Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-08-05
Works Board Grants
One Hours Labor
a Day Extra as
Compromise.
CAN'T PUT IN TIME If
WEATHER Is NOT FAIR
Predicted That offer Will Not
Satisfy Demand for Increase
from 20 to IS Cents in
Scale.

Inc BOARD OF WOrkS touuy uoNc
the main issue in the demand of the
street sweepers for an increase over
their starvation wages Instead OF
granting the raise the board at a
meeting this afternoon decided to
give the sweepers n more hours
work each fair day. Should snow
or rain prevent the laborers from
working, they will get no pay at all,
Is in the past.
The laborers assert that this eva
sion Of the main issue of a raise has
been made by the board to trick them.
1t is understood from the leaders
among the white wings that the
grant of the board for an extra
hours work each day will not blind
them to the real issue, and that the
fight for better wages will be con-
tinued with renewed vigor.
A. j.. Cozxoiino, president of the Es-
sex Trades Council, said:
1--WE didn't ask the Board of Works
for an additional hours work each
day. We asked them for an increase
of FIVE cents an hour for the sweep
ers. The board has not given us
that.
Much argument and doubt charac-
terized the action of the board in en-
deavoring to satisfy the demands OF
the labor men in this abstract fashion.
Commissioner Mungle admitted that
1t vas doubtful If the Essex Trades
Council and street Cleaners Union
would be content with such action
It was stated by Commissions.
O'Connell thai he was willing to give
his salary for the balance of the year
TO help the men If there was no
money available in the city treasury.
This offer followed his suggestion
that he favored an increase for the
men and believed that the money
could be found somewhere to cover
the increase. He suggested paying 1t
out of the contingent fund.
II don't think you'll find it there,
said Mr.. Mungle and Mr.. Ryan.
The latter said that he, too. was
willing to donate the balance of this
years SALARY to the street cleaners, II
the other members of the board would
uo lne sdihe' w o'neo
Norris Sherrerd. cniel engineer -
the board, called at the meeting today
and he was asked what shoulo oe
done about h increase.
"You have been away four weeks
without doing anything 10 earn your
salary. How about it! ne was
asked.
The question involves the wnoie
labor department OF the CITY saio
he. Mr.. Sherrerd tnougnt ina tne
extra hours work would De the oest
way to settle h present
That the laborers VIII not De satis-
fed with the manner In which the
hoard has 10 pring satls-
faction to them was asserted py
some of the labor ade
We won't get any more that-way
than we did before they ~contended-
The men have been getting twenty
cents an hour. The additional hours
work will mean sl.20 a week extra
with the stipulation that there can
be no money earned unless the
weather is pleasant.
william Umstetter, who has been
looking after the interests of the
laborers, said that the meeting today
was a special one and that the labor
men knew nothing of it. That the
men would ~be dissatisfied with the
result of the boards action was his
4 belief. Mr.. Umstetter is a member of