BREWERS AND MALTSTERS TREATING WITH THEIR EMPLOYES.

COMPROMISING ON BEER.

They Will Allow Them Fifteen Glasses Daily, with Other Things--What the Mayor Thinks--Among the Packers--Position of the Roofing Firms--Trunk Manufacturers Will Not Yield--The Ball at Battery D--At Hyde Park--The Pullman Situation--Some Opinions--Notes.

A committee of the International Beer-Brewers' and Malsters' Union, No. 1, of Chicago, which is controlled by the Central Labor Union, the Socialistic organization, called on the brewers at their association office in the Metropolitan Block yesterday afternoon. John H. McAvoy presided and every member was present.

The committee submitted the following document:

Owing to the disturbed state of affairs in the brewery business, which is principally due to the fact that skilled brewers and maltsters have been in the past forced out of their places by the putting in of farm laborers and other common workmen, and also following the impulse of general organization, the brewers and maltsters the 14th of March formed a union under the name of the International Beer-Brewers' and Maltsters' Union, No. 1, of Chicago, Cook County. This union held a meeting April 25 and resolved to make the follow- demands, which we herewith submit for the consideration of the brewers and maltsters:

1. Ten hours to be a working day, except Sundays, on which three shall make a full day; overtime on Sundays 30 cents an hour.

2. Wages $60 a month in the washhouse; $65 in the kettle, fermenting-room, and cellar--the foremen $13 to $15 more monthly; foremen of washhouse $5 more. Payment to be made in full the 1st and 16th of each month.

3. No brewer or maltster is allowed more than one apprentice to twenty brewers. Firms which do not have twenty workmen are allowed one apprentice.

4. Brewers and maltsters must not try to force the workmen to board at designated places.

5. Every employé shall have his free beer daily.

6. The Sunday watch must either be kept up by a permanent watchman, who has one day off a week, or must be paid for at 30 cents an hour.

7. Owing to work being carried on in the malt-house Sundays as well as week days every man should have one day off per month.

8. Every brewer and maltster must employ only union men, must recognize the union, and must allow the Central Committee, whenever it pleases, to visit the workmen in the breweries and malthouses.

9. The employing and dismissing belong to the boss, but under no circumstances must any attention be paid to recommendations from saloonkeepers; nor can a man be dismissed on account of any union matters.

After about five hours' discussion the employing brewers agreed upon the following:

We, the brewers doing business in the City of Chicago and County of Cook, submit to you, the committee representing the association of the employés of said breweries, the following proposition and ask a favorable consideration of the same:

We desire to call your attention to the fact that the wages paid in our business are larger than are paid in any other industry in this country, even for expert labor. In view of this fact and the other privileges our employés have in the way of daily supplies, it seems to us that our generosity should be met with a liberal view by your committee.

1. Ten hours shall constitute a working day with the exception of Sunday, on which four hours shall be a full day.

2. The wages shall be as follows: Washhouse man and cellar helper, $55 a month; washhouse foreman, $60; kettle, fermenting-room, and cellar, $60; foreman in each department, $70; maltsters, $60; foreman of maltsters, $70.

3 and 4. Adopted as presented.

5. Times for beer shall be: 6, 9, 11, 2, and 4 o'clock, not to exceed three glasses at a time.

6 and 7. Adopted as presented.

8. We agree to employ none but union men.

9. The employment and discharge of workmen in the breweries or malthouses shall be done by the owner or foreman, but under no circumstances shall the recommendations of outsiders be considered, nor shall any man be discharged on account of union matters.

Conrad Seipp Brewing Co., Bemis & McAvoy Brewing Co., Michael Brand & Co., the Peter Schoenhofen Brewing Co., Bartholomae & Leicht Brewing Co., K. G. Schmidt Brewing Co., Gottfried Brewing Co., Keeley Brewing Co., Fortune Bros. Brewing Co., Bartholomae & Roesing, West Side Brewing Co., J. L. Hoerber Brewing Co., Wacker & Birk Brewing Co., Ernst Bros. Brewing Co., M. Sieben, Cook & Stenson, F. J. Dewes Brewing Co., Bartholomae & Burgweger Brewing Co., Bavarian Brewing Co., Kaegebein & Falstaff, Coerper & Nockin, Joseph Junk, Brand & Hummel.

