Omaha daily bee., 1895-12-08
TESTING The LABOR UNIONS
Continued Depression Causing Rougl
Time for Them,
STILL TRYING TO HANG TOGETHER
So Far Successful ms to Give Hope
that They VIII Pull Through
-Gencral Kelly
~. Coming. ..,

| -teucrn hcIIy
| T. o.. Coming. D,
Naturally the long business depression is
proving a sore trial to the labor organizations
in Omaha and 1t is generally agreed that they
are being submitted to the severest test that
could we'll be devised. If their strength holds
| out until a revival of better times no one
connected with them will be much inclined
to discuss even from speculative standpoint
! the question whether such organizations have
| the stuff in them to survive any sort of ad-
versity, for 1t will be regarded as settled.
So dubious Is the outcome held to ~ that
very conservative members are filled with
fear that every society bearing the name of
| labor will go to wreck and that the work
| done in the past will have to be done over
with only the advantage Of the melancholy
| experience. Certain ones seem already to
| have given up and do not hesitate to say that
| even now the greater number of unions are
| but shadows, keeping up the form In most
| instances of organization, but being In fact
without any vitality. Others leaning very
strongly to this view of the case seem to be-
leye that the dark heavens are full Of signs
and omens and that the general organizations
which have commanded recognition in holding
the disciplined forces of the labor army on
occasions of great strikes must pass away to
be superseded by some system that shall
come nearer to bringing all classes Of those
who toll under It's banner and in more perfect
harmony than heretofore.
In this connection great many are inclined
to feel that the American Railway union Is
the coming dspensaton. Its present leader
is looked upon as something of an apostle
and an oracle whose prophecies many put
great confidence in. Certain 1t is that of all
the general labor bodies this is the one that is
lust now the most active in recruiting both
throughout the country and in this CITY, IL Is
said that in the last two weeks about five
local unions have come into existence, and
while it Is the impression that its work Is
chiefly with railroad men, still 1t is recognized
that its whole scheme is much more extensive
than this, contemplating, indeed, nothing less
than a uniting of all the labor forces OF the
country so as to have power never before at
command in pressing its demands.
HOPE TO WEATHER THROUGH.
With the rank and file, however, the fact
that the Nnions have so far weathered the
storm has caused great hope that they will
continue to do 50 to the end. 1t is undoubt-
edly true that the majority of the trades have
been weakened by the exodus or members
to other points to seek employment, ana
among them a great many OF the pest me
chanlCS anu dTllSdHs 'he Sity ava '''e
class, always able to get employment when
there Is any Is the first to migrate when
work becomes scarce and wages poor. Those
who remain are for the most parG men VINO
have some property interests or familles mere
and who are therefore in a sense tied down.
1t is estimated that III the last eighteen months
or two years about 900 members OF the car
penters' unions have left the city, and the
other unions have suffered from similar emil
grafton. = IT,
Unions that were so fortunate when the
stress began as to- have fairly good treasures
have been able to carry those members who
have not been able to keep up their dues, but
others are feeling terribly the debility caused
by the lack of circulating medium:
Trouble betwsdhy The local KNIGHTS OF Laoer
and their allies Sover the organization OF an
assembly of musicians seems, atter grea.
deal of discussion and conference, 10 nave
reached a point where nothing further ca can
BE- done in bringing about settlement me
last effort was week ago wednesday hsnl,
when A committee of the state federation, the
arbitration committee, came down TO Omaha
and sought to bridge the chasm p:tween the
knights and the Central Labor union. Eacii
side adhered stubbornly to Its position ana
all hone of coming to pleasant terms mas
haan nnite abandoned The knights repeat
the charge that the local branch OF the
Musicians Protective union dld not comPorl
itself in a manner consistent WIN iapoE
ethics charging labor bodies on occasions oI
hands and cutting the price to other parties
when il knew that it must submit to compe-
tition and be unable to enjoy the monopoly
which made the acceptance OF It's terms prac-
tically compulsory in the former cases. unuer
these circumstances the knights are Wen
enough satisfied that they have an assembly
which already has four or five BANDS IN
it's ranks.
RECEPTION FOR KELLY.
With this friction among them the labor
circles of the city are glad that at present
little enterprise is on foot in which they can |
oil enthusiastically unite and that is the plan |
of bringing General Kelly OF Kelly army |
fame to Omaha for a speech at mass mest-
ing In fact the matter has been settled |
and the time agreed on. keiy mas pesn
nuttirp in several months travelling over the
cnnntry making addresses in the interests OF
organized labor and will deliver an address
at knights of Labor hall December ~ or IL
Ja comes under the auspices OF District as
srmbly 126, and will receive rousing re-
ception. 4. J..
Inst now the horseshoers seem to be
merrier than any other class Of worknei' ior
the recent fall Of snow and the ice that has
followed has given them plenty to do. "Ihat
snow,' said one Of the bosses, has beeh
worth n dollar an ounce to us All OF tne
shnns are full and many of them are open III
the evening The Journeymen Horseshoers
rnion will elect officers on Wednesday even
ing Of next week. ,,.
At its last meeting Carpenters anu % 'U'ueis
union No. 427 elected sfiicers as folows'
prnsident Robert McKennon; recording sscre-
tarv I. H. Tracy; financial secretary M, II.
treasurer, Fred Schuebel. Apout
all the carpenters are having TO 40 are shiai,
iohs and patching, and the bricklayers, ana
indeed all the building trades, are much IN
the same condition.