Music Trade Review -- © mbsi.org, arcade-museum.com -- digitized with support from namm.org
WESER BROS. REFUSE EIGHT HOURS.
NEW YORK, May 1, 1886.
MESSES. WELLES & BILL :
GENTLEMEN : As you have written us, asking what
step we have taken with our workmen, we very de-
cidedly say that our factories are open ton hours, and
that consists of a day's work, as before, and shall be
our rule as long as there is one man to open our fac-
tories in the morning, and close at night. I have
conversed personally with some of the workmen.
They say they are perfectly satisfied with the wages?,
and do not objoct to the time, but the organization
which they belong to requests them to work only
eight hours; the Executive Committee have also
called upon us to enforce new rules in our factories,
and interfere with our business. Heretofore we have
been able to manage our own affairs, and in future
will try and do likewise. The Pianomakers' Union
have adopted eight hours work for eight hours pay,
and no overtime work. We look upon this movement
as detrimental to the country as well as themselves,
unless it would become international.
First, manufacturers would be compelled to have
more men, more room, and more rent, to do the same
amount of work. This would not benefit the work-
ing class at large ; it would only divide the extra two
hours' pay among their brethren workmen. As there
are no surplus of piano makers, the manufacturers
would be compelled to add extra men to learn the
trade, and in one dull season it would throw more
men out of employment, and keep men in our cities
doing nothing, who otherwise would have found em-
ployment among other industries. If the eight hour
movement moans twenty-five per cent, advance (aa
we look at it), then pianos could be sent to this coun-
try cheaper than manufactured here, and the greater
part of the piano workmen, who consist mostly of
Germans, could content themselves in their own na-
tive land, at the wages paid them, from four to five
dollars per week, instead of from fifteen to twenty-
five dollars paid to good workmen here.
Yours, very respectfully,
WESER BROS.,
J. A.
D. E. FRASIER NOT EFFECTED.
CAMBRIDQEPORT, May 3,
1886.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW.
277
stopping at five. They received from us the follow-
ing written answer: "No change in our factory.
Working hours will be from seven A. M., until twelve
M., and from one until six P. M." This Tuesday
morning all of our foremen went to work at seven
A.M., and express themselves ready and willing to
work ten hours a day. We have fully explained the
situation to our workmen, and they understand us.
We have a large factory and costly machinery, and
we cannot afford to let it stand idle sixteen hours out
of twenty-four. The practical results of eight hours a
day in our factory would force us to advance the
price of our pianos from 15 to 25 per cent.,
and taking into consideration the present disturbed
condition of trade caused by strikes all over the
country, we do not feel warranted in making any
advance in the prices of our instruments. One of
the largest and first dealers of the West remarked
in our office last week, that rather than pay any
higher prices he would give up the agency for every
American piano that he has, and would import all
of his instruments from Germany. The trade that
has sprung up during the past two years in European
pianos, which Is rapidly increasing, shows that we
are, even with ten hours' labor, unable to compete
with European pianomakers with twenty-five per
cent, duty added. Our factory will remain open to
our workmen during the balance of the week for
those who wish to work ten hours a day, and those
who do not return will be notified to remove their
benches and tools at once, and we shall commence
filling their places with other workmen.
probably shape that at such time as it became nec-
essary. Our business has so occupied our time, we
have given the labor question so little attention our
views would be of little weight or value.
Yours truly,
Very respectfully,
CHRISTIE & Co.
FROM C. KURTZMANN.
BUFFALO, N. Y., May 3,
MR. J E F F . DAVIS BILL, New
DEAR SIR : Your letter at hand, in reply will say,
we have not decided upon anything definite regard-
ing the eight hour movement; no doubt when that
point is decided, they will demand an increase in
wages; then the manufacturers ought to join to-
gether and raise the prices on their pianos; in that
case it would come to the same point as before. We
are awaiting what conclusion the Eastern factories
will decide upon.
Yours respectfully,
MR. J. D. B I L L :
DEAR SIR : Your favor received, and in reply would
say we are not at all interested in the eight hour
movement. There are so few of us here and mostly
working piece work, and the day hands being satis-
fied with ten hours a day, we have given it no atten-
tion. Business here is generally quiet, and we are
not surprised at any thing the Knights of Labor may
want to advise.
Yours truly,
D. E. FRASIER.
CHRISTIE & CO.'S LETTER TO THE PRESS.
NEW YORK, May 4,
1886.
1886.
York :
C. KURTZMANN.
DECKER & SON ARE FIRM.
