Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-06-19
LABOR'S PROTEST.
Chicago Unions and the Worlds
Fair Again.
APPEAL TO PRESIDENT HARRISON

He Is Asked to Grant the Three De.
The Document To BE Sent to the state
Governors - Gompers and Powderiy
Asked to Go Slow About That Labor
Congress-A Warning to Outside Work
men to Stay Away.
CHICAGO, June 1S-The Worlds fair
joint labor committee met last night, and
promulgated several documents of inter
est to the laboring people of this country
rs well as great Britain and continental
Europe. a full report of all the work
vainly undertaken by the committee will
be printed, and the action of the general
assembly in Incorporating provisions for
the establishment of minimum scale of
wages and eight hours work per day in
the state appropriation bill will he used
to back the demands of organized labor in
Worlds fair work henceforth. The fol
lowing letter was prepared and sent to the
president of the United States.
The Appeal to the President.
"Your petitioners, the committee repre-
senting he organized labor forces of Chi
cago, respectfully ask that in the erection
Of buildings and other work to be done by
the United States government upon the
Worlds Columbian exposition of 1893.
either by contract or otherwise, the cost of
which is borne by the national government,
the following conditions relating to the
employment of labor he establishes Am
eight-hour work day; 2-all labor disputes
to be adjusted by arbitration; 3-the pay
ment of the minimum scale of wages es-
tablished as customary in the various
trades and occupations in Chicago.
viii he sent to Governors.
~ln support of this petition we respect
fully present the accompanying reports of
conferences held between your petitioners
and the Worlds fair directory. in which
our request Is explained and advocated at
length. We especially direct your atten
tion to the favorable action of the city
council of Chicago and the action OF the
legislature Of the state of Illinois. Hop
ing that you viii kindly excuse any in
formality in the form Of presentation of
this petition, and that you viii favor us
with reply, we remain, yours respect
fully, THE WHOLE COMMITTEE"
Similar letters viii bc sent to the gov
ernCrs of all states which have or intend
to have exhibits at the Worlds fair.
Letter to Labor Leaders.
The following letter was prepared and a
copy sent 10 Grand Master Workman
Powderly, of the knights Of Labor. and
President Samuel Gompers, of the Ameri-
can Federal ion of Labor: I'VE note in the
local papers that Walter Thomas Mills.
chairman Of the worlds congress auxiliary
on labor congresses, has written you solicit
ing your cooperation in the work as
signed 20 him by the Worlds fair
directory-that is-the organization of a
great labor congress under the auspices
of the w Orld's fair management as
one of the attractive features of the
Worlds fair. We respectfully ask you to
defer your reply TO Mr.. Mills for a few
days until we can place in your hands a
( III report up to date of our unsuccessful
efforts TO induce the Worlds fair manage
ment to so act as MOTTO infiict injury upen
our local labor organizations and the Ia.
Dor movement at large. We feel sure that
after you have carefully perused the off.
cial statements of the Worlds fair man
ayers in relation to labor you will better
understand the object underlying their re-
quest for your assistance
Workmen Warned to STAY Away.
The long looked for letter TO the work.
ing people Of the world was then presented
TO the CON nittee, approved, and prepared
this country and Europe 1t reads as fol.
lows: "Iou are hereby warned to place no
confidence whatever in statements con
veyed to you either through advertise
ments or otherwise (which set forth that
large numbers Of workingmen can find
work and high wages on the Worlds fair
buildings IL Chicago. We notify you that
all such statements are false. We assure
you that the Worlds fair enterprise can
offer you no special ENCOURAGEMENT that
would compensate you for leaving your
homes or present employment.
700 Many Coming Now
"The work will be Of short duration. Al
the buildings are to he finished within the
next eighteen months, and wages are very
likely to frslt rather, than rise during the
progress Of this work because of the thou
sands of workmen who even now are fool
ishly coming to this city expecting work
on the Worlds fair. This warning is ius-
fed by the dreadful suffering of the vast
army Of unemployed workingmen that
were deluded by false statements of plenty
of employment and high wages during
the erection of the Centennial exposition
of 1876.
No Funds to Help the Destitute.
"The fear that the deplorable experience
will be repeated in Chicago prompts the
issue of this warning. and a working man
without work and without money will
starve to death in Chicago as quickly 20
elsewhere. Our private and public chart
ties are now unable TO relieve the desti-
tute who are resident here. Hence others
coming here without means of self-sup.
port may expect no help"
The above document will be presented
to the mayor of the city and the Worlds
fair directory for Endorsement. When that
is obtained the circular will be sent out.
THE cMITcLMrN AM rphINncN