The men employed in the breweries of Chicago number about 1,250 and nearly all of them are Socialists and belong to the union. They took part in the street demonstration a week ago.

What the Mayor Thinks.

"We are in the midst of a tremendous strike," said Mayor Harrison to a TRIBUNE reporter. "Many thousands of people are idle and excited. Their excitement springs out of the natural desire that their hours of labor should be lessened. They are in earnest. The majority of these strikers are law-abiding citizens, and know that the prosperity of Chicago is their prosperity and that its business enterprise is bread to them. They may become greatly excited. Idle men talking among themselves are more or less apt to become so, but we hope they will not. A great deal depends upon how the employers shall meet them. I do not mean by that that the employers shall accede to the demands. That is a question about which I say nothing. But I earnestly hope that both employers and employés will be calm and temperate--not endeavor to attempt to force things in a day, but wait a few days for results--see what the effect will be. If they keep down their tempers, both sides will meet and calmly discuss and agree upon something. Neither side will get exactly what it wants. If, however, employers become excited and take positions and will exasperate their men, it will have a tendency to increase the excitement among them, and trouble will ensue. I earnestly hope that the good citizens of Chicago, both employers and employés, will be calm and considerate, each of the other's feelings. I don't apprehend difficulty, because I trust the good sense of the people."

"Have preparations been made to meet trouble?"

"I will tell you what is doing. No man can make preparations for it. We have a certain number of policemen, and they will be kept where they will be as effective as possible. Beyond that I am powerless. I have no other resources. In the event of a riot I have the right to call out a posse comitatus, but I can't anticipate a riot when there is none, It is my determination, as I have always stated, to protect property as far as I possibly can, and protect life, and restrain any one from interfering with the liberties of the people. What I shall do will depend to a great extent upon the circumstances that arise at the moment. No man can foresee and tell. A King might bring his soldiers here. The Mayor of Chicago is no King. All he has is the police and the people. All I can say is, I am keeping cool and hoping for the best, but I will try to act with determination and coolness when difficulty arises. I am trying to keep the police in exactly the same condition."

"What do you think of the strike?"

"Right now there is a general disposition to be quiet. The men are after what they consider their rights. I think there are a few bad men who are anticipating trouble. I have no right to assume that there will be any further preparation needed than to have the police ready. They have to do their duty, and will go on calmly doing it until the time comes. I can call them together in a very few moments through the various patrol wires."

Among the Packers.

Everything was running along in the usual grooves around the packing-houses yesterday. The expected outbreak did not occur. One noticeable difference was that the whistle for work at the Chicago Packing & Provision Company's establishment blew at 8 o'clock instead of 7 as heretofore. This is the only house where a reduction in hours has been made. Unlike the other houses this house, it is claimed, does not run through the summer, and though they adopted the principle, setting the precedent, who will be benefited by it in the final run is unknown. Early yesterday a small strike occurred in the tin department at Armour's. The boys employed there have been receiving $6 per week, and yesterday requested $1.25 per day. Sixteen boys were employed, and fifteen went out. The strikers could not induce the remaining one to go out with them, and they attempted to whip him. He whipped four, when he was rescued. The tinners are out yet.
G. F. Swift & Co. have fifty carpenters in their employ, and yesterday twenty-three of them told Superintendent Foster that they wanted ten hours' pay for eight hours' work. The request was refused and the twenty-three men went out. Twenty-six Bohemian laborers for Swift & Co. left without making any demand, and it is probable that they only took a holiday.

The packers met at the Palmer yesterday and discussed the labor question for three hours. It was stated on adjournment that no decision had been arrived at regarding concerted action on the eight-hour movement.

George A. Schilling said last night: "Chicago is leading. Armour gave in today, and Kent of 'Old Hutch's' house intimated that they would probably grant the request. It is only a question of difference of opinion that caused the employers in the Stock-Yards to delay their answers. The committees that notified them told them that the new system would be introduced Monday and not today."

Mr. Armour's representative denied this story.

Trunk Manufacturers Will Not Yield.

