Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-01
Men Quit Work in Many
Cities.
DEMAND MORE WAGES
IN MOST INSTANCES SHORTER
DAY ASKED.
Scarcely an Industrial Center Where
There Has Not Been More
or Less Trouble.

PHILADELPHIA. May 1.-More than
1000 men in the building trades went ON
strike here today. This action affects d.
rectly / 900 workmen and should the strike
continue a week building operations will
cease and over 10000 men will be rendered
idle.
Two of the strikes have an important
bearing on all other branches Of the build
ing trades-that of the Brotherhood of Car
penters and the strike of the Hosting
Eagneers Union. The carpenters demand
40 cents an hour for an eight-hour day.
The hosting engineers ask for $3.50 for
week of forty-eight hours.
The carpenters We're in session until B
o'clock this morning voting on the strike
issue. The membership of the brotherhood
numbers 5000 men and that of the Anal
gamated Association Of Carpenters 500.
The two organizations. while not affiliated,
have made the same demands.
Other Unions Declare Strikes.
The Hosting Engineers Union has about
$50 members. Strikes were also inaugurated
by several smaller unions including stone
derrickmen, marble cutters and the plas-
terers' laborers, all of whom demand an
Increase in wages.
There are two organizations of hosting
engineers In the city, the International AS
sociation and the Hosting and Portable
Engineers Union. The former organiza
tion Is not on strike, but its members have
agreed not to take the places of the strik-
ing hosting and portable engineers. This
department of the building trades is essen
tal in the construction of large buildings.
as the work of the bricklayers, granite
cutters and structural iron workers depends
upon the engineers. Their agreement with
the holsters will not permit them to work
with non-union men of the latter branch.
1t can thus be seen that a continuance of
the engineers strike will result in ceSsa-
ton of operations on all large structures
No Serious Trouble in New York.
NEW YORK, May 1.-The strikes of me-
chanics and laborers which had been looked
for today did not materialize to the extent
that had been anticipated. although a great
many men, including 10000 Italian exca-
vators are on strike. The agreement
reached last night by the railroad officials
and the marine engineers to submit their
differences to arbitration put stop to the
general ue-up of all freight steamers in
this vicinity. Freight continued to move as
usual. but the demands of the engineers
have temporarily demoralized the move
ment of craft which depend on tugboats.
A number of the owners of tugboatS de-
cided to resist the demands of the engineers
and tied their boats up, while in other
cases. the engineers left their posts. Some
Of the companies were successful in secur-
ing non-union men to take charge of their
engine rooms. The situation is not nearly
so serious as had been looked for The
only serious aspects are in connection with
the movement to barges which bring New
fork's ice supply, and the docking and TAX
ing to sea of the big ocean liners.
The strike ordered by the teamsters' union
last night has not yet reached any
proportions. The orders were issued to
400 members. but not one-fourth of these
quit work.
Italian Laborers Quit Work.
Some 10000 Italian excavators and rock
men engaged on the subway answered the
call for strike by their leader today
They ask 81 day for all men. experienced
and inexperienced. while the contractors
say they can pay this to experienced men
only. The strikers paraded the streets, each
waving an American flag This strike
practically put a stop to work on the sub
way and also on excavations for new build
ings.
The strike of the boilerma kers was settled
last night and the shipyards today are oper-
ating with full forces. Another strike set
lied today was that on the Muscoot dam,
the 300 men returning to work.
In the building trades there is not a strike
TO interfere with work. the only trouble
being that occasioned by the differences be-
tween the Amalgamated and Brotherhood
carpenters.
Many Strikes at Pittsburg.
PITTSBURG, Pa, May 1.-The boiler
makers, ornamental and architectural
housesmiths and stationary hoisting engi-
neers in Pittsburg and Allegheny quit work
today. the employers having refused to con-
cede their demands. Six hundred boiler
makers and 400 helpers are idle They de-
mand 81 per day and eight hours work an
advance of 30 cents per day and a reduction
from nine to eight hours a day The
Brotherhood of International Boilermakers
and Shlpbuilders have been notified and
where the men are employed by the same
contractors in other cities the men will be
requested to strike in sympathy. The sta
uonary hosting engineers have been re-
ceiving 4l1a cents per hour and want 80
cents an hour.
AS many of the engineers are employed
by the American Bridge Company, it Is
thought the strike will also affect the
structural tronworkers.
In the towns of Fayette CITY Cha rleroi
Belevernon, MonesSen and Donora along
the Monongahela valley, building has been
almost entirely suspended by a strike of
carpenters. brfcklayers. stonemasons plas-
terers and hodcarriers. The strikers are
asking for an eight-hour day
Great Unrest in Boston.
BOSTON. May Mot in many years has
the labor situation in Boston presented a
more complicated aspect than 1t did today
The employees in nine trades. at least, had
made demands, on penalty of strike and
10000 men are interested In the issue. In
many cases. however. partial settlement
had been reached or was in prospect In
only a few instances had there been posi-
tive refusal on the part OF the employers
Those who had presented demands included
bakers. fathers. bridge and structural iron
workers. hosting and portable engineers
asphalt and artificial stone workers. lum-
Der transfers and handlers, carpenters
sheet metal workers and eoilermakers
Those employed in the building trades de-
mand an increase in pay. the others shorter
workdays and the settlement of various in
dividual grievances.
Laundry Workers Strike.
CHICAGO, May TWENTY-FIVE hundred
members OF the Laundry Workers Union
quit work today. There are 5000 of these
workers. including laundry wagon drivers
and less than one-fifth of the number are
men. Chinese laundries, of which there are
nearly a thousand In Chicago are to be in
vclved. The employers have issued a call
for meeting of laundry proprietors for
this purpose. and efforts will be made to
induce the Chiuamen to stand by the laun-
drymcns association In its efforts to with
stand the demands of the workers The
women and men on strike are asking an ad-
vance OF wages ranging from 10 to so per
cent, which, the prOprietOrS saw they cam