The morning times., 1895-12-22
FEDERATION OF LABOR.


Forty-four local labor organizations were
represented by delegates at the meeting of
the Federation of Labor last Tuesday even
Ing. President James F. McHugh presided
over the meeting.
The most interesting events of the even
.ng were the reports from the legislative
committee and the committee on the Ameri-
can U niversity.
Chairman Blake from the legislative COM
mittee, presented for approval of the dele
gates, two bills, which he had prepared
for Introduction IN Congress. The first
provided for the protection of wage-earn-
ers in the District of Columbia, in case of
assignment of employers. The necessity OF
such law has long been apparent to organ
tied labor but was made more plain several
weeks ago, when the paper hangers, in the
Federation, reported case, where after
working all week, were told on Saturday
night that their employer had made an
assignment and that they would have to
take chances with the other creditors as to
getting their money, and finally were COM
PEELED to compromise by accepting less than
fifty per cent of their wages.
The second bill presented by Mr.. Blake
was one entitled Employers Liability
act" relating To the liability of employersi in
the District of Columbia to make compen-
sation for personal injuries suffered by
employees in their service.
A similar bill was prepared by the Fed
Grafton last year and presented to Congress,
but met with the fate of many other labor
measures-referred to a committee and
never heard of again.
The many fatalaccidents occurring through
the negligence of employers In not providing
proper scaffolding and other safeguards
for the protection of the lives of their EN-
ployes, especially in the building trades,
under the present cut-threat contract sys-
TEN, in the opinion of the workers, demands
that some one should be held liable. The
present bill was taken from laws now in
force in several States. Constitutional
defects in the law which had so been decided
bydecisionS of the supreme Court were care
fully eliminated and only such sections that
have stood the test of the Supreme Court
decision form the body nf the proposed
law. Both bills received the unanimous
approval of the Federation and the com
mittee was instructed to have them intro
duced IN Congress at the earliest oppor-
tunity.
Delegate Bell then presented the report
ofthe committee onthe American University
building. The report was an address to
Bishop Hurst and the building committee
of the university, which was decided by the
federation to be a mastery product of
compilation Of facts and figures. sho wing
the superior advantage of days work
over that of contract work. The address
also appealed to the university committee
TO insist on the standard rate of wages be-
ing paid for an elght-hour workday and
that union labor be employed. The report
was unanimously indorsed. During the
debate several delegates called attention
to several prominent buildings In this city,
both public and private, built under the
contract system, which Were showing
premature decay, while others pointed
out that were built by days labor were
just as good as when completed.
The delegates from the Plasterers' As
sebmly called attention to the new post
office building, and after some discussion
the legislation committee was instructed
TO petition Congress to haze that building
completed by days labor, it being the opin-
ion OF the delegates that the edifice would
be completed more satisfactorily, both as
to time of completion and workmanship
The committee on investigating the cases
of government employees taking outside
private contracts, reported that the cases
had been investigated and reported to
the Secretaries of the Departments in which
the men were employed.
Another case was reported where a
night watchmaD employed at the Smith
sonian Institution was doing carpenter work
during the day. The matter wasreferred to
the same committee for investigation.
The next meeting OF the Federation, fall
Ing on Christmas eve, motion was made to
adjourn over for tw1 weeks. The motion
met with considerable opposition, and it
was decided by an overwhelming majority
that the best interests OF the Federation
demanded that there be no intermission
OF meetings.
Several cases of grievances were reported
and referred to proper committees.
Communication was received from the
Horseshoers' Union requesting that the
name of Mr.. Charles Weitzell, the horse
shoer. be taken off the unfair list, as that
gentleman was running a strictly union
shop. The request was unanimously granted.
Delegates from the Musical Assembly an
nounced that their meetings In future
would be held on the second and fourth
Sundays at Wellers Hall, Eighth and /
streets southeast
Bricklayers reported appropriation of
$50 for the benefit of the Anacostia drivers.
Delegates from the Pressmen announced