With telegraphic replies from twenty trunk manufacturers promising cooperation in whatever the meeting might agree upon, the fourteen firms who were present at Friday's session gathered at the Grand Pacific again yesterday and adopted the following:

Resolved, That we look with favor upon any movement, which will materially advance the interests of our employés, and offer our hearty cooperation and support to assist in attaining that end. We, however, look with disfavor on the present agitation, which has for its object the adoption of eight hours' work to constitute a day's labor in its relation to the trunk business, as the present condition of the business does not justify an increase in wages to our employés; and we are accordingly opposed to paying ten hours' wages for eight hours' work; and if the demand shall be made for the same we must and will close our factories.

The factories represented are located at Buffalo, Toledo, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee, Chicago, St. Louis, Oshkosh, and Racine. The following is the list of the officers: President, John Cook, Cincinnati; Vice-President, P. C. Murphy, St. Louis; Secretary, Emmet Streeter, Detroit; Treasurer, M. J. Peck, Oshkosh.

The Position of the Roofing Firms.

Nearly all of the slate and tin roofers and cornice manufacturers of the city have formed themselves into an informal association and have submitted the following reply to the demands of their employés for changes in work-hours, rates of pay, etc.:

Chicago, April 30.--To Our Employes: In reply to the request made upon us yesterday by your committee that we run our respective works eight hours per day for eight hours' pay during May, and for ten hours' pay thereafter, we desire to say that we are firmly of the belief that the eight-hour day is not suited to our interests or yours; we have little to do in the winter and spring months, are busy during the summer, and rushed in the fall, and feel that under those conditions it should be your policy, as well as that of ourselves, to work as many hours as possible during the busy seasons, which, fortunately, are also those of good weather. As you are paid by the hour, this enables you to make up then for the time you are obliged to lose during the dull months and during bad weather. We feel that to make an arbitrary rule for short hours at present rates per hour will lessen your earnings, increase the cost of living for you; and as our rent, office expenses, advertising, insurance, foremen's wages will be the same for eight hours as for ten, it will increase the cost of work to us. In this city, where the eight-hour day, if adopted at all, will, we presume, be so universally, the effect will be increased cost of building with less of it to do, therefore less work for you; and as it is unlikely that the eight-hour day will be adopted in the country shops they will have that advantage over us; we will be unable to successfully compete for work outside of this city, which will again mean less work for you.

These are our views upon the question of shortening the working hours during the busy season. As to increasing wages 25 per cent, which ten hours' pay for eight hours' work amounts to, we feel the request is unreasonable and cannot be complied with.

We know that owing to the agitation of this question large amounts of work have already been withdrawn from the market, and to quiet this agitation, and allow building to be resumed, we take this stand now, and trust you will, upon reflection, see that your interests are one with ours and do what you can to assist us in these endeavors.

Will say in conclusion that we have decided that in the future as in the past our shops will be open for work for as many hours as our business warrants and requires; and that our hours of labor cannot be reduced.

We now trust you will consider this reply in the spirit in which it is made, as we have tried to look at the question from your standpoint as well as from our own.

Waiting for News.

A sort of central news bureau for reports of strikes in all parts of the city was kept open yesterday at No. 163 Washington street, but no reports of any consequence came in. About 1 p. m. it was reported that August F. Richter, picture-frame manufacturer at Nos. 42 to 48 Huron street, had given in and granted the demand of his men for ten hours' pay and eight hours' work. He employs between eighty and 100 men. Later in the afternoon one of the employés of E. P. Wilce & Co., sash, door, and blind manufacturers, corner of Twenty-second and Fisk streets, reported that the company had unhesitatingly granted ten hours' pay and eight hours' work. The number of employés was 150. In neither case was a strike necessary. The day was observed as a holiday, and the men promised to go to work Monday.

