Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-01-27
The Wage Workers.
Il PERMANE STATE LABOR
ORG TION FORMED.

SEVENTY LOCAL ASSEMBLIES AND IN
IONS REPRESENTED THE FLOUR IN
sPECTIoN QUEsTIoN-soME PERTH
NENT REMARKS ON CHILD LABOR
BIMoNTHLY PAYMENT OF WAGES
THE DIFFERENTIATION OF A
PERMANENT STATE CONVENTION
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
&C.. &C, &C.
When the Labor Convention reasseni-
bled in the U. B. Hall last Friday morn
ing, it was found that there were thirty
two delegates present, representing seven
ty Local Assemblies Of Knights of Labor
and three Trades Unions. The Chairman,
Mr.. G. w. TYLER Of Richmond, and most
admirable officer he Was, called the body
TO order promptly At 10 O'Clock.
ADCL4E.ATED rooD.
Mr.. l.. A. Tucker Of Richmond, offered
resolution that in view of the already
extensive adalteraGion Of food. the Iegis-
, lature be requested not to repeal tn law
| making compulsory the inspe clion Of -four
and fish.
|. Mr.. Leftwich of Lynchburg said in that
city one might see cars loaded with barry
: ties, something that had no earthly use
but for the adulteration Of food and add
ing weight to articles Of sale. One man
ufacturer he heard of had sent 600
barrels of -four to England, which was
not allowed to land On account of IT'D adul-
ITERATION with barytes, and was sent back.
1 not HOY ,,Ic
suffer by it as much as those who haven't.
Flour is made in several grades, hut when
you get down to ''ine" you strike the
poor man s grade, which he has to buy on
! account of its cheapness. 1t is so cheap
| it don't make any difference to the sellers
what it is made of. it will sell; for the buy
ers have no money to bny a higher grade.
There are plenty Of pure brands Of -four,
but they are the high priced; they are kept
pure by the makers, like John CARROTS
"Lone Jack' tobacco, at no matter what
cost, but when you come down to the
poor mans flour there is little money in 1t
and the makers have no reputation at
stake in its manufacture. There is barry
ties in sugar-in everything.
The resolution was adopted.
INCORPORATING COMPANIES.
! Mr. Jno. S. Bethel of Richmond offered
a resolution asking the legislature to pass
a bill to incorporate Trades Uaions and
any other organizations for the benefit Of
I of the people.
MIR. g. E. Hoover of Winchester said
/ that could already be done under the law,
by the circuit courts of the State.
Mr.. Bethel said that being the case he
would Withdraw his resolution.
CHILD LABOR.
Mr. J. T. Chappelle. from the committee
on that subject, reported resolution ask
I ing the legislature to pass an act prohibits
| ting the employment of children under
ten years Of age in manufactures, and
further providing that where children be-
tween ten and fourteen years of age are
employed in manufacture, they should not
be worked over five hours day.
Mr. LeftWich moved to amend the re-
port by exempting from the operation Of
the law, children engaged in tobacco fac
tories. He said that in the factories at
+ Lynchburg the head of family who was
| engaged as roller in factory would
have his wife and CHILDREN stemming for
him and thereby the weekly wages of the
family would come to a handsome sum.
So profitable had this been in LYuchburg,
that many of the coored factory men
owed their homes and had something laid
by He appealed to the colored delegate
| from that city for his opinion of the
. matter.
The colored delegate responded to the
appeal by vigorously advocating the reso-
luton and opposing the exemption of to-
bacco factories. He thought children
ought to go to school till they were four
teen or fifteen years of age and not grow
up in ignorance. He further opposed the
exemption because the none mploym ent
Of children would give more work to men
in their places. The exemption of tobacco
factories would give to communities
ignorant children, growing up into vicious
men and women and becoming pest TO
society. In this age and country llliteracy
could not stand.
Mr.. Tucker opposed the exemption. He
said he had been Informed by q man who
had thirty years experience IN a tobacco
factory in Richmond, that it cut down the
demand for the labor of men. In one fac
tory there, three years ago there were SO
men employed and half that number of
children; this year there were double the
number Of children and half the number
Of men. AS the children in tobacco facto-
res increased, tie men were discharged
In the cotton factories children were en-
ployed, worked twelve hours a day, and
grew up in ignorance. The only eXemp-
ton he could see possible good in was
in the case of widow with children large
enough to help her, but be would give up
that exemption in view of the good that a
general and Iigld law on child labor would
do.
Mr. Bethel opposed any exemption He
said child labor was the outcome of sell
ishness in parents and often of sheer lazi
ness and Worthlessness. Many a ley,
worthless man laid around and kept full
of whiskey on the money his little children
and may be his wife earned. Even for
widows. he thought the general good Of
the law would be better for them than the
individual advantage of their children be-
| ing at work.
MIR. Chappelle' s report was adopted.
A PERMANENT STATE ORGANIZATION
WHO SHALL COMPOSE IT.
| Mr. j. B. Homer, from the committee
on that subject reported a resolution in
| f4vor nf cor a hljshjno a pprmannnt Stata