I called at the factory of Decker & Son and met
Mr. Myron Decker, the senior member. He in-
formed me that over seven eights of his men were in
favor of working ten hours, and that he had decided
to keep the factory open full time and those who do
not wish to work ten hours a day can leave. Mr.
Decker does not intend to be controlled nor allow
his men to be controlled by a few kickers. At the
present writing the workmen are having a meeting,
so I cannot tell the final decision of the workmen.
MESSRS. WELLES & BILL :
GENTLEMEN : As wo have been somewhat misrep-
resented by committee reports, etc., regarding the
course we have taken with our workmen on the eight
hour question, we beg leave to make the following
statement: Instead of our factory being closed on
Monday morning, and our workmen locked out, as
reported by the committee from Pianomakers' Union,
it was open at seven o'clock, A. M., and remained
open until six P. M., for all of our workmen who
wished to work ten hours a day. But none of our
men put in an appearance until about nine o'clock
A. M., when a committee of three came into the office
and said they were appointed by the workmen to wait
upon us and state that hereafter they would only work
«ight hours a day, commencing at eight o'clock and
HARDMAN, PECK & CO., WILL BE GOVERNED BY
OTHER MANUFACTURERS.
Mr. Peck, of Hardman, Peck & Co., tells me that
they have an understanding with their workmen that
whatever the final outcome of this question is the
former will agree to. In the meantime the men will
continue to work ten hours.
BRAND MANUFACTURING COMPANY.
NEW BRITAIN, Conn., U. S. A., May 3, 1886.
J E F F . DAVIS BILL, ESQ.,
DEAR SIR: In reply to yours of April 30, asking
our position and views on the labor question, we
have decided on no position—circumstances would
BRAND MFG. CO ,
J. H. BALDWIN, Sec.
STORY & CLARK.
CHICAGO, May 3,
J E F F . DAVIS BILL, ESQ., N. Y. :
1886.
•
DEAR SIR : We are in receipt of your favor of the
30th. Would say in reply, we have read the item in
regard to the action taken by Messrs. Steinway &
Sons, of New York, with reference to the eight-hour
movement, and we can only echo their sentiments.
We handle no pianos, and consequently are hardly
prepared to make a statement as regards that part
of trade.
Yours very truly,
STORY & CLARK.
F. a. SMITH.
95 FIFTH AVENUE, NEW YORK, May 1,
1886.
THE MUSIC TRADE REVIEW :
GENTLEMEN : Your favor of April 30th, asking the
position I have taken in regard to the eight hour
movement, is received. In reply, would say my men
every one, have given me notice that they will stand
solid "to their guns and F. G. Smith, the manufac-
turer of the old reliable Bradbury." The men say
they have never had a strike in our factory, and did
not mean to as long as they were treated as fairly
and honorably as they had been by Mr. W. H. Karr,
my superintendent and myself, and furthermore were-
satisfled in every respect, and did not wish to be-
interferred with, nor have their relations with their
employer disturbed.
And further, that Mr. F. G. Smith has very kindly
drawn his check to establish a fund to be used by the
members in case of sickness, each member paying a
small sum per week and being allowed so much per
week while sick, and in case of death by each mem-
ber contributing one dollar, a sum sufficient to be of
substantial benefit would result. The society is to-
be called the Bradbury Mutual Benefit Society. I
am sure that you will agree with me, that this will
be a real benefit to my workmen, and by feeling that
they will be entitled to a certain sum per week in
case of sickness, will do away with the idea of char-
ity. Heretofore it has been the custom to go among
the workmen with a subscription paper to relieve
each other in case of sickness, but this will effec-
tually do away with any such contributions, and each
man will feel that his weekly dues are his right. In
conclusion, I cannot see nor do my men see any just
reason why there should be any change from the ten
hour system, and that any change would eventually
have an unhealthy effect on business, and the much
feared importation of pianos from Europe will flood
our markets, and then good-bye to the American
piano makers' trade, and our workmen will feel the
blow the most.
Yours very truly,
FREEBORN G. SMITH.
When Messrs. Steinway & Sons issued their deci-
sion to their workmen, regarding the eight-hour
demand, it fell like a bombshell in the ranks of
the leaders of the Piano-Makers' Union, and cooled
off their fiery ardor as though a pail of ice-water had
been poured down their backs. Every one knows
that the firm of Steinway & Sons do not decide
upon any im portant undertaking without careful
deliberation, and when their minds are once made
up they mean business. The Union is aware of this