The Savannah morning news., 1903-06-15
HOTEL HELP STRIKE
| ECHO of CHICAGO TROUBLE
HEARD IN SAVANNAH.
NOT VERY LOUD, HOWEVER.
STRIKERS NUMBER ABOUT
TWELVE MEN ONLY.

The Screven House and Pulaski
House Gully Places Affected and
They Got Along Very Well Yes
terdny without the Dissatished
HcIp-The Demand Was Made for
Schedule of Wages About the same
rs Being Paid, but Union Labor
Was Insisted UpOn-HOteI Men viii
Not Sign Agreements.
A small-sized echo of the labor trou-
bles now being experienced in the West
was heard in Savannah yesterday,
when the time for breakfast arrived
at the Pulaski House and the Screven
House. and there was a short number
of walters on hand.
A short time before this the pro-
prietors of these hotels had been served
with a notice, or rather a contract,
half written and half printed, for sig
nature. The contract or agreement
amounted to a demand for a scale of
wages, and was sent from the head
quarters of the Hotel and Restaurant
Employees Local Alliance No 23S. 1t
was not signed at all, but had the seal
of the alliance upon it, which showed
that No. 23S was only few months
old.
No attention had been paid to the
document further than that the hotel
men had asked the men what grew
ance they had. 1t was matter of
fact that at the Screven House the
walters were paid the same through
the year, although in some cases
summer rate, of 81 or less, was paid
The men spoken to couldn't exactly
tell what was the matter. Some looked
wise and said that nom union labor
was being employed on the premises
The time for striking was not men
toned in the paper submitted, and the
hotel men were rather surprised When
informed yesterday morning that a
number of employees had not reported
for duty. OF the Screven House force
only two of the nine walters were
on hand, one being the head waiter.
Two of the cooks, two dishwashers and
the bootblack were also missing. AT
the Pulaski House seven men were alb
sent from roll call, leaving about half
a force in the dining room. The head
waiter was not among the strikers.
Pressed into SERVICE
The hotel men were very soon aware
of the conditions existing, and the
places of the strikers were quickly flll-
ed with men from other positions, and
from outside. The Screven House was
assisted by number of families friend
ly to the proprietor, who loaned their
buffers for the day, and will continue
to assist him until the required num-
Der of new, men are brought in. The
bell bows and porters were called into
service where available and competent
and the guests at the two hotels men
toned hardly knew that anything had
happened.
AT dinner time the new or borrowed
men were even better prepared 10
handle the dishes, and there was plen-
ty of help at the Pulaski and ScreVen.
To-day the hotel men expect to have
applications by the bunch, and the
strikers places will be filled, they say,
in short order.
Inquiry at the De Soto revealed the
fact that everything was serene there,
and not even a suspicion of trouble
was to be found. If the walters belong
to the Alliance they evidently decided
that it was better to continue work
than to strike for what they We're al
ready getting, and put themselves out
of employment. None of the restau-
rants were affected by the strike, and
the only places short of men seemed TO
be the two hotels mentioned.
Mr. Dub, proprietor of the ScreVen
House. said last night that he felt
that he had been badly treated by his
employees. He showed to reporter the
agreement" that had been sent to him
for signature. It hadn't even been
signed by any officer of the Alliance.
The scale of wages asked for, Mr.. Dub
said, was about the same as the Screw
en- House paid throughout the year
With some houses, he said, 1T was
customary to reduce the pay for sew
eral months during the dull, summer
season. In red ink, added as a sort
of "codicil' at the bottom of the paper
sent to Mr.. Dub, was demand that
during a portion of the winter the reg
ular wages be $24 per month. The pa
per also proposed that only union labor
be employed.
HumOr of Strike.
A funny feature of the strike was
the quitting of two dishwashers and
the bootblack at the ScreVen. AS tar
as could be seen there was not the
slightest reason for their leaving. The
bootblack. for instance got his board
and a place to work in return for lit
tie sweeping and busting. He really
had what is termed privilege and
made good money when industrious.
and the money went into his own
pocket.
1t was said that President Harris,
colored, of the Alliance has been hard
at work trying to get the strike start
ed, but so far he has not made con-
spicuous success of it. The walters and
hotel help in Savannah are said to be
we'll treated and to receive as good pay
as men in similar walks of life. The
time of year and state of travel in
sures an easy filling of any vacant
places and the fact that no actual no.
uce was given of the strike makes it
almost certain that those who left their
work must seek other employment or
go elsewhere, as the proprietors of the
ScreVen House and the Pulaski House
are determined not to employ any of
those who acted so inconsiderately
again.
The guests of the Pulaski House yes
terday might have noted little delay
at breakfast, but by dinner time
enough new men had been secured to
get through without a hitch. Last
night the full number of men were on
the list ana will report at o'clock this
morning for breakfast.