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We invite correspondence from all members of the International Association upon subjects of general interest to the craft. We reserve the right to condense communications when necessary, and we undertake to make all needful changes in grammar, etc. So, if you have a thought to express on any one of the topics just now being discussed, or on some topic that you feel should be discussed, write it out plainly, using ink and writing on one side of the paper only; it will be given space in this department-that is, if the letter isn't too long. We don't want long letters, and the briefer you are, the better your chance.

Letters should reach this office not later than the first of any month in order to appear in issue of month following. Correspondents should give their names (not necessarily for publication) and address and the number of their unions; anonymous communications are never considered. The Bridgemen's Magazine disclaims all responsibility for the opinions of its correspondents.

Local Union No. 10.

Kansas City, Mo., Sept. 25, 1910.

Editor Bridgemen's Magazine:

As it has been some time since there has been a letter in the Magazine from Local Union No. 10 in regard to the condition in this jurisdiction, I will write a few lines for the benefit of our affiliated locals.

We have made another stride toward better conditions in and around Kansas City. On the first of September, we asked the contractors to give us an increase in wages of 50 cents per day. It seemed to go pretty hard with some of our contractors, and I have no doubt it was hard for them, but some of them gave us the increase at once, and the men working for them didn't lose any time at all, but the others wanted us to accept $4.75 per day until the first of the year, and then they would pay the $5. We insisted, however, on having the $5 now, and after a few rainy days and Labor Day had passed, the contractors asked the rough necks to come back and go to work, and agreed to pay the $5 per day instead of $4.50.

As for work in this locality, we will do pretty well for a couple of months yet, and then things are going to be a little quiet until early spring.

Worden & Allen Company have just landed a $300,000 job for the National Biscuit Company. They will use 1,800 tons of steel, and we won't have any serious trouble with them, because they are the iron worker's friend. They have just finished a job here for the American Radiator Company. These people are getting into. this city, and expect to get their share of the work that will come up in the near future.

Kansas City is going to have a new Union Depot as soon as they get one of the hills moved, so they will have some place to put it, and it won't take long, when that is done, to get the foundation in for the steel. I understand that the Geo. A. Fuller Company can have the steel work if they want it, but there are others who are going to figure on the work. Among them are James Stewart & Company, of New York. Of course it will be some time before we will know anything definite about the work on account of it being so far off.

I understand also that the plans are complete for an eighteen-story building at 12th and Central streets. and that the excavating will be started soon.

Considering everything, I don't think Local No. 10 has any complaint to make, other than the McClintic & Marshall job here, which, by the way,

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]

Members of Local No. 10, Kansas City, Mo., who are erecting the Rialto Building. (1) E. E. Barton, contractor. (2) H. V. McElroy, superintendent. (3) Jack Gilbert, steward raising gang. (4) Joe Towery, riveting boss. (5) Sam Campbell, steward riveting gang. (6) Fred Decker, pusher.

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View of the Everett, Wash., Court House and the members of Local No. 86, Seattle, Wash., who are erecting it.

is an enormous piece of construction. They have some pieces of iron in the yards now for the lift span, two perpendicular posts that weigh sixtysix tons, and you bet it takes some equipment to handle it, too. There are pieces of bottom chord that weigh 104 tons. The night of August 24th, some one tried to make trouble, and did, for McClintic & Marshall, by blowing up a pair of girders. It might have been worse than it was, because Mr. Childers, the superintendent, told me that the watchman was just a block from there on his rounds when it happened, and if the explosion had been five minutes later, he would have been blown to pieces. Of course, as usual, they blamed it on to organized labor, and as this was iron work and nothing but non-union iron workers employed on the job, they laid it onto the union iron workers. When Brother McCain and myself reported for work the next morning at the Labor Temple, there were detectives there waiting for us. We were taken before the chief of police and questioned severely in regard to our actions and whereabouts two or three days previous, as well as on the night of the explosion. But we gave a satisfactory account of ourselves and were released. It's strange how quick the authorities try to blame organized labor for such dastardly acts as these. McClintic & Marshall have about 135 men employed, and I guess about 35 of them at night to watch the works. They have a searchlight that is continually on the move searching the premises, and a man sits behind it with a rifle and instructions to shoot any person prowling around the job. They are determined to take every precaution against any more trouble, and I don't blame them a bit. as Mr. Childers laims it will cost $250 to repair the damage caused by the explosion. I am satisfied Mr. Childers would

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rather employ union men on the bridge, on count of the several accidents that have happened. Auree or four have been killed and some are in the hospital. There have been, 'I think, fourteen accidents of this kind, and the superintendent claims they are the worst lot of bridgemen he ever saw. He says they will walk along on top and step through a hole eighteen inches square and fall thirty-five feet. But until this company will employ union men on all their work, I am afraid they will have bad luck getting experienced men.

I am afraid I have taken up too much space now in our worthy Magazine, so I will close by wishing our International officers as well as the delegates who are at the convention at this writing, the best of success.

Fraternally yours,

W. B. BROWN.

Local Union No. 14.

Spokane, Wash., Sept. 20, 1910.

Editor Bridgemen's Magazine:

Prospects for work are looking a great deal better in this neck of the woods at present. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad are working on temporary work at Spokane Bridge. They expect to reach the city in January. Also the North Coast Railroad is building its way into Spokane. The city council demands a union depot for these two roads to enter the city, and a great amount of steel will be used to erect the buildings for these railroads.

A new city hall will have to be built, as the old one is on the right of way of the railroads. and the city fathers will have to look for new quarters.

Another fourteen-story building will be erected early in 1911 for the Pacific States Telephone and Telegraph Company, at Second and McCleman streets. A six-story building for the Eliers Music Company will start in a few weeks, and a few similar jobs will be erected in the near future.

