The San Francisco call., 1904-11-13


Council was perfected.
The objects of the State Building
Trades Council of California are:
First-To promote in a legitimate
manner the building industry through
out the State.
Second-To bring about as nearly as
possible uniformity regarding the man
ner in which the building industry may
be conducted.
Third-To protect from the on
slaughts of the unscrupulous and de-
signing contractor hereinbefore men
toned, the legitimate contractor, as
we'll as owner, architect and mechanic
alike.
Fourth-In case of need to be in
position to draw from the other cen
ters of our country. through the State
Building Trades Council, mechanics
necessary to the conduct of the build
ing business throughout the State. as
sisting the builders of our State such
as they have never been assisted in any
other part of the world
During the life of the Building
Trades Council of this city and State
many important events have taken
place in the building industry and in
all instances has the Building Trades
necessary to a complete and equitable
adjustment of the same, in the hands
of the most responsible bodies. made
up of mercantile and professional in
terests, within the boundary lines OF
our State and nation
This course has been suggested by
the fact that the constituent members
Of the unions affiliated with the Build
ing Trades Council are among the fac
tors which comprise this common
wealth. Their property interests are
here; their families are maintained
here; their taxes contribute to the
maintenance Of our municipal and
State system. In short, their interests
are Identical with those Of all other
citizens and the same influences which
affect one affect all.
In 1900 one Of the most notable in
stances of this kind occurred in the
controversy then existing between the
manufacturers engaged in the building
business and the operators or employees
Of the same. During that controversy
many meetings were held, many dis
cussions were had regarding the same
by large and representative bodies, and
the Building Trades Council of San
parallel of which was never agreed to
before. aequiesced and unanimously de-
cided to refer the entire subject matter
to the Merchants Association of San
Francisco. an association embracing
some thirteen or fourteen hundred en-
pIoyers, for settlement.
This was such a great departure
from the old methods employed in the
conduct of labor organizations that the
community was, for time, dumfOund-
ed and the employers in question,
largely represented in the Merchants
Association, refused to acquiesce to the
request of the Builders Association to
refer their side of the controversy to
the said Merchants Association for ar
bitration.
The difficulty then existing was. after
several months. arbitrated by men
having the interests of our city and
State at heart, who, imbued with a
spirit Of fairness and impartiality to
labor and capital alike. adjusted once
and for all this most grave and serious
trouble. Time has established the fact
that relief sought by the Building
Trades Council and the result OF the
settlement in line with its contentious
has been Of inestimable benefit to all
interested.
Again. the Building Trades Council
was in a like measure confronted with
serious difficulty through the Master
Painters of the Pacific Coast. in behalf
of the painters affiliated with the
Building Trades Council, and again the
Building Trades Council decided to re-
fer the entire subject matter for ad-
justment to the same or a similar body
believing as it did that such an fnsti-
tuition had but the best interests of the
city and State at heart
This action. unlike the other contro-
versy. brought the trouble to close.
for the Master Painters OF the Pacific
Coast and the representatives of the
Building Trades Council met and ad-
jrsted speedily the existing contro-
versy.
Hundreds of other instances OF less
Importance to the building business
may be cited. but suffice TO say that.
due to the manner in which, as well
as the conditions under which. and the
channels through which. the Building
Trades Council Of this city and State
has conducted it's business, in so far as
the journeyman engaged in the build
ing business may be concerned. the
building industry has received an
impetus far beyond anything ever
dreamed Of by the most careful stu
dent Of the commercial or industrial
world, with the result that San Fran
cisco, as well as the other cities in
California are freer from entangling
alliances, disasters or misunderstand-
ings in the building business than any
other cities in our Union.
1t is the earnest wish Of the writer
that such a condition Of things main
tain to the end that California may
reach a stage in the history Of our
State surprising any other State In the
Union. as we'll as bringing to the front
her commercial and Industrial enter
Drises in a manner indicative of sue
cess, and as 1t is in this instance So
1t is in all other departments Of labor
the earnest wish and prayer of the