At No. 163 there was no crowd of men, but two or three were in the office all the time, and the situation was discussed constantly. The leaders were hopeful. They did not expect any important results yesterday. It being the first day and the end of the week, it was thought that those who refused the demands of the men would hold out at least over Sunday. The men were not expected to create any trouble. If there was any it would come from the Bohemian and German Anarchists congregated on West Lake street, who were drinking freely. George Schilling and others said that they did not like that, and the men under the red flag might come to mischief. It was thought that a change would take place by Tuesday or Wednesday next. The employers in Chicago and elsewhere had said they could not accede to the demands of the men because other places might not do it and would become dangerous to them by competition. If a breach was made in the line anywhere in the country then the whole country would follow suit, and there was a good chance, they thought, of making the breach right here in Chicago. It would not take long to spread it over the country. Some manufacturers were reported as having said they would be very glad to grant the request of the men if their competitors did. It would have the effect of a boom in prices and would benefit them. Regret was expressed that the red banner element had assumed control of the movement to such an extent and threatened to divert it into wrong channels. The Anarchists were the only ones who preached violence, not the Knights of Labor.

George N. Sceets, editor of the Knights of Labor, said on this point:

"Whatever trouble may occur, it will not be by the sanction of the Knights of Labor. Their positive injunction is that their men must not strike for eight hours. They shall continue to work until they can arbitrate the difficulty or until the boss voluntarily concedes it." Some employers, it was said, would grant the request and would soon find out that the men would work more willingly and do their work better, and in fact would do as much work in eight hours as they now did in ten. One cigar factory that had already adopted the eight-hour system at the old ten hours' wages was actually making money out of it. The employers need not be afraid that the employment of the idle men would shorten the surplus of labor and increase wages because the men so employed would spend more money than when idle and would boom trade generally. All the men had to do was to be calm and reasonable in their demands and avoid conflict at all hazards.

The Ball at Battery D.

The eight-hour ball at Battery D last night under the auspices of the Trade and Labor Assembly, though much more slimly attended than its promoters anticipated, was none the less an entire success, and perhaps all the more enjoyable from the absence of any great crowd. In consideration of the fact, however, that the proceeds are to be given for the benefit of the strikers in the Southwest the attendence was somewhat disappointing, but the committees in charge asserted that a large number of tickets had been sold to parties who never intended to put in an appearance, but simply meant to help along the cause.

The entire proceedings were characterized by the utmost good order. As the evening wore on the crowd of dancers steadily increased, until about 12 p.m. there were perhaps from 1,000 to 1,200 present. This was the only demonstration of any kind sanctioned by the assembly to celebrate the dawn of the eight-hour era, and it proved a most enjoyable season of recreation and social intercourse to all present.

Among the more prominent union men and guests were John Foley, Treasurer of the Trades Assembly; A. H. McLaughlin, President of the Typographical Union; August Stirmel, Secretary of the Cigarmakers' Association; Alexander Sullivan, Secretary Hollister, of the Trade and Labor Assembly; Mark L. Crawford, editor of the Swtichman; R. C. Cameron, of the Inland Printer; George Rogers, Felix Finn, President of the Horseshoers' Union; Dick Powers, President of Seamen's Union; Ed Mulraney, President of the Bricklayers' Union; Thomas E. Hill, George Schilling. One of the figures at the ball was A. C. Cameron, a short, gray-whiskered man, who led the eight-hour movement twenty years ago in Chicago and was President of the Eight-Hour League at that time.

The Situation at Hyde Park.

About 1,400 men in Hegewisch, Cummings, South Chicago, Grand Crossing, Pullman, East Roseland, and other points of Hyde Park are idle. In most cases the men quit work; in others the manufacturers shut down their works. There was no violence and no disorder. In several cases the worst is yet to come, yesterday's action being merely preliminary.

All was quiet at the South Chicago Mills of the North Chicago Rolling-Mills, the settlement, as reported in THE TRIBUNE of yesterday, having proven satisfactory all around.

About thirty laborers employed by the Calumet & Chicago Canal & Dock Company at South Chicago struck for eight hours and an increase of 25 cents per day. Their demand was refused. They have been getting $1.25 per day.

Work at the wrought-iron pipe factory of Fieldhouse, Dutcher & Belden, at South Chicago, is almost entirely suspended, the force having been gradually decreased in anticipation of trouble. Operations will not be resumed in full force till the present agitation has subsided.

Charles E. Jockish, proprietor of a planing-mill; Brand & Hummel, the brewers; Adolph Ergang, a contractor; and John Hartman, a builder--all of South Chicago--have adopted the eight-hour system.

