The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-04-22
STATEMENT FROM
CONTRACTORS

| \
pehters Union has started should be
further prolonged, the public bored.
ana good space taken, we know not
ana although we are very busy with
our contracts we will be expected TO
reply regardless of how weak their
a''ack may be. The union after a
week OF diligent writing comes our
III saturdays Telegram with two
'o'umh article that would do justice
" hine-year-old school boy.
why they should single us out in
'neir attack when there are five or
sM other contractors working nine
hours and non-union men. we do NOT
know.
II the union wishes to prolong this
"rangle We can bring forth some
lactS worth writing about something
that will not only be of interest hnt
aS'ohlsh the readers of the Telegram
VINO care little for the personal at
Jacks and the derogatory remarks in
'helr last article. This airing of per-
sohal feelings is doing the union not
one bit of goods doing us no harm.
'but as long as they continue to ad-
Vocate restraint of trade" and trv
70 turn people who contemplate
building, against us; as long as they
continue to write untrue statements
10 the public as they did in the sec
ond effort, we will be compelled to
reply.
IN the ii rst place, when the eight
hour day was first mentioned, Mr..
Marshall was not working for Mr..
Logan; he had at that time been
contracting over two years and he
has not worked for him since. At
that time he opposed the eight-hour
movement; in this he was supported
by James Carleton, Mr.. Newman and
others; but as IS often the rule in
Unions they are not controlled by
the better class OF workmen who are
always N the minority but by the
officers of the union, who are not
workmen but whose salaries are pro-
duced by the dues of the labOrer.
As to the finishing of the Brown
JOB, where you tried to take advan-
tage of the mans misfortune, we still
maintain that the building was com.
pleted in half the time and at half
1.-THE expense had we continued to use
union men. Why? Because We had
men who had our interest at heart,
and because we had foreman who
was competent and not full of mis-
; takes a man who has the i'll will of
the union because he hung eleven
doors on Mr. Deems house in day
Right here allow us to say, hat it is
) manifcstly the aim of unions to place
: all men ON the same footing, to stiie
: individual effort and TO produce ali
solute uniformity in work and
wages; that is one reason they fight
piece work 1t is their desire to
| level down to point where the
: individuality of the workman is lost
/ and never to level up to the stand
ard of the better class of workers.
! As to the slur cast at both mem
bers of this firm in calling them
common carpenters, driving
nails etc, We admit it all and We
are not ashamed to be classed as
honest toilers sooner would we work
: nine or ten hours day at low
S wage than walk the streets and be
S fomenter of trouble and attending
D to somebody's else business. This
. class of people, who often are float
ers, together with ignorant, ire
: sponsible leaders and strife promot-
| Iers. who are not toilers, are the
S worst enemies OF the workingmen
e Messrs. Marshall. Logan and Fades
and others were among the charter
S members of the local union, for
years there was no friction, nt
. strikes, no walk-outs, but with the
Z influx of noaters, irresponsible Off
E, GERS and walking delegates the union
4 has changed
. We have belonged TO the union ;
n we have worked union men; We have
tried working eight hours, and for
the present we are through with the