St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-01
And Its Effect May Be Felt
When Appropriation Time
Arrives.
An Interesting Outlay of
News From st. Paul Labor
Sources.
Industrial Note and Comment
From the Flour City
Shops.


week by the circulation of handsome
souvenir issued by the militia COM
panies of the state. The apparent OBJ
ject of the book is to favorably impress
members of the legislature by the eff
cheney of our militia with view to Sc
curing appropriations to further their
interests. 1t is prettilly illustrated,
and this seemed to be the cause OF the
comments that are being made by repre-
sentative labor men. The frontispiece
shows well-armed company ofmilitiain
the act of firing into what seems to be
body of half-starved working people.
To make the application still more UNI
fortunate, statement is made that 1t is
due to the efficiency of our militia ana
their readiness for such emergencies
that no riots of similar nature have ever
taken place. This is regarded by some
as a peculiar statement. Labor men
point to the quiet and law-abidlng man.
ner in which the ffty-three organiza-
tions of workingmen are carrying their
work, and the educational methods by
which they are in measure striving
to arrive at the solution of the social
problem. In fact, an officer of one of
the largest and most conservative
unions in the city says, 1T has been the
impression that the mission OF the
militia has been to look pretty and take
annual excursions, but it now looks as
though in their modeSty they believe
this to be lawless locality that is only
kept in order through the existence OF
a few militia companies, whose mission
has been, until recently. unknown to
the majority of our people"
In order to see what effect the souye-
mir has had upon our legislature,a com
mittee visited the capitol to secure an
expression OF opinion by the members
of that body. The investigation has de-
veloped the fact that copies nicely tied
with blue ribbon were presented to
all the members of both houses; and
the effect upon them Is such as to indl-
cate that militia men will in the future
be less plentiful than usual. The leglS-
latOrS from the rural districts are the
least inclined to see the money of the
state used for such purposes as lndl-
Gated in the souvenir. Instead or nav
ing three regiments, it is quite probable
that when the legislature adjOurns there
will be but one.
The executive council Of the State
Federation of Labor met this week and
passed upon several measures OF leglS-
lation which particularly interest the
wage workers. They will have intro
duced measure providing for stringent
factory inspection. The bill as it is
drawn up requires the appointment OF
three inspectors of factories and the
prohibition of child labor under fifteen
years of age. The legislative commit
tee will endeavor to have it introduced
Df ha 4 afu G M.
liltaneously. An effort will be made to
have the legal holiday law introduced
by John Day Smith amended to include
the Labor day, as this is already holl-
day in several other states. The COM
mittee has also bill drawn up proyid-
ing somewhat novel feature in prison
reform. 1t asks that 90 per cent or the
wages of prisoners be set aside for their
use or their families.
At the last meeting of the executive
board of the trades assembly there
seemed to be disposition on the part
of several members to name paper as
the official organ of that body. While
the GLOBE labor department appreci-
ateS the kindly sentiment that would
prompt such action, yet it has been for
more than two years practically the
official organ of organized labor III st.
Paul. The columns of the department
have always been open to the full dis
cusson of all phases of industrial top
les, and do not need the formality of
having reports labeled official" There
are on file many letters received from
time to time urging that the department
be made official because it counts thou
sands of readers where the average
labor paper would have only hundreds;
still no attempt will be made to replace
the present popular plan of press COM
mittee by the more autOcratic style of
official organ.
The legislative committee on labor
met Tuesday and considered some very
important bills. The following bills
were recommended after they had been
explained by Frank Valesh and L. IL.
Lucas, of the State Federation of Labor:
II. f. rs, which provides for establish
ing state board of examiners and the
securing of plumbers certificates. Also,
that only skilled and certified plumbers
shall be employed Oh work done for
public institutions. The bill will apply
only to cities having $1,000 or more i'll
ha6itants. H. f. 1924, which aims to re-
strict the employment of young chill
dren, and makes employers liable for
employing children under the stipulated
age. Ii. +. IL, providing for the weekly
payment of wages, was also recon-
mended. Other bills of considerable inn
portance will be considered this week.