BRICKLAYERS BAR
MEAT ONE MONTH.
LOCAL UNION NO. 1 STARTS
BOYCOTT MOVEMENT IN
KANSAS CITY.
70 Cents an Hour Wage and
Can't Afford Meat at
Present Prices.
Kansas City bricklayers, hard-working but well paid, are the first here to take action toward boycotting meat, because of the prevailing high prices. At a meeting of the local union resolutions were adopted by a unanimous vote, to this effect:
"We, the members of the Bricklayers' local union No. 1 of Kansas City, hereby refuse to buy meat of any kind for thirty days."
The bricklayers' union has a membership of 138. There is another union in Kansas City, Mo., and also one in Kansas City, Kas. The other unions have been invited to join in the movement and action will be taken in a few days. The bricklayers of No. 1 union have extended an invitation to the organizations of other crafts to join in the movement.
David R. Morgan, business agent of No. 1 union, in discussing its action, said:
"We are prompted in adopting the resolution by a recent similar movement in Cleveland, O., which resulted in a material reduction of prevailing prices.
"We bricklayers work on a scale of 70 cents an hour. This is generally considered high pay, but when it is understood that we lose a great deal of time, our wages are brought to a normal workingman's standard.
"There are but few bricklayers in our union who feel that they can pay the present high price for meat. We have our own vernacular for certain meats. A 'bricklayer's turkey' is an ordinary undressed rabbit, fresh from the Kansas shortgrass, for which we pay 5 cents. A 'bricklayer's steak' is a small piece of liver. Even these meats are becoming so costly that we are willing to forbear their pleasures for thirty days.
"If the other crafts will join us in our movement, we believe the result will be the same as that attained in Cleveland, and that meat prices will be reduced within the reach of all."
