News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-12-26
LABOR NOTES.

Two thousand golfers in the Marquis of
| LNndonderry's Seaham coal mines in Dur
| ham have struck, owing to dispute about
wages.
Lord Randolph Churchill, in his letter on
| the eight-hour movement, says that eight
sleep and eight hours for recreation
seems to be the ideal at which democ' attic
| legislation may wisely and profitably aim.
! A strike occurred at Chattanooga, Tenn,
| of 50 bricklayers in the employ of ID. j.
| Chandler, and SO stonecutters in the employ
of the Chattanooga Stone and Marble Com
| pany. A difference in D cents an hour on
| Saturday was the cause.
| Mr.. Gladstone declines to accept the invi-
| tatiOn to initiate an agitation looking TO the
| establishment of 4 working day of eight
| hours. He says that his time must be largely
devoted to the settlement of the Irish ques-
| ton, and that for this reason, as well as on
account of the infirmities of aye, he must alb
stain from taking a leading part in the move
ment.
The shoemakers of Maine are worked up
to fever heat over an irOnclad submitted to
the striking shOemakers of Freeport by A. w.
Shaw d Co.
The last day session OF the convention of
the American Federation of Labor was held
Saturday the 18th, in the Common Council
chamber, Boston, and the business of the
week concluded. The next convention will
be held in Detroit, Mich, beginning Tuesday,
Dee IA, 1890.
The election of officers resulted in the
choice of Samuel GOmperS, president; W. Ii.
Martin of the Amalgamated Steel Il Iron
Workers first Vice-president: =. j. Mcguire
of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and
Joiners, second yice-president; Christopher
Evans of the Miners and Mine LabOrers',
secretary: Henry Enrich of the Furniture
Workers Union, treasurer. Delegate Foster
read the report of the committee on prepar-
ing an address to the working people of the
country upon the attitude of the Federation
toward the Knights of Labor. The address
reported commends the position taken by the
executive council of the Federation last Octo-
Der, which was as follows:
First-Tnat the Knigets of Labor shall dis
countenance and revoke the charters of all
trade assemblies or districts within their
order.
second That, in turn, the American Fede-
ration orS>i-abor and affiliated trade uniote-
will urge their members and encourage the
working people to becOmemembers of mixed
assemblies of the knights of Labor.
The report concludes as follows ''The
time has arrived when the trades unions
should claim their own. The tread of organi-
cation shows that the wage earners of
America are tired of having their interests
adjusted by the measure of the huckster or
the yardstick of the merchant. The success
of the eght-hOur course is of too vast import
to be imperilled by policies of mastery in
action or posing, The march toward the
eight-hour goal must not be halted at the
hehest of the middlemen, Professions of
harmony and platitudes of peace are poor
recOmpense for the attempted weakening of
the trade union column. We therefore assert
the national right of trade unions to occupy
the trade union territory. When their right
is conceded, discomfort will end, and organ
lied labor be more closely united"