The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-02-06

they would have presented their mem
Ibership cards. He denied absolutely of
!having any knowledge of the $50 initia-
| ton fee incident.
What does the association propose
to do in this matter?" was asked.
Well, We'll have a meeting tonight
and If these four men apply for mem
| bership we will consider their applica-
tions. That rests entirely with them
If they want to join, all they have to
do is to present their applications and
they will be considered at the first reg
ular meeting"
The president evaded the issue as to
whether there was strike in progress
but as the associate hall was crowded
to its full capacity at the time, it was
quite evident thatea walk-out had been
agreed upon at the meeting on the
might previous. Connors' own state
ment Monday night that the journey
men would know at s o'clock yesterday
morning whether there would be a
strike on is significant in that none of
the journeymen reported for work at
the shops of the master plumbers.
Connors attempted to wax jocose over
the matter and stated that the men
Were not working because the weather
was inclement and further that they
had been working for such long time
that they needed holiday 1t is as
'serted that, despite Connors' statement
to the contrary, the four men did pre-
sent themselves for admittance into the
local association and that they were
given the alternative of paying $50
limitation fee or go without work One
of the four men, Mccoy, said yester-
day: 'The fee the association demand
led of us for admission was exorbitant.
We certainly expressed our desire and
|entire willingness to join the union and
are still in the same mind To ask
man to pay $50 to go to work is an
outrage and we do not intend to pay
it We are members in good standing
in Seattle, made good wages there, and
believe we are thoroughly competent to
earn good wages here or elsewhere
The determined action of United
States Attorney Baird in quoting the
law relating to the strike or walk out
in question had the effect of pouring oil
upon troubled waters. Col. Baird's DO
sition in regard to anything done in
restraint of trade is too well known and
if he is required to make use of his pre-
rogative in proceeding against the in
dividual members of the Journeymen
Plumbers Association he will not hesi-
tate to do SO. In other words, if the
'Journeymen plumbers persist in their
.endeavors to keep other men from
working by entering into conspiracy
to prevent them from getting employ
ment, either by threats, intimidation
or making an eXtortionate charge for
entrance into their organization, they
can be assured that the hand of the law
will reach out and take them in it's
grasp. Col. Baird says that under the
circumstances, Hawaii being a territory
and having the United States laws in
effect here, it is the prerogative of the
Territorial courts to take the initiative
in prosecuting the plumbers, and he
viii refrain from taking any action if
the Territorial courts wish to take ad-
vantage of their jurisdiction.
c. H. Brown, John Judge, Arthur Nc
Coy, William Cameron and George
OBrien met in the store of C. H.
Brown last evening and discussed the
action of the union in bitter words.
Late in the day Brown called at the
headquarters of the organization and
was informed that he had been sus-
pended. In regard to the suspension
Brown said:
I have been member of the master
plumbers for some time, and up to to-
day was in good standing, but I shall
certainly not abide by their requests.
l propose to stand by my men through
lit all, and if necessary will send to the
Coast for more help. / know for a fact
|, that these men all have membership
cards from different cities in the States
and also that they have applied for
membership here and rendered the old
fee of S25
There is plenty of work here for all
the men in the city and there is no rea
son for the present trouble except that
they have decided to prevent the men
l have caused to come here from work
ing. Up to the very night that the men
arrived the initiation fee stood at s25,
and the raise to $50 was for their bene-
fit. If any good reason could have been
assigned for the act the men would
have paid the amount demanded.
Cameron and O'Bren were employed
by Sellers until tonight, but when the
union threatened him he let them out,
and now they will work for me. If they
mean to fight me they will find that I
can fight, and think that can make
it warm for the union before they
finish