The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-12-09
WHY WORK SUNDAY?
Labor Interests Are Opposed to Sun
day Work on Hennepin
Avenue Paving.
They Believe . Larger Force Would
0bviate the Necessity and
Save Money. .

aOrganized labor is likely .tos$ protest
against the Sunday work now being done
hyscity employees in paving Hennepin ave-,
nue. between Thirteenth, street and, Iiar-
mon place. Secretary PHILIP Catlin Of the
building trades council said this morning IS
S'sAH the unions are much opposed, 70
any work on Sunday that is not absolutely
necessary. i I'm surprised that the city
authorities who, are 1 faInilia r Wit n the
views of so many voters should encourage
Sunday work. !. I understand TINS fpaVlng
is being. done by the city and not by con-
tractors. 55g ! = i. 5t:,-4 s2ts5 q * ~
81 suppose the excuse@is that the Work
1nust#be finished as, soon. as possible be
causeSof cold weather. But that Isn't "a
good excuse. It couldn't have surprised
t1esauthoritfes very much to learn that
Christmas. is almost here. presume
there's a calender at the city hall. Ihe
officials in charge of the paving knew
that they would have to hurry to COM
plete the work, and they knew it long ago.
Why didn't they then begin working more
men on week days? Business, of course,
is good now, and most competent men are
employed. But there is plenty Of unskllled
labor out Of work at this season and con
siderable skilled labor besides; 9. Some OF
| those men could have been .hired, and the
eight hours now gained every Sunday
could have been distributed over the six
days Of the working week. Enough more
7 men, every week day to do the equivalent
of little more than one hours work fol
the present gang. That's all the extra
labor that would be required. In other
| words. why couldn't the number of mer
now employed be increased a trifle more
than one eighth? It's easy enough to get
| the men. '.-. ~. .'. - - /:
Sunday Work Costs Double.
1.-THE city would have saved money
! by avoiding Sunday work. That is always
| counted by union labor double time.
| So the city, which now gets eight hours
extra work done on Sunday could get
sixteen hours work on week days fol-
ers are not gaining much, AI'm afraid
by the present arrangement.
r "The unions oppose Sunday work fol
several reasons A working man needs
| his one day Of rest out Of. seven. He
ought to be provided not only to rest or
Sunday but to go. to church that day, il
he wants to. The unions do their best te
discourage Sunday work. If it must be
| done because contractor or owner 11as
shown no foresight, then the man tina
makes the mistake must pay well for his
| blunder. IT,.
...-..,. A Chance for Churches. -.
. 81 wonder why the church people aren
looking into this Sunday work by thu
| city? The churches are quick enough
to shut up saloons on Sunday and to com
plain that the working man doesn't com,
to church? How can he come when he:
I Obliged to work? I'm church membe
myself, but I'm inclined to think that or
ganized labor is ahead Of many churche
now when 1t comes to practical Christian
ity. > :....- - - =
\ But it is seldom really necessary TO
any man to work on Sunday. Many o
our most prosperous contractors neve
work man on Sunday from one end o
the year to the other. And when Sun
day work isn't necessary it shouldn't b
Z tolerated. :..'1 -s.: .T,.'-f,
The matter may be brought before tn
" building trade council at it's next meeting