New-York tribune., 1903-07-25
STIR IN LABOR CIRCLES,
Stonecutters' "Grafting" Denounced
by Walking Delegate,
EMPLOYERS SUFFERED LONG.

The revelations OF the alleged methods Of union
officers brought out at the trial OF Lawrence
Murphy, ex-treasurer OF the Journeymen stone
Cutters Union caused stir among the labor
unions yesterday Even the employers say there
are honest walking delegates and one of these.
delegate of the Brotherhood of Carpenters, said =
The revelations made at the trial. if they are
true. are disgrace to organized labor They make
ashamed that am walking delegate
It is pity that the officers Of a union should
make such a tyrannous abuse Of their power. It
is pretty certain that this state Of affairs cannot
last much longer.
The story of the alleged extensive system Of
graft among the leaders of the Journeymen
Stone Cutters Union looked on by the board
of governors of the Building Trades Employers
Association a justification Of their course in
shutting down work until their plan of arbitration
was accepted. A sta tement made on behalf of the
press committee yesterday afternoon said In part:
We knew long ago about the system of corruption
existing among walking delegates and other Off
GERS of unions. We were. handicapped, however,
by conditions. and strikes were threatened right
and left until contractors were willing to submit
10 extortion But patience at last ceased to be
virtue and the organization of the Building Trades
Employers Association followed in order to end
such ntolerabe conditions. Orr plan OF arbitra-
ton was formulated and at first appeared to have
been misunderstood. both by the public and the
unions.
The revelations brought out in the against
the ex-treasurer of the Journeymen Stone Cutters
Union, which apparently show that he was made
the scapegoat in a big scheme for heecing
ployers. is sufficient justification of policy.
We still recognize the respectable walking dele
gates representatives of the unions, though not
arbtrators but the other element for some
time seems to have had the control Its reign,
however. seems to be nearing end
The Board of Building Trades had a brief meet
ing yesterday afternoon in Brevoort Hall R. J.
Ainslow. ex-walking delegate of the Journeymen
Stonecutters Union, seen at the hall while the
meeting in progress. In reference to the fines
imposed by the union on employers he said that
there nothing to indicate that anything of
this kind irregular not provided for in the
constitution of the union.
William Fyfe, acting secretary OF the Board of
Building Trades. who is also a delegate of the
being laid off because refused to sign the
ton. said after the meeting of the board that ais
union had begun to retaliate 1t had started in to
order strikes against independent employers who
had work members of the Brotherhood of Car
penterS, which has signed the arbitration agree
ment of the Employers Association. Strikes Of
other trades ii reported, also in progress
Among the buildings reported TO be affected by the
strikes is Helen N. Goulds home. at Forty-sev
Delegates of ten Brotherhood Of Carpenters stated
/ last evening that they would get back at the
Amalgamated Carpenters Society by ordering
the George A. Fuller Company has members of the
ANA lganlated Carpenters Society at work Sew
/ eral months the brotherhood struck against the
Fuller company on all the contracts where 1t en-
Society. The company then made agreement
with the latter