Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 March 1900 — CHICAGO’S LABOR WAR. [ARTICLE]

CHICAGO’S LABOR WAR.

Ten Thousand Men Are Added to 75,000 Already Idle. Ttn thousand men have been added to the 75,000 mnde idle by the labor contest and property estimated to aggregate 3*20,000,000 in value has been ordered tied up by action of the building material manufacturers of Chicago at a meeting Tuesday afternoon. Beyond attempting to fill contracts now on hand the material men will, they state, do no business until the labor war is settled. Selfpreservation is the motive they give and a diversity of opinion exists regarding the effect it will have on the labor situation. Officials of the building contractors’ council declare that it means support for them, while the supply men assert that they are neutral, and will sell to no contractor or builder iu Chicago regardless of whether he is involved in the struggle. It is conceded on all sides that enough material will be forthcoming to complete most of the big structures under way in the hands of the organized contractors, but it is held that it will be impossible to proceed with any new building operations. While some maintained that this may do much .to force a peaceable adjustment of the labor difficulty, many minimize the effect of the material men’s decision, because in several lines, they say, there arc manufacturers not bound by the action of their fellows who will probably seek to make the most of the emergency that w ill throw them trade.