At Grand Crossing several walkouts occurred. The men at Mason & Davis' stove foundry, sixty in number, were refused their demand and quit work. Thirty foundrymen at G. F. Williamsons' walked out and the foundry was closed. The employés of F. Patack & Co., sewing-machine furniture manufacturers, did the same. They numbered fifty. The thirty men employed at the barbed-wire works of Sherman & Marsh walked into the office, made bluff, were repulsed, and went back to work.

The workmen in all departments of the United States Rolling-Stock Company's works at Hegewisch, about 500 in number, demanded eight hours and ten hours' pay yesterday. The company refused to concede the demand and the hands quit work.

The Calumet Iron & Steel Company at Cummings shut down its entire plant last night, with the exception of the nail factory, throwing about 200 men out of employment. The ostensible reason is the need of repairs. The real reason is that the Knights of Labor, who have gained control at the mills, insist upon the reinstatement of the old nailers, the discharge of the non-union nailers, and the reinstatement of the old rollers and heaters.

The dock-men and lumber-shovers along the Calumet River, numbering about 150, demanded an advance of 25 cents per day. They were refused and quit work. A compromise is talked of.

The temper of the several thousand workmen employed by the Pullman Palace-Car Company is uncertain. They are restless and uneasy. It is plainly to be seen that they are in sympathy with the eight-hour movement and a certain element in their midst is straining every nerve to bring about an organized movement to secure it even at the cost of a general strike. To a certain extent they are divided among themselves. This is due to two causes. The first is that each trade has a union of its own. The second is that the Knights of Labor have a membership of about 1,400 in the Pullman works and are opposed to the movement in that they refuse as Knights of Labor to indorse the movement, although they openly wish the men success. One member of the committee representing the Cabinetmaker's Union yesterday asserted positively to a TRIBUNE reporter that all the cabinetmakers, numbering 600, had struck for eight hours and 10 per cent increase in wages, and would stay out until their demand was conceded. His statement was corroborated by a dozen or more excited Germans of the same craft. It was also emphatically stated that a mass-meeting of all the Pullman workmen was held during the day at Kensington, at which it was unanimously resolved to stand out Monday for eight hours and 10 per cent increase. It was ascertained that a meeting of the cabinetmakers had been held at which was passed a resolution declaring for eight hours and 10 per cent increase on wages ranging from $1.75 to $2.10 per day, but the men had not struck.

There was no walk-out at the extensive Union Foundry and Pullman Car-Wheel Works at East Roseland. When work had been going on for eight hours, two gangs of men numbering sixteen each quietly stopped work and walked out. The queer thing about the action was that they had given no notice of such an intention and had not even asked for eight hours, although the men in other departments have been treating with the company on the subject. It is supposed that they will report for duty Monday morning. The other departments reported in full force yesterday morning and worked all day.

What the Leaders Think.

The leading members of the Trades Assembly and the Knights of Labor at the hall last night expressed themselves as very hopeful of success. But they all claim that they only wanted eight hours to constitute a working day, leaving the question of wages to be regulated later. "Dick" Powers of the Sailors' Union said last night: "The labor congress in 1884 adopted a resolution that after May 1, 1886, eight hours should constitute a working day. We did not at that time have any idea of ten hours' pay. We want just what the resolution said, eight hours' work. I think there will not be any trouble. There are enough cool-headed men among the workingmen in Chicago to prevent any wrongdoing. There are men who will sacrifice anything to keep the people quiet."

George W. Rodgers of the Iron-Molders' Union and member of the Trades Assembly--There is nothing of an increase in wages in the eight-hour movement. That has been dragged in recently by outsiders. I do not think there will be any trouble. The question of wages may have some effect on the eight-hour question, but will not prevent its success. By Thursday next I expect the issue will be decided.

Mark Crawford of the Typographical Union--There will be no trouble. No reasonable men will insist on ten hours' pay for eight hours' work. It is against the original idea.

J. B. Murphy of the Tanners' and Curriers' Union--The old labor organizations did not strike today. They only observed it as a holiday. None of them were going to strike, and will probably resume work Monday morning.

C. W. Rowan, President of the Trades Assembly--I anticipate no trouble. The demand for eight hour is just. Many organizations are satisfied with eight hours' pay for eight hours' work, and I am satisfied to have it done that way at present. We never contemplated the increase. We are prepared to make a sacrifice to enable the surplus labor in the market to get a living. This is the idea of the majority of the delegates to the Trades Assembly.