At present Brother A. Benson has five men on the old National Bank doing light-weight work. H. J. Farney, a local contractor, is erecting the Union Iron Works, with Brother Wm. Atkinson as master of ceremonies.

Worden & Allen Company, of Milwaukee, are erecting a sawmill at St. Maries, Idaho, with members of this local, and Brother Gus Nichols as foreman.

At present, quite a number of members are working for the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. Although it is not declared unfair by any means, a nine-hour day would be better for our International members than ten hours.

Another brother has boomed out as a contractor -F. H. Rohen-and at present he is making good as an erector.

and I will attend to it at once and save a lot of cold fingers and dreary nights while en route to your destination.

Hoping our International will increase its membership in the future as in the past, I remain, Fraternally yours,

J. J. CORCORAN.

Local Union No. 15.

Hartford, Conn., Sept. 26, 1910.

Editor Bridgcmen's Magazine:

Just a line from Local No. 15 as to conditions in Hartford and vicinity. Conditions have not changed here to any extent for the past two months. While a great many of our members are transferring out, there are quite a few small jobs going on which keeps all the boys busy.

I am forwarding you photo of a group of the members of Local No. 15, who are working for the It was a good job, and the members were making as high as $50 per week.

Westinghouse-Church-Kerr Company.
It is near time that our members

started in this particular branch of the business;
when you figure out the millionaires the poor
rough neck has made and the way they kick and
growl when you ask for a few cents more an hour,
it is enough to turn your hair white. Every man
is worth $5 for the chance he takes and $5 for the
work he performs daily. Without a doubt, a
bridgeman is the poorest paid man on the conti-
nent today, and I hope to see the day when he is
the highest paid journeyman in the world.

This thing of an open shop proposition, as far as this local is concerned, is a dead letter, and would like to see it so all over the country, for just as sure as you have card men working with these unbelievers of unionism, the longer you may depend on working with them and the harder it will be to bring them to time.

Any members who desire information as to the condition of work in this locality will please write,

Trusting you will find a place for these few lines in the Magazine, I am

Fraternally yours,

JOHN ANDREWS.

Local Union No. 22.

Indianapolis, Ind., Oct. 4, 1910.

Editor Bridgemen's Magazine:

Am forwarding you photo of the members of Local No. 22 who erected the 14-story annex to the Lemcke Building. The Noelke & Richards Company of this city were the contractors, and the building was erected in record-breaking time. Harry O'Haver was superintendent, and Bro. Wm. Newburn and Wm. McGuire were pushers.

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Members of Local No. 15, New Haven, Conn., working for the Westinghouse,
Church, Kerr Company.

(1)IM. Carmody, foreman. (2) John Brennan, steward. (3) Wm. Carey, pusher. (4) Jack Fanning.
(5) Hughey McDonald. (6) John Rardon. (7) M. Malone.

An addition is being built to the West Washington-street power-house, and the street railway company is erecting a new power-house on west Tenth street that is about ready for iron. There are 1,100 tons in the job. Brown & Ketcham are the contractors.

Old buildings are being demolished to make room for an 8-story structure at the corner of Market and Illinois streets to contain 1,400 tons of material. The Bedford Stone Construction Company are general contractors and the Brown & Ketcham Company are to furnish the steel.

We are controlling about all the reinforced concrete work in the city, and have several men working on this class of work at the present writing.

Another class of work that has been handled by the members of Local No. 22 for some time is the erecting, moving and handling of all stone derricks. This is, in the estimation of our members, work that properly belongs to our organization, and it is to be hoped that all local unions will use their best efforts to secure control of it.

At the present time about all the members of Local No. 22 are working and the prospects for the future are quite bright.

In addition to the work now under way, we are expecting several jobs to start in the immediate future, among them St. Vincent's Hospital, St. Mary's Church, and an 8-story mercantile building to be erected by the Murphy estate. The foundations for the hospital and the church are in now, and old buildings are being demolished to make way for the structure to be erected by the Murphy estate.

We have one large scab job here at the present writing, namely, the addition to the Beech Grove shops of the Big Four Railway Co., which are situated about seven miles outside of the city.

The

McClintic-Marshall Construction Company have the contract to furnish and erect the steel, and at the present time have a gang of scabs out there trying to make a showing. They have erected one small building, and up to the present writing the progress made will not make anyone a millionaire.

With best wishes to all sister locals, I am,
Fraternally yours.

.F. J. SHERMAN.

Local Union No. 27.

Salt Lake City, Utah, Sept. 22, 1910.

Editor Bridgemen's Magazine: Just a few lines in regard to conditions in and around Salt Lake City.

Work at the present time is very slack, and will be for some time. The only jobs that are under operation are as follows: The Crane building, a five-story structure nearing completion, and the Sweet Candy Company building, three stories, almost completed. Both jobs are being put up by J. J. Burke Company, Brother Paul Hagerty, fore

man.

E. H. Dundas has several jobs, one at Midvale, Utah, and one at Goldfield, Nev., and several other small jobs. The Newhouse theatre is lying idle for lack of material. There are several jobs coming up in the near future, and while there is nothing definite as to who will erect them, we hope that members of Local No. 27 will be on the job.

We had a big Labor Day parade in Salt Lake City, and we were fortunate enough to win the first prize for the best float, and I want to thank the members. of Local No. 27 for their hearty cooperation and assistance in making it possible for

[graphic][subsumed]

Members of Local No. 22, Indianapolis, Ind., who erected 14-story Lemcke Annex. (1) Harry O'Haver, superintendent. (2) Bro. Wm. Newburn, pusher. (3) Bro. Wm. McGuire, pusher.

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Labor Day scene in Salt Lake City, Utah. Top view, float of Local No. 27 that captured first prize. Bottom view, the same float together with the members of Local No. 27.

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