Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-30
STRIKING CARPENTERS.
Reminders of . Strike Being On Come
 Up Occasionally.

The local carpenters strike is still on, and judging by the figure it is now cutting statewise it is likely to be- come an international question before l it is settled. Notices have been re- ceived in this city during the present week from T. B. Beecher, organizer of the Interstate Builders, Contractors and Dealers association, with head quarters. at Bridgeport, informing members of the organization that the strike at Waterbury has not yet been settled and reminding all who may have Waterbury men in their employ that their duty is plain. These notices have been sent to all parts of the New l England states and other places where | the association has q foOthold. The notice also states that the Frank Mill | Ter Co is no longer connected with the association. Although very little has been heard about it, and nobody claims to have been hurt, still it has caused a lot of changes and theresis likely to be more. All the big outside contractors who have jobs here are in | accord with the demands of the union and since the opening of hostilities be- | tween the men and the bosses several new partnerships have been formed, so that at the present time something like twenty-five concerns employ none but union help. The union bosses cannot get enough men, and the same thing is true of the open shops. This makes things pleasant for the work men and as consequence wages are good and the carpenters never were l happier. The relations between the | local union and the bosses are very l friendly. This is so all around, the open shop boss appearing to be satis- | fled to let the union man pursue the even tenor of his way and the unionist showing no disposition to be arbitrary, so that while there is big chasm be- tween the two elements they salute each other across the way, and in time it is hoped they will bridge the divide and fix up things in a manner which will enable all to journey along har- moniously regardless of the conten- tions of the past. The Carpenters union wants twenty-five good men. but they cannot find even one. Many of it's members left town when the strike was declared and secured good posi- l tions in other towns, and probably never again will reside here perlna- nently. although most of them still call Waterbury their home and will be here to make merry with the rest of us on the Fourth of July. It is too bad that this should be so. Waterbury wants all its own citizens and has room for many others, but if they can | ic r,nIrnh hatfpp fn have each go his own way rather than have all stand about on the sidewalks and fritter their time away while there are such splendid opportunities to earn good money. In one respect the car penters' strike is unique. If there has been any boycotting the men and bosses kept it to themselves and neither side cares fory much publicity. and on this account the public knows little or nothing about it. Very few outside carpenters and builders and other organized bodies are aware that there is any labor trouble in Water bury, and for that matter there is not, most of the confusion created by the difference here being confined to other towns where the Interstate Builders
 association is said to he engaged in an effort to crowd out Waterbury labor, but like everything else with the no'ne Waterbury lacked onto 1t. 1t is in big demand and everybody wants some of it. There ought to be some way Of straightening out this snarl, and the coming Fourth of July, when we all shall meet as one large family, would be very opportune time for some. body to move that the Carpenters union of Waterbury and the bosses with whom it is on the outs get to. gether and have heart to heart talk and see if they cannot bridge the chasm. The citizens committee should hire float and invite representatives of both parties to this row to ride in
 it. and if they failed to forgive and forget and begin anew during the par
 rade. then it might he well to let it drop, because it would seem that any thing else that might be done in that | dirootiou uoilId hp frIlitleSs.