A. C. Cameron of Typographical Union No. 16--The success depends upon the course they take. It should be ten hours' pay, but if they absorb for the time being the surplus labor the question of wages will regulate itself. I hope they will be prudent and not allow themselves to be carried away by a few hotheads. The eight-hour system is a success in Australia. It has been in vogue there for thirty years. There is not an employer in Melbourne or Sydney that would go back to the ten-hour system if he could. The men in Australia got the eight hours first and about two years later got wages equal to what they had been getting for ten hours.

Thomas E. Hill--I think we'll certainly have the eight-hour day, and from the first advised the laboring men to ask for an eight-hour day and eight hours' pay. A number of the employers are themselves to blame for the demand for ten hours' pay, in that many of them advertised that they would give the ten hours' pay for eight hours' work. So many have done that as to encourage the men to believe they would all do so.

A member of the Eight-Hour Association said yesterday that that organization would make an effort this week to bring out all the trades that are not concerned in the present strike. At present the movement only comprised about a dozen trades. The balance had not made any demand, and if they did not ask for anything they would not get anything. An attempt would be made to bring out everybody. It was possible that the Knights of Labor might take hold of the movement and order out all their members, so that the trades that have not yet taken any steps in the matter get the benefit of the present agitation. At the same time an attempt would be made to make $2 the lowest pay for a day laborer and unskilled workman.

"This is a grab game," said one of the leading Socialists yesterday. "Everybody is trying to get as few hours of work and as much wages as he can. After the furor is over no one will get a --- thing. Those who don't ask for anything will get nothing. More will go out Monday. The men are bound to get something. This talk about shutting up shop is all nonsense. The bosses can't afford to do it and we know it."

"Hasn't the movement get beyond the control of the Trade and Labor Assembly?"

"Trade and Labor Assembly? Bah! They didn't start it. It began twenty years ago, when over 1,000,000 discharged soldiers flooded the labor market and killed the movement for the time being. The workingmen are divided into three branches. The Germans, Bohemians, and Poles, who belong to one branch, are determined to succeed. I don't think there will be any trouble, because the bosses will give in; they don't like to have their business stopped. We will fight for our rights. The Knights of Labor and trade unions, which are made up of Americans and Irishmen, are cowards. They won't come out openly, but hold secret meetings. If they are refused they will submit, but we will not."

"That red flag expresses nothing but utter recklessness and viciousness," said a bystander at Blue Island avenue and Twenty-second street yesterday. "I am a workingman," he continued, "and an advocate of the eight-hour movement, but our only banner should be that of the Nation. That, more than all other flags on earth, represents humanity, progress, and the rights of the toiler. Imported rags and symbols represent anarchy and unreason, and prejudice the cause of the toiler."

"Possibly the movement may be a little premature. To many it looks too sudden for the amount of discussion and agitation preceding it; but there is nothing for you men now to do but to stick to your demands. They will be granted in time, and employers will suffer nothing by the granting. When we stonecutters insisted that eight hours should be a day's labor there was some kicking, but the bosses would not now go back to ten hours if they could do so. They find that their men work more cheerfully, and really do as much work and better work in eight hours than they formerly did in ten." Thus talked a stonecutter to a crowd of quiet men in front of the hall on Lake street yesterday.

"I'm a machinist, and I want to get work, but it's worth a man's head to put his nose inside of a shop today," said a sooty and half-inebriated individual to a Tribune reporter yesterday afternoon at the corner of Lake and Desplaines streets. "No one but a --- coward and 'scab' would want to go into a shop today," said a swarthy and muscular-looking man who overheard the remark in passing, and stopped.

The Trouble at Kirk's Soap Factory.

