Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891, 1891-03-14

Unions OF the A. +. OF l.. Attacked
and Ignored While Barnum Com
pers Exhibits at their Expense
his Greatest Show on Earth-Tht
Feigenspan Boycott-Eight Hours
The Defense Fund-Trade Mat
ters Victorious Tailors - Help
the ClOakmakers.
The session opened with a good repre-
sentation. A delegate of the Machinists
Union was elected chairman and dele
gate of the Brotherhood of Tailors was
vice chairman.
Credentials were received from the
Brotherhood of Carpenters No. 200 and
new Union, the Hat, Cap and Block
Operators. The delegates were admit
ted.
Two weeks ago the Corresponding Sc
cretary was instructed to write to Ma
tonal Secretaries Dyer of the Granite
Cutters, John T. Elliott of the Painters,
and P. j. McGuir of the Carpenters,
and inform them of the persecution to
which the Paperhangers of local union
1872 were subjected by the X. Of l.. with
out any effort on the part of the Amer-
can Fedfr ration of Labor to give them
the protection they were entitled to.
In his reply National Secretary Dyer
states that the Granite Cutters have
withdrawn from the American Fedora
tion of Labor, and that their New York
branch is affiliated with the Central La
Dor Union, the Building Trades Section
and the Board of Walking Delegates.
Any complaint should therefore be made
to the New York branch itself. He
says: "We are not aware of any attack
being made on any bona fde trade
union, and our New York members
would not support any such attack"
National Secretary Elliott is, as usual,
frank and outspoken. He says that he
paid visit to his old time and well inten
toned friend P. j. MCGUIRE but that
the New York Carpenters are evidently
not amenable to discipline or reason.
He says
II have urged Sec'y Evans to issue an
appeal in our behalf similar to those
issued in behalf of other organizations;
but it seems to me that every excuse is
raised to delay matters. Possibly,
forecast of their inability to accomplish
anything leads them to seek delay; but,
if they would comply with our request
and place the Executive Council of the
A. +. of l.. on re ord as trying to help
us, it would be something at least in
their favor 1t is a poor showing for
the head of the A. F. of l.. to be dancing
around with an advance agent to adver-
tise him as a show, while at headquar-
tiers the pirates of the labor movement
are knitting his affiliated branches that
are contributing to his support. The
position taken by the New York Central
Labor Federation is the true one in my
Judgment. Only through the union of
the economic and political forces of
labor can any permanent relief be real
lied | trust that it will continue doing
all in its power to create sentiment in
favor of our people, whose past fidelity
proves them worthy of all the moral
support you can give them.
''Assm ing you of my earnest convic-
ton of the correctness of your move
ment and of its final triumph, am,
Yours in brotherhood
j. T. ELLIOTT"
The following circular was endorsed:
To the Furniture Trade.
GENTLEMEN:-Youra attention is called
to the firm of Volt Bros, Parlor Furni
ture Manufacturers, Bowery, corner
Houston ST., New York.
This firm has for years employed as
Uphosterers the cheapest workmen
they could find. principally Russian and
Polish Hebrews, making them work
from II 10 l6 hours per day, and paying
them from $500 to SIC, 90 per week, for
which they had to turn out, according
to prices paid by other manufacturers,
from $1,000 to $4,000 worth of work. At
last it dawned upon these poor people
how they were ill used and underpaid,
and they asked for an increase of wages,
whereupon their slave-driveTs for in
Justice to every respectable employer of
labor we can not call them anything
else turned them out on the street, say
ing they would never employ any more
Jews.
They have now in their employ the
scum of the trade, men who only work
long enough to buy whiskey, and when
they are arrested for being drunk Volt
Bros. are on hand to use tnelr influence
to set them free.
Things have come to such a crisis that