Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-04-28
Have No Desire to Regulate His
 Wearing Apparel.
BUT DISLIKE REFERENCE CARD

rhey Claim That Contractor Macauley AMDeceived Them-More Meh Went
 To-Day-Tracy Bros Carpenters
 eyeral Towns Are Also Out.
 following communication was
 out to-day at the headquarters
 e Carpenters and Joiners' union
 yaterbury, Conn, April 28, 1905.
 or of the Democrat:
 bear Sir-We noticed in your issue
 April % that Senator Tracy and MT
 Ason claim that the reference card
 bnly to give general information to
 ye master builders in regard to the
 bility and character of the men. It eems very strange to us that the builders should find it necessary to re- sort to such an underhanded way Of finding out things which can be learn ed by other and honorable methods We fail to see how it is possible for any builder to carry on business if what Senator Tracy says be correct We should like to ask the gentleman how the builders have been able to manage their affairs for the past fifty
  Senator Tracy appears worried lest the union men should attempt to reg ulate the style of hat he shall sport We suppose he thinks he knows what suits his own complexion best and that something selected by somebody else might make him look ridiculous. The nlilkmaid thought she never was all out until she donned her green bonnet, | IA,1{ l,,141a 0n0d would suit MT Tracy or not is some thing which has not yet been settled I've are all in quandary over this hat lQuestion, but we wish to assure the |( senator that>we shall not insist upon his wearing anything contrary to his own liking. Leaving the hat question aside and taking up the old saw, hand some is who handsome does, we ven ture to suggest ttat the hat does not make the man. It did not betray a very truthful man when MT Macauley told the Carpenters union that the master builders were using the card in Derby and that everybody was much pleased with it. We sent a man down there to inquire into the matter but diligent search through that town concinved him that W or Ansonia. If there were any cards in these places nobody was using them nor had been asked to. MT Macauley had hat of his own selection on when Z he told Us that yarnSso that if he went wrong with it he cannot blame the un ion. There must be something out of true somewhere. We don't thipk the trouble is due to the style of hat worn by the bosses or the men, but in any cAse we pledge our word to Senator Uracv that there is no intention on our bart to bother him over the kind of hat lle wishes to sport, black or white, tall br short. We suppose that whatever the style or color the article will be un- ion made'' '-... s.s
 CARPENTERS UNION, NO 26o.
 The strike of the carpenters and join kers is now on in earnest and unless it Ns settled by the withdrawal of the Preference card it promises to be as @long drawn out as that of the trolley men's and be far more disastrous to the business interests of the commun- N ity. A communication received to- day from the national executive com mittee states that the card must be fought and that the unions in New York, Rhode Island and Connecticut have decided to make @ determined stand against its use, such course On the part of the master builders being regarded as an infringement upon the rights of the men and an effort to npake slaves of the men. Business X gent Smith said to-day that all they broposed to offer in return for their ywages was an equivalent in labor and fhat he saw no reason why anybody / should look for more than that. The union, he said, shall refuse to carry {any card except it's own.
 The men quit to-day on work in ' course of construction in Waterbury and WateryiIle by the Torrington Building Co, which includes the Pin shop and three or four other large con tracts about the center.
 All union carpenters in the employ cf the Tracy Bros at East Haven Danbury and New York have been N> pulled off and will remain out until the difference is adjusted. The latter contract is for an old ladies' home al Harrison, and is said to be two years Job. Work will be resumed to-mor- row on the Holohan block on South Main street. The builder to whom the contract was awarded, the late Charles O'Connor, was member ot the Interstate Builders association but it is understood that his widow fwho has been appointed administrator on the estate, wished to sign the unior agreement and proceeded to finish uI the work, and had been advised by counsel that the association cannot collect the bond which MT O'Connol ned when he became a member ot
 association. Contractor AshborT
 Dver his head in business since he
 he'd the contract and has as many
 m hammering away as he can han
 Some of the men spend their time
 k their headquarters and appear sat
 sfied to remain out until the card is relegated to the grave of oblivion from which they say it should never have emerged.
 4~.1-s -s~r~-