Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-25
CODE OF REFERENCE GARD.

6 IIIlII 7--ll & lIH = Il -
 had signed with the card included ana
 wanted to object to it now, We would be clearly in error, but inasmuch as It is a new thing, an addition tackled on by one party to the contract, we cialm that it is a violation of the agreement and the bosses have no right to rofce if mon us. We want to stand by the terms of our contract, but it seems the bosses wish to amend it now, Wneth- CT we like 1t or not.
 We exhausted every effort to pre- vent a clash, even going so far as to agree to a local card which could De used ,by the contractors here fn town, but they wouldn't be satisfied with that and insisted that they had no op- ton in the matter. The card should be general. There is lots of work in Waterbury and no trouble in securing desirable men to do 1t, so that in case this thing drags along and interferes with building we want the public to know where to place the responsib1l- ity."
 MT Wilson of the Master Builders association was seen at the office of Tracy Bros and stated that he saw nothing objectionable in the card nor did he consider it a violation of the agreement signed with the men. He said it couldn't be violation of the new contract which does not go into effect until May l, so that the strike is under the conditions of the old con tract. He said 1t was nothing more than an honest effort on the part of employers to find out what kind of men were applying for work and that he believed after the carpenters and joiners understood it they would be as much in favor Of it as the bosses are. He was positive that it was no attempt at blacklisting and meant nothing more than what the association claimed for It. some sort of system of getting at the character of men who call to look for jobs. He considered it no more of violation of the terms of the con tract than a notice they posted in their mill recently with rEference to the help getting in on time and informing them of the system to be used in dock ing men who were late. E
 Senator Tracy claimed that it aimed to put employers of labor in possession of just such information as they ought to have and wanted to know what ob- lection an honest workman could have to it. He believed that every employer of labor has right to know some thing about the kind Of men he takes into his employ and thought the whole 4 Al>f,, 1ar. .cf O nd dino thn mart of the men. He said if this strike goes on it will put stop to probably a million dollars worth of building in
 Waterbury during this season. He felt
 that the workingmen never. would be
 satisfied until they dictated what kind
 of hats their employers should wear. Another very prominent member of the Master Builders association was
 seen and the way he pitches into the
 bosses was a caution. He was free to state that the boss carpenters made q big bull on this card business and that they knew it. Why" he said. 'they had that reference card question in
 the first agreement they prepared but they tore 1t up and made one without inserting anything about 1t because they knew the men wouldn't sign with such a clause in the contract and now after 1t has been signed by both parties and prospect of peace between them selves and their help for whole year 1 they come along and try to enforce it. I don't blame the men to object. The
 bosses knew all about that reference card before they signed the contract and wanted to put it In, but they were afraid that 1t would make trouble. If AJ -fel,A {c.1 nP 4INn kind that was the time to do it and if | if they neglected to do it then I can't
 see why they should try to do it now.
 You mark my word for it, there will | be music at our next meeting"
 All the local boss carpenters do not 1 belong to the Master Builders associa- | ton. but most of them do. The lum7 ber mills were forced into it under a l threat, some of them being told that l if they stood out the bosses would buy | their stock from out of town concerns. The large jobs on which work will be suspended are the Camp building, | Jones. Morgan x Co.'S, T. B. MulIings and the Platt block on Bank street, Bohfs new refrigerator near the New ] England depot. the Mulcahy school, | the new office building of the Water l DUTY Mac0lne SO, tue LuuulnSCOn
 building on Bank street. Fagan's livery
 stable on South Main street, the Grace
 Baptist church, Kingsbury street, and
 many other private residences in diff l ferent parts of the town.
 l The principal boss carpenters and 1 builders ill Waterbury are as follows Tracy Bros, J. J. Macauley, Johr Mraz, Ashborn, Chauncey Seeley S Go 1 George A. Upham, J. s. Goodwin l Charles Payne, Owen Carey, Rober l Mackie, Thomas Delowry, Charles Mil
 Ter, Christopher Ketcham, the Fidelity Construction Go, Victor Bernier, J. T l Bitner. E. c. Smith, John Clohessey
 Mills Waterbury Lumber Go, J. F. l Smith X Go.
 Of course almost all the other con l tractors are affiliated with the organi
 zation and many of them claim tha