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144
THE MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW.
December 20th, 1881.
but says: " The many reforms in Church and State naturally wished to finish up their work and get
are but a series of strikes for the right, but the their money, and we wanted them to do it, but the
Union commanded them to stop. Now T asked
necessity of each case called them forth."
This reminds us of the claim made by the Typo- them where they were going to get the money
OUR SPECIAL REPORT ON THE STRIKE.
graphical Union, which is also beneficial in the out of that job. We certainly would not pay it, and
WHAT THE EMERSON PIANO COMPANY SAY.
same sense that the Pianoforte Makers' League is, recommended them to the Union for it. Mussler
that is, for the purpose of striking whenever the said he would give $100 to get out that case work.
GEO. W O O D S * CO.'S PHILADELPHIA AGENCY.
order is received or the instigation comes from We have now about thirty-five men employed on
TNTIL •within a month or so the agency of the outside. The socialistic sentiment that pervades that branch of labor."
out fully in the end, where the
" There was the case of Cross," said Mr. Powers.
) Geo. Woods & Co.'a organs, in Philadelphia, the statement crops
f
was in the hands of G. H. Luckenbach & Co., league says: " lhe many reforms in Church and "Mr. Cross is over seventy years old, and has
Chestnut street. In the early part of the present State are but a series of strikes." There is no been in the employ of the Emerson Piano Com-
month our representative called on the last named comparison between a strike by an organization pany for many years. He was perfectly con-
firm at the warerooms, and was informed by a for higher wages and a strike (as the League calk tented with us and was satisfied with his pay. He
member thereof that although the best business it) for reform in Church and State. Reforms in was inveigled into the Union on the ground that it
relation R had existed during the five years in religion and politics are not produced by strikes, was a charitable institution, and then was forced to
by BIOW and gradual processes. When a go out with the others. He says that the Union
which the organs had been controlled by the firm, but
4
the organ agency had been suddenly transferred to • strike" takes place in religion and politics.it then made representations to him which they did
Mr. A. G. Clemmer, who had rocently opened a amounts to revolution, not reform; and the revo- not live up to. He could not endorse their ac-
large wareroom corner of Thirteenth and Chestnut lutionary ideas that are gradually permeating the tions, so he sent in his resignation and has gone
streets. Mr. Luckenbach seemed to feel hurt at working classes in this country are altogether un- back to work. There was a man by the name of
the transaction, Btating that it was rather ungrate- called for, as the workingman makes much more Peterson. He worked at a branch of case-making.
ful treatment, especially as his firm had worked money, besides enjoying luxury, than the same He has five or six children. He didn't know
wTien he could finish his job, as tho matter was be-
very hard during the past five years to popularize grade of workingmen in other countries.
the Woods organ, and now, when the benefit of
As a prominent piano manufacturer said to us, yond his control, and pointed to three men, out-
their labors would accrue to them, some one else "Why, do you know that our men make, and some siders, who had come to the factory to take away
had all the chances, instead of those who really even save, Si,000 per annum." Of course, no one his bench. We said that if these men were coercing
deserved them. Our representative asked whether is responsible for the habits of some of these men. him, we would send for a policeman to arrest them.
Mr. Clemmer was to be blamed, or whether There is no doubt that a majority of the men But he begged us not to, as he was afraid of them
Messrs. Geo. Woods & Co. were at fault, when Mr. deprecate the whole business, but they cannot get and was completely under the control of the
Union."
