Kentucky Irish American. (Louisville, Ky.) 1898-1968, 1913-06-21
REQUEST WAS REFUSED.

What looked like at first sight a
strike. but was only a respectful
request for a living wage, took place
last week at the annual meeting or
the Board Of Managers of Cave Hill
Cemetery Company, when thirty
three laborers in that cemetery pre-
sented a petition for an increase OF
wages from $3.50 to So a day. The
board after duly considering the
matter declared it was unable to
grant the men their request and IT.
structed the Secretary to notify them
in writing of its decision, which he
did through the Superintendent. The
result was Just what the men ex-
pected. but it is generally under
stood the fight will be kept up, as
IL is felt that when the lot owners
of the cemetery come to understand
the true condition of affairs in the
management of the company they
will demand that every man in its
service will be given a living wage.
1t is explained by the men that
the reason only thirty-three signed
The paper was because of the short
time they had to prepare and circu-
late IT. II was all done in a few
hours in order to get it into the
hands of the Superintendent in time
for him to transmit it to the board
on Friday afternoon, when the an
nual meeting took place. A number
of the men who did not sign ex-
pressed themselves afterward as
willing to do so if an opportunity
again presented itself to them. Only
those who are making the mini
mum wage of $1.60 were allowed to
put down their names, although the
few receiving $1.75 as gardeners
and foundation men and the grave
diggers, who get $1.S5, are as en-
thusiastic over the fight for a raise
as the laborers are. A days work in
Cave Hill cemetery consists of ten
hours.
II is said there is a strong public
sentiment behind the men in their
demand for enough wages to live on.
and that when this public opinion Is
brought to bear on the management
Of the cemetery they will be given
an increase of pay. The newspapers
gave plenty of publicity to the event
last week, apparently being well
supplied with information of what
was going to take place. Evidently
there is a lot of interesting reading
to be brought out yet, as this
strike" appears to be only the
first step toward full discussion OF
the management of this cemetery
and the wealthy corporation that Is
behind it called the Cave Hill Invest
ment Company. Very little is known
by the public or even the lot owners
Of the cemetery about the Invest
ment Company, but it is said by
those who have given the matter
some attention that it is one of the
richest corporations in the State.
observation-disclosures ought to take 6
more than ordinary interest In
everything that concerns this GENE
terry, as 1t was owing to the faith
full service and strenuous toll OF
Irishmen of the past generation that
Cave Hill cemetery has been brought
TO its present state of garden-likC
perfection. In the go, the '70s anC
well in the sos the force was made
up almost entirely of Irishmen, with
Just enough Scotchmen to ballast
the boat and keep 1t from rocking
Robert Ross, or the Little Angel,
as he was affectionately termed by
the warm-hearted Celts who worked
in the yard" as the cemetery Il
called, and, who loved him as 9
father, was Superintendent, and he
knew personally every man in hi
employ, and took a friendly interest
in everything concerning him and his
family. The relations of the men
to those in charge of the cemetery
were much closer in those days than
they are today. and the workmen
regarded the place and their daily
work in II as part of their lives, and
seldom, II ever, left it for employ.
ment elsewhere, no matter what in
ducements might be made them by
others.
Today all this is changed. Now
men OF all nationalities-or no ma
tionality at all-are eagerly accepted
by the management, because no man
can be depended upon to stay any
longer than he can help. The force
is continually changing. II is said
that men have been known to start
in at in the morning, but never
show up again at o'clock. Others
work week and then quit. Such a
condition OF affairs was unheard OF
under the former management, and
IL is generally conceded that some
thing in the way of an deficiency
expert" is needed to put things into
proper working order all over the
yard" And the men say tina.
when this is done the first change
made will be to pay every man
worth employing in the cemetery at