The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-04-28
LITTLE DELAWARE.
LABOR WELL ORGANIZED IN THE
PRINCIPAL CITY.
An Cnostentatious PhiIanthropist-
Gaining Ground in the Way of
Labor Legislation.
Wilmington. Del, April 18th

Inc CidSSeS-tldJ Is,
people in general-in Wilmington are
pretty well organized, but outside the city
which has a population of about 100000
the towns in the state are all small, none
Of them having more than 1900 people,
and, as far as l am informed, no ergani-
cations of any consequence exist. This
fact is not alarming, however, or even
strange, for there are no important in
dustries in the state outside of Whining
ton-or rather. beyond a six-mile limit
OF course there are one or two mills and
factories which employ children and wo-
men Principally, among whom orSanlza-
ton is an unknown quantity, and not
thought of by men who have served
regular apprenticeships.
knowing as we do in this city that
there are very few people outside of the
city who would be accepted to our trades
unions. we give the balance of the state
very little thought. This is. hardly
fair statement, either, in one very impor-
tant sense, for we do think a great deal
about the child labor feature, and are
exerung our energies toward having COM
pulsory education laws and other meas
ures passed at every legislature that Will
make the employment of children in mills
and. factories impossible. BY hard uphill
work we are gradually gaining ground
in this direction in the way of having
such legislation enacted, but it pains me
to say that the laws are violated with I'M
punity through certain tecnicalities. we
are gratified with the measure of success
we are having, however, and feel that at
any rate we are not going backward.
The city of Wilmington is one OF the
principal manufacturing centers in the
east and thousands of people are given
employment. Millions of dollars are in
vested in manufactures of every des-
cription. The principal industries are en-
gagged in the manufacture of iron and
steel steamships, wooden vessels. rail-
road and railway cars. iron and steel
bridge work. engine and machine work,
DiQTp
leather and morocco, explosives, car
riages, corncob pipes, flour mills ana
iOus kinds of merchandise. So it will be
seen that we have men employed here
in nearly every kind of business.
Most of the trades are organized and md
some Of the shops are strictly union
places, while l am extremely SrleVed
TO say that the majority are not.
However. these unions exist. and are
growing, and in nearly all instances While
they do not control the employment of
men are of sufficient strength to hold
the balance of power, as far as the reg
ulation of wages, the vital issues con-
cerned. OF course, in nearly every case
the non-union man reaps the benefit of
organization as the union man-that is,
the union maintains. the wage scale.
which is usually paid to the men alike,
regardless of affiliatiOn for any union.
Still we are not dismayed. We are
strong enough to make our power felt.
In our city there are few children doing
mems work, and most of the children and
women who do work are not taking the
places of men. / am sorry to say, how
ever, that there are some exceptions.
Women have taken the places of men in
some of our big morocco establishments,
and also in car shops. They are doing
artistic work on cars for about one
for the same work. Women are also at
work in other Industries where men were
formerly employed. but L am happy TO
note that most of our manufacturing
places have no work that women can do.
AS / said in the beginning, the trades
are pretty we'll organized. both individ-
cal union has some connection with a
national body, and the majority Of them
are affiliated with the United Labor
league, a creature of the several local
trades unions. Each organization is rep
resented in this central body by a dele
CATION, and each union keeps in track
with the general status of union matters
in this way.
The United Labor league is progressive
and is doing much toward the Iurther-
ance of union principles and organiza-
ton in this city. 1t helps to keep up the
interest in the individual unions in yari-
Gus ways.
Through this United Labor. league the
value OF the union label Is becoming
known. and we hope soon to have it in
Addresses are frequently made at the
meetings Of the central BODY. when are
entertaining. instructive and fun OF good,
sound reason
Unionism in Wilmington is not so dem
onstratiVe as in many places Most OF
our effective work is done through cham
nels unnoticed by the general public until
our end is accomplished
Unfortunately we have but one news
naper in the country that we can call our
friend But this one is d friend, and IN
its columns we can openly express our
ODjniouS and have our movements ana
actions chronicled without being sneered
al aud ridiculed. This paper IS the Every
Evening. the most popular journal be
tween Philadelphia and Baltimore. The
Every Evening Office has always en-
Moved union men and paid living wages
The owner of the paper, elr. Samuel
Bancroft. jr., is q very hoeral-mlnqe4o
man. and Away has the interest or MS
en1nIoyees-as we'll as the working class
Is generally-at heart, for all OF which
his EMPLOYEES feel very much attached
10 him. Beside owning the Every EVEN
ing Mr. Bancroft Is a member OF the
IoSeDh Bancroft & Sons company, cIotn
manufacturers dyers and bleachers, ana
he is known as a philanthroplst, MS De
niticence being widespread but uhher-
aided. .,.,,.o, ,,r;,,,-
;-,,, woIIId saw that we are now fairly
strong. and are doing what we can 10
;raDr61-e our condition and that OF our
ie AZ every session of the legislature we
t-v To get laws passed favorable TO union
men but we find it a very nara malter
70 oct what we desire. However, We
bave, bv going to considerable expense
in the way of lobbying, had some Iegls-
Iation enacted, and now the W9Ihl4Is tiish Il
i'm Delaware has certain rSH'S WHICH
employers are bound to respect n