L. stated that he did not wish to find any fault away from the iron grasp of the organization.
with Mr. Clemmer, who, he thought, had acted in We called on Mr. George Chickering, at his
"Yes," said Mr. Carter, " and with another
a business-like manner; but his opinion of Geo. Boston office, and he informed us that no indica- man named Dittman we had much the same experi-
Woods & Co. was expressed in terms which im- tion existed that a strike would take place at the ence. He wanted to go back to work, but dared
plied an unpleasant opinion of their action. They Chickering factory, notwithstanding reports in one not do so, because, as he said, he was afraid of his
left a stock of upright pianos on the hands of L. of the Boston dailies. Mr. Chickering stated that life, and told me about a stone-cutter in this city
the circumstances, would be difficult to dig- was instigated from New York; and, although he thrown off a bridge, because he refused to obey
pose of.
could not prove it, he conscientiously believed the orders of the Union. He, Dittman, had been
Mr. A. G. Clemmer was next visited, and his that the workmen here were privately visited by all over the city looking for a job, but could not
answers to the questions propounded were straight- agents from New York who instigated the move- find any at any better prices than those he re-
ceived at our factory."
forward and business-like. He had heard rumors ment.
'' Now what does all this matter of the strike in
that the agency was open for transfer, and ad- The men here have by this time received quite
dressed Geo. Woods &. Co., whose reply was that a large amount of money from the New York Piano your factory hinge on, gentlemen," said our repre-
sentative.
the rumors were fabrications, and that any transfer Makers' Union.
41
It hinges on one man," said Mr, Carter, " who,
One of the workmen engaged in a large factory
was out of the question. Subsequently, however,
Mr. Clemmer, during a visit to Boston, was invited here stated to us, in terms more definite than ele- a year and a half ago, carried a hod. His name is
to cull at the office in Cambridgeport, where gant, that the matter had in reality only taken its Driscoll. Mercer taught him the finishing part of
Messrs. Woods made a conditional proposition. initial steps. "Why, said he, " do you know Tower, the varnish business. At first, he had only small
Mr. Clemmer returned to Philadelphia, and, for a the piano-key and action maker? He raised the jobs, but at last, was able to earn from seventeen
consideration paid to Messrs. Luckenbach & Co., wages twenty per cent, recently; but I will tell you to nineteen dollars a week. The habit of getting
obtained the consent of the latter firm, and an this much: his men will soon quit work unless he drunk, however, was so strong with him that his
amicable settlement was made, which involved the stops making keys and actions for Emerson. Why, pay only averaged about twelve dollars a week.
transfer of the agency. For reasons which Mr. there is no use in doing this kind of thing. The Why, this man got sick once, and a fellow-work-
Clemmer did not find it necessary to explain, he strike might as well stop, unless Tower is com- man in our factory named Handspiker got up a
dec-lined to take the goods en hand from Messrs. pelled to tell Emerson that he cannot deliver any subscription for him. When Handspiker handed
the money to Driscoll, the latter accused Hand-
more keys and actions."
Lnckenbach & Co.
of having cheated him of a small amount of
This statement made it appear curious that We inquired if he (the workman) knew anything spiker
so Handspiker was obliged to prove to Dris-
Luckenbach
SICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW, and subsequent tainly, we know all about the affair that took place coll that the account was correct, and then
him down and gave him a black eye. I
calls on various dealers in Philadelphia disclosed at Mason & Hamlin's factory. The men went back knocked
that Driscoll afterward apologized to
the remarkable fact that Messrs. Luckenbach & to work again, after making that demand of Trow- believe
Handspiker—after being knocked down. A man
Co. had actually offered the agency for sale, a mat- bridge, the superintendent. You know Trowbridge by
the name of Went worth was the ringleader of
is a mean, ugly kind of a fellow, but we will get
ter over which they had no control at all.
the
strikers in our factory. When they deter-
everything
in
shape,
and
he
will
have
a
gay
time
This disclosure made it incumbent upon THB
mined
to strike, I called them together and drew
of
it
yet.
He
cannot
treat
men
like
dogs."
