demands upon the contractors, which the
latter have refused to- grant and that sew
eral hundred men are now out of employ
ment as the result of ,his state of affairs.
Unless some remedy is obtained IL was
urged that the result would be serious
loss to the city with consequences which
no enc could forcsee. AS the workingmen
compose large proportion of the popu-
tauon and are a necessity 60 the citys
welfare and prosperity 1t was urged that
they are entitled to the consideration Of
the city government. The action of Coun-
would serve as a precedent which would
be of value to The workingmen in their
contention and would give them the moral
support of the city government
The principal speakers for the labor side
were w. j. Williams of Atlanta. a mem
Der of the National Executive Board OF
Carpenters and Joiners, W. S. Harris of
the Savannah Trade and Labor Assembly
and Secretary j. M Wilbon, of the Sa-
vannah Building Trades Council Mr.. VIII
hon made pisa for the workingmen and
their claims for recognition at the hands
of Council. He dwelt especially upon the
point that other cities, where the nine
hour day is in effect, are seeking to Sc
cure the best woTklngmen from Savannah
aud are offering them even better wages
than they have received here. Unless soma
encouragement is given, such as that
sought from Council, he said, many of
these men will be compelled to leave the
city, Notwithstanding their homes are
here and that many of them are small
property owners. The loss, he declared,
was one which the city could not afford.
Mr.. Williams discussed chiefly the stan
Gard labor day question and said he blam-
ed the Savannah workingmen for rot ask
ing Ter an eight-hour day, this having been
generally accepted as the standard llbo
day throughout the country. This stand
ard has been fixed by act Of Congress fer
all government work, whether done direct
tract number of cities have also Off
cially adopted the eight-hour day and
number OF others have adopted the nine
hour day. The fixing of a standard labor
day is no new thing, Mr. Williams said
and Savannah is behind the times in fai
ing TO make such a provision.
Mr.. Williams oDntended that g. Is not
only the duty of Council to fix the eight
hour day, but that If all the people in neel
or employment could not be given work
with an eight-hour day the number of
hours should be reduced until this should
be the case. If the work is only sufficient
10 give everybody employment at four
hours day then four hours should be
made the standard.
Mr.. Harris, in his remarks, said that
the strike had been a remarkably order
ly one to date, but II the present condi-
tion Of affairs should continue there is
no telling how long this order might be
preserved and an explosion might como
when least expected. Mr.. Harris even in
simated that if the question at issue were
not promptly settled that something Sc
rious might happen by tomorrow
night"
Mr. G.. II. Nungezer read a letter from
contractor at Tampa. in which the writ
er stated that he had 100000 brick to
lay and wanted to know how many good
masons he could get from Savannah He
also read a letter from a Savannah ma
Augusta, stating that he got
Job within ten minutes after
arriving there, and that twenty-five more
men were wanted. AT both of these cities
the men are working nine hours, Mr..
Nungezer said.
'Out of 37S cities in the United States
which have fixed a standard day of la
Dor" said Mr. Nungezer, lin POS the nine
hour day is the standard; in 70 cities the
eight-hour day is the standard, and in
only two out of the whole $40 IS the ten
hour day the standard"
Secretary Wilbon called upon Brother
w. H. Burgess, a colored delegate, to
announce a modification of the petition
which had been agreed upon al con-
ference OF the labor representatives. Bur-
CESS made rather indefinite statement
without announcing the modification
Mayor Myers then called upon the build
ers and contractors 90 present their side
of the case. Mr.. ]. r. Eason announced
that Messrs. Burgess, Cox and Ward
had been appointed committee so speak
for the builders. Mr.. j. L. Burgess adj
H.