The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1906-08-18
STATEMENT OF LABOR
SITUATION IN FRISCO
Building Trades Council of
Stricken City Makes Some
Strong Statements.
Landlords Arbitrarily Raise Price
and Attempt to Reduce
Wages of Labor.


Building Trades Council Of San Fran
cisco, held on Thursday, President P.
H. Mccarthy presented statement Of
conditions prevailing in the city and
the causes thereof, which the meeting
unanimously endorsed. We quote
therefrom:
Immediately upo nthe subsistence Of
the excitement attending the disas.
ter, the spirit Of commercialism took
possession and the idea of converting
catastrophe into an opportunity for
personal gain became rampant. 1t
seems as though the major portion Of
our citizens regarded the disaster as
an agency which had opened up chan
known in the city and afforded oppor-
not to be had again.
when the serious question of ways
and means confronted the people and
1T was seen that the reconstruction Of
the city depended entirely upon two
factors. viz: building material and la
Dor, grave apprehension was express
ed as to what attitude labor would as
sumo. So far as the labor factor was
concerned this apprehension was soon
set at rest. The Building Trades
Council announced that there would
be no change in the minimum labor
scale of wages and maximum number
of hours; although in many depart
ments the minimum wages here are
much lower than those preaviling in
the principal cities of the United
States.
Landlords have realized in many in
stances that residential sections have
become the business sections and have
accordingly raised their prices.
The exodus from the city at the
time of the fire left many valuable
houses for rent, but as the refugees
return ed to their former scenes of la
Dor the demand for domiciles rapidly
increased and the rent of the old ten
ant was raised beyond his means and
the new conner charged more than he
could stand This has resulted in
driving thousands of our citizens to
suburban towns and the continuation
of the practice will result in the sub
| urban towns becoming the permanent
homes of our former citizens. Many
mechanics to our KIN owledge have been
obliged to meet an advance of one and
one-half times the former rate and
have been obliged to leave the city as
result
'The Lumber Trust having the city
at its mercy has levied tribute. An
| advance in the price of lumber has
been almost as regular as the rising
of the sun. Indifferent as to whether
San Francisco ever will become re-
habilitated, this grasping monopoly ia
playing its hand for all it can get.
THE mechanics of the building
trades, satisfied to do all within their
power, expressed a Willingness to con-
tinue their work on the old lines until
the spirit of unrest was started by
employers who voluntarily offered GER
| tain crafts advanced wages in order
to get labor to complete buildings and
| receive premiums for quick work.
These same persons are now loudest
| in their cries against advanced prices,
with the gouge of the landlord on
| one side, the merchandise dealer on the
| other; the gouge Of the Lumber Trust
filing its pockets with the money that
should increase the area Of improves
ment in our city; with the cost of
living daily advancing, is it to be Won
dered at that the crafts in the building
trades should make Individual demands
! In individual cases and receive them?
Our citizens know we'll what has
been the attitude Of the building me-
chanics. Represented in the Building
| Trades Council they were the first to
do their part in the restoration of the
| city, and In doing so lent their best
efforts to make their labor extend to
! the greatest limits without an increase
in price. At this time many of the
mechanics represented in the Building
Trades Council by their delegates vot-
! ed in the affirmative when they knew
that their particular wage scales were
less in comparison than others; and
when they also knew that the hazard
of their particular employment was far
greater than that of other crafts which
! were receiving higher wages. But
they were satisfied to forego that per-
| sonal gain in the interest Of their be-
loved ruined CITY,
After casting their votes In favor
l
| Francisco, under the most favorable
and unsel1sh conditions, they reason
ably expected that their fellow citizens
would show the same patriotism. How
has 1t resulted? Upon their return
from labor they have been handed the
landlords notice to pay advanced rent
or quit the premises. Upon reading
the daily newspapers they find the
Lumber Trust has decided upon fur
Their ''cinch." Upon arriving at their
work they find certain employers are
| Offering certain craftsmen additional
wages in order to hurry the compile
ton of certain premises. In short
they find that they. like thousands of
other citizens, are the most severely
gouged. How long can it reasonably
be supposed that they will be content
to regard themselves as the only ones
who are to suffer?
They entered into compact to do
all within their power, in conjunction
with others n holm ho