Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-16
TIE FIRST STEPS TAKEN:
Toward Organizing the Carpen-
 terS and JoinerS. -
AN INTERESTING MEETING
, Of Union Men at Erswel Hall Yesterday A. ternoon-Mr. Stanley Lays Bare Some Observations

As announced in the Age-Herald, a meeting of organized and unorganized workingmen was held in Erswell hall yesterday afternoon '''-
 There was a small attendance owing to the excessive heat, but the fifty or more who were present seemed bent on ac- complaining something and they were successful.
 Mir w H. Stanley took the floor and called the gathering to order, and said!
 Brethren. this meeting was called by the organization committee of the Trades council and Is under the auspices of that body. Why such a small crpEd is present I cannot understand. l can remember the time when call for meeting of this kind would cause men to scramble for admission like boys after tickets at a circus wagon
 At the time of the financial panic, three years ago, the builders were left in a bad shape Today they are in the same condition. Right now there is not sin gle builders organization (that is earpen- ters) with a commercial basis of Wa ages. Uuless we make an effort to better our condition the contractors will not, and it therefore behooves us to organize. If We dQ not lakt more interest III puI SelNCS even the city officials will continue to do as they have done in the past Early in the summer the city hall was painted By whom was the work done? By city prisoners. Yes by convlcts. and at that very time there were dozens of idle paint CTS. idle because they could not get work. The mayor was appealed to and he prom ised to see 10 1t in the future that the like should not again occur.
 "On Labor Day he welcomed our guest in stirring speech. at the same time saying that he was in favor of organized labor.
 "Only a few days after this declaration the street committee saw fit to have the Twenty-first street bridge repainted. Who did this work? Negroes who did not have on enough clothes to make a flag to wave down a train. UnslSilled negroes were given the job and at the insignificant sum of $20. There were plenty of idle painters to do this work They were idle because they had no em- ployment But we had made some pro- gress. because had this work been done three months ago convicts would have been forced to do 1t.
 q saw in one of the papers Friday where Mayor VanIIoose desires to have 5000 workingmen go to Atlanta on Bir- mingham day and show the people of the world what we are. By all means let's get them to take those bridge painters clothes and all with them.
 But there is too much talk and not enough work. It is time to do some of the work. This meeting was called for -rthe purpose of organizing unorganized labor. I sec great many carpenters present, and I suggest that they, if they so desire, get together and take the in- itiatery steps" @ .e
 At Mr Stanleys suggestion the carpen- ters got, together and organized tempor- arily. e
 MT. L. M. Cannon was chosen tempor, ary chairman and MT. H. D. Reese tenn porary secretary.
 MT. Reese said he had talked to some carpenters during the week about organ izing. and one of them said he did not propose to join any organization, a he wished to be free man. How many in dependent candidates have you ever seen elected to office? The freest man on earth is the one who belongs to a good organization. Therefore let's all organ ize and be free men.
 MT Cannon said the matter of organi- zation is an important one. and should be carried out in such manner that every one could feel that he had acted manly and straightforward. Therefore let us do what we intend doing in manly manner, to show that we are not only skilled workmen, but gentlemen
 It was then moved that all present who desired to join the organization give their names to the secretary. There were fif- Hetll pltSCit, anu every Out gave III fllS name.
 The meeting then adjourned until Thursday night, when permanent organi- Zation will be effected and officers elected. '- All present seemed much enthused. and the carpenters of Birmingham and vicinity bid fair soon to become one of Birmingham's solidest labor organiZa- tions.
 Committeeman Stanley and Moseley of the Trades council mean business. and ,l.,- ner of what they will further perform.
 The painters, tailorS. barbers, timers and-lothers, as yet unorganiZed. will soon be brought in line.