The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-10-12

Society notices per year .................. 10 on
In our present situation it is folly to
think Of such thing. There should also
be some beneficial features attached 70 our
organization, which would bind its mem
bershIp into closer bonds of unity One
thing do abhor, that is scabs and union
men working together. Ii would be much
better for those unions who practice that
mode of working to repeal all laws against
scabs withdraw all charges and take those
men INTO their unions, for nothing Is
more injurious to union men than to
be mixed up with them III workshops.
while they are scabs. 1t creates luke
warmness III good union men, and by-and-
by, they, too, drop of from the unions.
thereby 1t ~ decreasing our number
instead of increasing it, | will, therefore,
recommend a general amnesty and a repeal
Of Section four, Article eleven, and let
each union regulate the mould system for
the best interest of the ade, for do not
think that a national u international or
ganization should have any laws upon their
books which men are often compelled 10
violate for the sake Of getting bread for
their children ; therefore, let us remove
all obstacles and give an invitation to al
to JON our organization.
COOPERATION.
We have expended within the last few
years many thousands Of dollars in sup
porting Strikes, of which large majority
have proved failures, and ali the money
expended to no purpose. The men who
paid the money have been losers and the
men who received the money have also
been losers. Nearly all this large amount
of money has been expended, and no ben
eht derived from the expenditure. Now
what would this large outlay have accomp-
llshed IN the way Of cooperation Ac-
cording to my idea, if the money that has
| been spent in unsuccessful Strikes III the
last three or four years, had been invested
IN cooperative shops, they could at the
present day employ two hundred hands
with proper management. The invest
ment would pay large percentage, besides
employing large number of union
men at living prices, and We would
reap the profit upon our investment which
the capitalists now reap from our labor /
would therefore recommend the adoption
Of the resolutions presented at our last
session upon cooperation with, some ad-
ditional laws to carry out the system sue
cessfuily.
TRADE ABROAD.
/ have been IN regular correspondence
during the year with the Secretary of the
London Society, John r. Walker, also
President Of the international Conference
Of Europe. ! received the first cummuni-
cation from London through our former
Secretary, Thomas j. Birch. ESQ. to which
| replied, and after that kept up the cor
respondence. They sent an invitation 20
the cigar makers uf the United States tO
be represented at the International Con
ference, which met III the CITY ny London,
the first week in December, 1871, and
then formed permanent International
organization. Delegates were present from
England, Holland, Belgium, and several
German countries During the year the
cigar makers of Belgium have been sue
cessful in having the filler breaking system
entirely abolished, and the price Of work
advanced considerably. They accomplish
ed this by taking INTO their organization
all persons working AZ the trade In
England at the present time. they are ur
ganizing the female labor VI the trade into
societies. They have also accomplished
one great object in London during the
year, that Is, they have rot into their
societies all the HOllanders who formerly
worked against the societies. The London
societies stand upon better footing TO-
day than they have ever been. They have
a large treasury, uu are CUutyIuI Iatug
the cooperative system. l. as Interua-
tonal President, extended tu them am
invitation t. ~ represented here, which
they declined with thanks at present. ana
renewed their invitation
COMMITTEE ON PAST srRIkE,.
/ am here compelled to speak II the com
mittee appointed at the last session. upon
past strikes, who had not completed their
labor at the adjournment NJ the last ses-
sion, consequently the papers we're
assigned To that committee and I'm them
to a Subcommittee of two, viz. NJ w.
Bryan, Of Union NJ. :, and Adam Mafiit,
OF Union Ne. 40 They were to finish the
work Of the committee, ana submit their
report to me, with .tI the papers. W. u
Bryan was the first Y ho vas w examine
the papers, and make his report. and for
ward all the papers to Adam Maiiit
Some time after the close of thr session.
wrote to Mr. Bryan. to ascertain how he
was getting along He answered nr. and
| pleaded sickness AS his reason fur mot hay-
ing done anything. | again waited for
some time. ! wrote To- hun again. when he
sent me a partial report, and stated that he
would forward the papers u Mt Mafiit
| After some time ! wrote to Mr. Maiht. tu
ascertain how he was getting along when
/ he informed me that he had never receiv-
ed any papers from MIR Bryan. | then
wrote to Bryan ordering him tO send those
papers to Mr.. Mafit or To me. 10 which
! received no reply. Thinking that he had
complied, | waited some time. then again
wrote to Mr.. Maifit, when he again u-
formed me that he had not received the
papers, but had written to Mr.. BRYAN for
them, and Bryan had written to him that
\ he would send them Ia him if he would
send his address. | then wrote another
order to Mr. Bryan 10 forward tbs papers
\ to Mr. Mafht, AZ the same time giving
V him Mr. Mathts address. but still he did
not send them. ! then wrote a peremptury
order demanding the papers " ~ sent ~
me. Neither Of the last two letters did
he answer. few weeks ago ! made a
demand upon Union No. =, (of which the
saId Bryan u a member for all papers in
his possession, relating u past strikes
entrusted to him by the International
mon. which the Secretary II Union NJ
answered, stating that he had called
upon Mr. Bryan for All " said papers, but
without success he stated that he. BRYAN.
promised to collect them and give them tu
him. Such is the fate q the papers left
IN the hands Of that committee. / hope
this body will take some action il regard
to this matter
UNIONS SUSPENDED.
During the year the Executive Board
according To the Constitution, suspended
Union y" -, ~ Lancaster, Pa. fur re-
fusing to pay their capitation tax and
other assessments. after being duly nutit
ed To pay the same
They also suspended Union 80. Ilp. uf
] y "a A.