MUSICAL CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW to sift the
from
Went
worth the admission that he had made
This
is
an
example
of
the
views
that
extend
matter to the bottom, and our representative con-
money with us than while working with
sequently went to Boston at once and called on throughout the Piano Makers' League here. What more
Davis & Co., and also that he could have
Messrs. Geo. Woods & Co., at Cambridgeport, the end will be it is somewhat difficult to say at Hallet,
made five dollars a week more if he had not held
where, within a short while, the letters and tele- present.
back. Wentworth has taken largely to rum since
grams fully substantiated and verified the state-
WHAT THE EMERSON PIANO COMPANY SAY.
he has been out with the Union."
ments made by Mr. A. G. Clemmer, one dispatch
Our representative had just returned from the
"They say," remarked Mr. Powers, "that the
stating that everything had been amicably ar- New
England Piano Company's factory on Harrison Union
is a mutual benefit society, and yet if a man
ranged. Messrs. Woods, according to the terms avenue,
and
was
remarking
to
the
members
of
the
of agreement, were at liberty to make any Emerson Piano Company that Mr. Scanlon, of the leaves the society they put him on the black list,
changes which would increase their commercial former concern, had stated that he had recently and he is forever debarred from getting work where
Union men are employed. If they debar men from
opportunities, and it appears that Messrs. Lucken-
bach & Co. were perfectly satisfied at the time. employed some of the striking workmen at the earning their daily bread, I don't think there is
mutual benefit about their society."
The cause of their complaint to THE MUSICAL very wages they were receiving when they left the much
44
of the Emerson Piano Company.
CRITIC AND TRADE REVIEW is more dubious than service
Yes,"
said Mr. Carter, "they said the Union
44
Certainly," said Mr. Patrick H. Powers, "we was designed
ever.
for the benefit of manufacturers as
know that, and we know that the Union proposes well
as workmen, and yet, when I said that if it
to bulldoze us by threatening a strike in Comstock was such a good thing I would like to join them,
THE STRIKES.
& Cheney's key factory and in other places if the they refused to take me in. One of the arguments
8TATEMENT FBOM THE PIANO MAKERS' LEAGUE.
parties
do not refuse to supply us with the goods they use is that Union men are skilled mechanics,
r
I^HE Executive Committee of the Pianoforte we need in our business."
and that in order to make a first-class piano it is
"Can you give me some account," said our necessary to employ the members. Now there are
J_ Makers' League of Massachusetts, in view of
the recent strike at Emerson's, has issued a state- representative, "of the proceedings of the strikers only about a dozen men in the city who are thor-
ment defining the position and objects of the in your factory and of the way in which they have oughly skilled piano-makers, that is, who can make
organization. The league is, they say, a benevo- been affected by the movement."
a piano all through from beginning to end. There
" Certainly," said Mr. George Carter, " and I can is not one of the dozen in any of our first-class
lent organization, having for ita purpose the care
of the sick and needy of its members; the procur- show you very plainly how foolish has been, the manufactories. They are all in what we call ' slop-
ing of employment for skilled mechanics who may action of the men. About two years and a half shops.'"
be out of work; the settling of any misunder- ago, we employed three case makers, William
"Who are the leaders of the organization in
standing in reference to work that may arise Mussler, John Cully, and Joe Miiller, all Germans,
between its members; and also, when appealed to, and made a contract with them for upright cases. Boston?" asked our representative.
" Joseph W. Sloane," replied Mr. Carter, 14 is
aid in the settlement of any question at issue They were afraid they weren't going to have work
between the employers and employes by arbitra- enough, but it increased so rapidly that they were President of Boston Lodge, No. 14, of the United
tion, holding that the interests of the employer and soon obliged to employ under them about twenty- Pianoforte Makers' League. He learned his trade
employe should be mutual, and that every means five hands. They worked up to the day before as the commonest kind of a carpenter. Seventeen
consistent with justice and manhood should be Thanksgiving day, when they stopped by order of years ago he went to work at Chickering's, and
used to maintain those relations. The league de- the Union. Thev left what was worth to them twelve years ago he went to Miller's as a sounding-
plores the extreme necessity which calls for strikes, about from $300 to $500 worth of case work. They board maker. A year and a half ago he applied
BOSTON TRADE.
t