New-York tribune., 1900-04-19

it to his countrymen. The hand drillers are Just
| one grade above the common laborers They
| have been receiving 81 80 day, and struck for
| 81 10. About eighty of them employed
| the new dam, and the contractors offer to raise
their wages 20 cents will increase the payroll by
] $16 day. Rotella said he could not say whether
they would accept that offer until he had talked
\ it with the men. The demands of the
| mon laborers for 81 30 day instead of 81 % was
also taken up. Mr.. Coleman protested that, con-
| sidering the nature of the work done by these
| men, It was not worth more than 81 %. and he
would not be Justified. under the terms of his
| contract with the city. in paying for it.
Father Sabiro said the laborers were willing
work ten hours day for 81 90 instead Of nine
| hours as heretofore but this. of course had lit
| tie weight. the higher paid men the job.
who contented with their wages, could not
| be expected to work ten hours for the same
money as they have been getting for nine, and
there would be small advantage in having the
laborers work hour after the rest knocked eff
OFFER CARRIED TO THE STRIKERS.
Rotella then started for the headquarters Of
his cOuntrymen in Little Italy to tell them
what the contractors would do
When ne returned he said TO a Tribune re-
porter: THE hand driIlers are satisfied with
this raise. but the laborers are even more dis
satisfied than before. because they say they are
day and the hand drilers 81 so The former
still hold out and threaten all the others if they
return work. Many men would have gone to
work to-day. but they were afraid They have
heard the threats of the laborers. and they still
remember them. No harm may be done to them
while the militia is here but when il leaves the
laborers say they will then be able to retaIiate
A concession of only 10 cents a day. 1 am sure,
will be enough TO satisfy the laborers."
CyOldSbOFOngh WI
had said. replied: This scare will work off,
More would have reported on duty to-day had II
not rained. I believe that few days of good
weather will put things back where they were
before. Sixteen laborers working on the
night shift tonight"
Major-General Roes test OF the numerical
strength or weakness of the strikers. which he
intended to make yesterday By blowing tho
whistle calling the men resume work on the
dam under the protection of the militia, did not
have such clear cut results as he had antici-
pated, and did not supply him with the accu-
rate information that he desired. The number
OF men who returned TO work at the Whistles
sound was comparatively small but the rain
fell so steadily that under ordinary circum-
stances no man would have turned out to work
at ALL the contractors declare. because IL was
not possible TO do good work under such condi-
tions. No attempt made by the strikers
TO detain by violence these wOrkmen who an
swered the morning whistles call. and about
two hundred men responded. OF these sixty
work In the Guarres and hundred and six
teen on the DAM The remainder We're train
men, engineers AID other employees working on
the railroad which brings the quarried stone &c
the dam. Not one OF these who
had struck for increased pay. II said All
of them had been satisfied with their wages. but
the contractors had been obliged to lay them
on when the strike of the laborers and hand
drillers had stopped the work.
About OF new men were bold enough
TO present themselves TO MI the places OF tho
stubborn laborers. Most OF them We're negroes
A little work done in the morning the
DAM and then the men stopped for dinner After
dinner the negroes did not return To work. Ma