The large and well-known firm of James S. Kirk & Co., manufacturers of soap and perfumery on North Water street, shut down its works yesterday morning, throwing a large number of men out of employment. A member of the firm said that the cause of the shut-down was that the railroads would not receive their goods for shipment on account of the strike among the freight-handlers, and as seven-eighths of the company's trade is with outside dealers they would soon have too much stock on hand. He said their men had always been well treated, and in 1873, when trade was killed by the panic, and in 1877, when shipments could not be made on account of the railroad strikes, their 550 men were kept on the pay-rolls when other houses about the city were closed. The men were paid, he said, from $1.50 upwards, and work from 7 o'clock in the morning to 5:30 p. m., with an hour's nooning. The men, when questioned, told quite a different story. They said they were paid as low as $1.25; went to work at 5 minutes of 7, stopping at 5:30, with only half an hour for dinner, and that there was never such a thing known as their having a whole hour for nooning. They therefore have been working ten hours and five minutes a day. Yesterday morning they held a meeting and asked the firm to grant them the eight-hour day with pay for ten hours' work, and as the company refused to comply with their demands they refused to go to work, and went out, not to return until some better arrangement is made.

Notes.

The following card has been handed The Tribune by J. McGregor Adams, President of the Adams & Westlake Manufacturing Company:

CHICAGO, May 1.--In consequence of the present agitation it has been deemed wise, in the interest of our men, not to start up the shops of the Adams & Westlake Manufacturing Company for the present. All wages due will be paid Monday, May 3, as usual, at 5 o'clock p. m. This is not a "lockout." Work will be resumed as soon as the present agitation subsides.

The following has been issued:

NOTICE.

CHICAGO, May 1.--By reason of the disturbed condition of labor, work in the Union Brass Manufacturing Company's works will not be resumed until further notice. All wages due will be paid at the office of the company Tuesday, May 4, at 5 o'clock p. m.

J. McGREGOR ADAMS,

President.

The 250 employés of Spaulding & Merrick, the Rush street tobacco manufacturers, will be thrown out of employment tomorrow unless the freight blockade is raised, as the firm cannot ship or receive any goods.

The South Water street merchants have signed an agreement whereby they undertake to close their establishments at 3 p. m. every Saturday in the future.

The report that the Armour packing establishment would close down if the employés insisted upon eight hours' work and ten hours' pay is denied by Mr. Cudahy.

The Northwestern Horse-Nail Company at Brighton Park yesterday voluntarily reduced the working hours of employés to nine with ten hours' pay. The men expressed satisfaction and will continue work.

The 200 men at work laying track for the West Division Railway Company on Eighteenth and Leavitt streets and Blue Island avenue struck yesterday for the eight-hour day. This company yesterday reduced the daily trips of its Blue Island avenue conductors and drivers from seven to six, which is equivalent to eleven hours' work per day.

Alex. H. Revell & Co., corner Fifth avenue and Randolph street, have granted the demand of their showcasemakers in regard to the eight-hour question.

All the goods sent yesterday by South Water street merchants to the railroad depots in this city were refused except on the Illinois Central and the Wisconsin Division of the Northwestern.

A committee of trackmen of the Chicago City Railway Company waited on Superintendent Holmes at 10 o'clock yesterday morning and made a request for the establishment of an eight-hour day. The request was acceded to without discussion, the new rule to take effect from tomorrow. The question of pay was left for future adjustment.

At a meeting of the employés in the mechanical department of the company it was unanimously voted to extend a vote of thanks to Mr. Holmes for granting the request for eight hours as a day's labor.

At the works of McGuire & Jager, grain-door manufacturers at the corner of Polk and Canal streets, seven men were at work yesterday putting in a steam hammer, when two of the men in their shop who had quit work yesterday came rushing in and shouting to the men at work to run for their lives. The men thought of the way they had broken the Chicago demand for the recognition of May 1 as a holiday, and as visions of long-haired Socialists armed with bombs and snicker-snees rose before them they became panic-stricken and fled. The foreman, who is a six-footer and could eat a dozen Socialists raw, and who is a very loud opponent to strikes in general, in his frantic efforts to escape from the supposed mob fell into the pit prepared for the hammer foundation and lay there terror-stricken until a member of the firm discovered him an hour later. He could not be induced to come out, but with the assistance of a policeman he was finally coaxed out. The other men left in their mad flight their dinners and coats. The firm really has no trouble whatever with its workmen, having compromised several days ago.

The "National Dry-Goods Salesmen's Union," an organization composed exclusively of employés of the Grand Central dry-goods house, at a meeting last night appointed a committee to confer with the employés of other houses to decide on a course of action with reference to the eight-hour movement.