St. Paul daily globe., 1895-10-20
\ :. In THE
! LhB0R WORLD.

The information below from Sec
retary James +. Jackson, of the Asso-
ciated Charities of st. Paul, will un-
doubtedly be of interest to organized
worlkingmen, inasmuch as it will tend
TO refute the charges so often made
that labor organizations are a menace
to society, and that while protection
TO members" is professedly a funda-
mental principle. only those who are
near the throne" have ever succeeded
In securing any benefits.
The excellent system of Secretary
jackson for the conduct of the affairs
OF the Associated Charities makes 1t
possible to get positive information on
all matters in relation to the various
charities of the city, and for this rea-
SON the statement made in relation to
the work of trade unions will be more
highly appreciated. Although charity
is but one of many features of the mod
ern trades unions, its work in this direc-
tion will compare favorably with that
Of many societies organized solely for
this purpose. In response to several
queries concerning the workings of Ia
bor unions ON these lines, and the abb
sence of any mention of them in the an
nual report recently published, Secre-
tary Jackson has mailed us the follow
ing:
HI. W. bennett, Esq, Editor Labor
Department of the Globe-Dear Sir:
1 am gratified with your valued addi-
tion to the voluntary testimonial con-
cerning the usefulness of the work ac-
compliShed by the associated charities.
The reports cover only the work under
taken by this joint agency, and the
lack of any reference to charitable
work of the labor organizations is due
to the fact that they have not pre-
viously had any official relation with
the associated charities. This omiS-
sion is more easily understood when /
state that some of the work undertaken
by the associated charities was omit
ted from the report for lack of room.
Since the fall of '9S this association has
appreciated the charitable efforts of
the trades organizations, not only for
their own members, but also in behalf
of comon laborers, who had no official
connection with any union. The place
of labor organizations was recog-
| nized by the associated charities in its
parlor conferences on the subject of
the Unemployed" That of two years
ago being addressed by James Morrow,
then Minnesota state president of the
federation of labor, and one year ago
by M. r. Murray, then holding the
same office. In each of the two preced-
ing years, when the problem of caring
for the unemployed was one of the
y . L
was impressed with the smallness OF
the number of applicants for assist
ance who We're members of any labor
organization. I am mot able to state
accurately the figures for the season
of '99 and '94, but 1 am sure that less
than per cent of the applicants were
members of any union. AS I recollect,
they received little aid except from
their own or kindred organizations, al
though the fact of their membership
instance -
celv1ng such aid as they seemed to need
The lack Of close cooperation be-
tween the various labor unions and
the associated charities makes it i'm
possible to give absolutely accurate
figures for the past year, but a care
full inspection of the 755 Investigations
made the past year satisfies me that
not over per cent to AZ per cent of
of families where the husband was a
member of any of the unions. Fully
four-ffths of these union men were
members Of railway organizations.
with lew exceptions, the union men,
whom we have had occasion to look
up, have been found to be at least rea-
Sonably industrious and of good hab-
It's. 1t also developed that with few
exceptions their families received less
than S. worth of aid from the general
charities. From what I have seen Of
the workings OF the unions, [ am salts
he'd that the closer cooperation, which
we now nave with these various organ
izations,. will enable them to grant
substantially all the aid that shall be
necessary to give their members in
the future. 1t is a hopeful sign for
charity workers and an omen Of good
to the unfortunate, when such organ
lzauons as the trades and labor as
sembly and the secret societies recog-
nize the essential privacy of our regis
tratlon, and exchange information with
the representatives of the various char
1t1es of the city. Very respectfully,
James F. jackson.