Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-02
Came Pretty Near Being Tied
 Up Like Other Builders.
HE HAD LUMBER ALL BOUGHT

So Gan Go On With His Contracts
 Some of the Contractors Are in
 Bad Way-Carpenters Determined to
 Stick to Their Colors-Other Trades
 May Be Tied Up Pretty Soon.
 Things are at a standstlll ill the strike of the carpenters and joiners, but it is understood that there will be some new developments within the next few days The men have decided to make a bold stand against the use 0f the card and in this they are supported by every craft in the building line, all Of which will soon be caught up and many of them idle unless the carpen- ters and the bosses get together. Much interest is centered in the meeting of ,ahe council of the Interstate associa- ton which is expected to be held in Bridgeport on Wednesday when 1t is said an effort will be made to have the card withdrawn so that work may pro- ceed without delay. Most of the build CTS want peace, but some of them are Mound to fight so that unless the wise heads show their hand there will be q big tie-up in Waterbury within week.
 A Democrat reporter was informed today that the masons intend to go out after the meeting of the association in case that body insists upon the use of the reference card and that other trades will fall into line thus bring ing all out of door operations to a close for the present. The workmen claim that they can get lots of work in other towns where they will not have to carry the reference card and while they would much prefer to remain at home they will dig out rather than sub init to the card regime. They have no fault to find about wages, hours or treatment, but they have no use for the card and shall refuse to have anything to do with it.
 There is no change in the lumber yards. They are still in the box and the state association is sitting on the lid. keeping the owners of these plants $ and their stock so secure that it is out of the question for them to sneeze un- til the general body sees fit to liberate I them, and this is something which is not likely to occur provided the lumber men can be kept under cover. It was said to-day parties outside the unions are endeavoring to get hold of the deal- CTS on charge of boycotting, but it seems to be pretty hard to secure evil dence to convict them. If you try to purchase anything from them they simply tell you that their men are out and their places closed and in this way people who might like to show up the scheme are put at a disadvantage. Of course the lumber men would like to sell to everybody that comes along with the cash, and it is said that they are doing little on the sly, but if so they are running big risks, for their movements are guarded closely and in case any of them should be caught he will be made an example of. The only way they can get out of the hole they allowed themselves to be enticed into is by making stampede in body and if is thought that it will come to that in the end if the state association does not provide ways and means of letting them escape at the session to be held next week.
 Contractor Ashborn is said to have escaped from the association by the closest kind of shave. He had joined the organization and was about to fur fnish his bond when he smelled a rat and got out of the way just in time to fsaye his neck He had several big Z l the material and according to law the dealers are obliged to furnish it to him according as he needs if. There are several other contractors about town who do not belong to the state associ- ation, but having no contracts made in advance for lumber they cannot do anything to speak of, though. curiously enough sopie of them are getting ma tl iS puzzled to know where 1t is coming from. A contractor said to-day that there is a splendid business opportuni- E lty for firm in Waterbury who would tseIl lumber and other things that enter AuaSnto the construction of buildings re- gardless of the trust. and that he heped to see some enterprising people open lumber yard here and hang out a shingle to that effect. There ap- pears to Joe some question as to wheth- CT this could be made pay. The con- fern might find itself up against n pretty stiff proposition from the big wholesale firms. who probably could not afford to sell to people outside the eombination. and in such an event the venture would prove failure at the start. At the present time tile 1um- Der combination is esta blished on a ihasis far more arbitrary than that of The beef trust and 1t looks as if the only way it can be combatted is by getting into the woods and getting tim Der on the plan in vogue before trusts and combines were thought of in the United States. If it comes to this we'll soon get back to a recognition of every mans right to sell his commodi- tties. labor included, at price to suit Sself This was the way business conducted in Waterbury and else
 ere before capital concluded to pool
 stocks, thus forcing labor to take a
 nilar step in order to protect itself.
 pr time capital had things it's own
 ay, but now the two contending ele-
 ents appear to be about evenly
 matched and 1t is high time outsiders topped in and forced them to submit