The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1903-05-15
No Prospect of a Settlement of
Jacksonville Strike.
Some Interesting Information Con-
corning the Towards Big
Plant.
THE MEN ARE CONFIDENT

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aff sci ae
There IL no change in the strike sit
uation Of ship carpenters and caulkers
in Paducah, or at Jeffersonville, Ind. I.
where the big Howard shipyards are
located. There have been no develop.
ments in the effort TO induce the men
at Mound City to strike.
Yesterdays Louisville Courier. Jour
nal said Of the situation there: The
men are not alarmed about the ont
come and claim they can find better
places elsewhere II the demands they
have made are not granted. There is
no fear of imported men taking their
places, as they cannot be had, IL is
claimed, because the boat builders have
been steadily leaving for several years
to find work that is not so hard.
As o justification Of their demand
for more pay, much stress is laid by
the men on the lack Of modern meth.
DDS in the yards which would tighten
the labor Of those who follow boat
building for living. Boats ct How.
ards, they say, arc built Just like they
were fifty years ago. II is one Of the
few places in this part of the country
where oxen are employed to transport
heavy timbers from one point TO anoth
er, and it Is an odd sight to watch the
beasts lazily dragging timbers around
the yard. Steam or electric power Is
not used for handling the lumber that
has to be moved from one place TO en-
other, but when the quarters become
too cramped for the oxen the ship car
penters pick up the heavy loads and
carry them to where they are needed.
II has been matter of wonder for
long time how Captain Howard
could build the fine boats that he does
with the few facilities at hand. The
main mill Is landmark about the
yard, and was used by Captain Jim
Howard during the earliest days Of the
famous yard. The square brick stack,
braced at many places by iron bands,
is q familiar sight TO the men who ply
the river between Louisville and Gin
cinnati and without It they would feel
like they were in . strange locality.
the ship carpenters claim that ifthere
was shed room, as they say there
should be, much work could be done
in bad weather and this would permit
thom to make fair living at the
wages paid, but under the present
IN ethods so much time is lost.
The strikers assert that they are not
worried about the outcome and II work
cannot be secured at the carworks or
elsewhere they will be provided for by
the 600 other union men in Jefferson
VILE, each OF whom will be assessed
25 cents a day to help those now out
at the shipyard. A casual visitor to
Jacksonville would not know there
was a strike on, as there is rarely a
word heard about 1t on the streets, but
IN the eastern part Of the city and in
Port Fulton the strike il the only sub
ject talked, as 1t is of vital interest to
the people living in that locality.
The strikers deny that they took ad-
vantage Of Captain Howard by walk
ing out on him without proper notice.
As early as the FIST of March, they
assert, he was asked to consider read
justment Of the scale, but he paid no
attention to the request. Later on
Walter Lafever went to him, on Off.
cial action Of the Carpenters and
Joiners' union. but Captain Howard
refused to listen to his request for .
conference on the ground that he.was
employed in Louisville aud he would
not recognize him as q representative
of the Jacksonville workmen. On
Tuesday q committee waited on him,
but the meeting was not satisfactory.
Captain Howard still remains silent ~
to what his view of the situation Is
and looks upon the strike as case Of
ingratitude ON the part of the men he
has employed for years. He is just as
firm as the strikers and the trouble
may not be ended for some time to
come.