30,000 locked out : $b the great strike of the building trades in Chicago
John Locke · en
"It is not so. I can not understand how such an impression got out,
as there has been no thought of making or enforcing such a rule.
There is no disposition on the part of the executive committee to
take such action and there never has been. The fact is that more
permits for material have been issued to builders who are not
members of the Master Masons' association than have been issued to
members. All that is required of an applicant for a permit is that
he will agree to abide by the code of principles and the rules
adopted and sign the card which has been prepared setting forth
these facts."
The only discrimination made by the executive committee was in its
positive refusal to issue permits to small contractors or jobbers who
were members of the Bricklayers' and Stonemasons' union. They were told
that when they resigned from the union and brought evidence of the fact,
and agreed to the code of principles and the rules, they could have all
the material they wanted.
ANOTHER TELEGRAM.
The following telegram was received at the Builders' and Traders'
exchange:
ROCHESTER, N. Y., May 27.
JOSEPH DOWNEY, President Master Masons' Association, Chicago: On
behalf of the New York State Masons' association I wish you
Godspeed in your code of principles.
H. GORSLINE, President.
BLACKMAIL.
On Saturday, May 29th, the Master Masons' association met and talked
over the situation, congratulating each other on the promised success of
their movement for freedom.
At the request of Mr. Tapper Mr. Victor Falkenau made a statement to
show the corrupt methods of the walking delegate. He said that in
October, 1886, he was erecting a building on Astor street for Mr. Post,
when Walking Delegate Healy appeared on the scene and objected to some
pressed brick being put into arches that had been cut at the
manufactory, insisting that they should be cut on the job. Healy
insisted on calling the men off the job, but in consideration of $5,
which was then paid to him, he let the work proceed. A committee from
the Bricklayers' union had called on him to ascertain what had been
done, and he had put it in possession of the facts in the case. The
money was paid to Healy Oct. 21st. In the face of this statement, which
was backed by ample proof, the walking delegate was not removed from his
high position. Other members referred to similar cases in which walking
delegates had shown themselves to be walking blackmailers.