St. Paul daily globe., 1896-04-05
LOCAL LABOR,
DOings of the Sons of Toll in St.
Paul.

! DOings of the Sons of Toll in ST.
| Paul.
The Church and Labor" the subject dis
cussed at Plymouth Congregational church
! last Sunday afternoon, drew large and appre-
ciative congregation, among whom were many
prominent laboring men who went expressly
| to hear their representatives-Harry Frank
lin, James Morrow and ]. J. Ryder-give their
views on the topics assigned them. Harry
Franklin, who spoke on ''The Church and the
| Workingman," thought that the attitude of
the church in practically ignoring those out
| side the fold was the principal cause of the
indifference Of the laboring classes toward
| things religious He thought the church
should take up measures necessary to the bet
! ter condition of tho laboring classes, and that
although it condemned the social evil, it did
not strike at the cause.-the factories and 9TH
| er places of employment which paid such
small wages that girls were often compelled
| to lead lives of shame in order to live. He
knew of no minister of the gospel in st. Paul
who had ever taken active steps to secure the
| passage of laws for the benefit of working
men and women, and that the child labor
| laws, compulsory education laws, factory in
spection laws and even the lien laws, were
the direct result of the work of labor unions.
James Morrow, in speaking on "A Shorter
Work Day." insisted that a reduction in the
hours of labor would materially reduce the
number of unemployed and would also be
the means Of better education for the masses.
]. J. Ryder's subject was ''The Church and
Child Labor" He thought it would prove
a profitable investment for the church If it
would cooperate with the labor unions to
secure better and more stringent laws for the
government of child labor; that the little
child who is stunted by being compelled to
labor when 1t should be securing an educa-
ton would be lost to the church in ma
N@I t. 0Eo ThA oh Yrnh
endeavored to secure certain legislation, such
as the abolition of the rum traffic and the
placing of the name of God in the consti-
tuition, but it never undertook to secure laws
for the betterment Of the condition Of the
toilers of the earth. notable exception to
/ the average minister was the Rev. L. G.
Powers, labor commissioner for Minnesota,
who had worked faithfully in the interest Of
the people, If the church would but help
organized labor, child labor would be pro-
hibited, female labor would be perfectly pro-
tected and the workingmen themselves
would extend the eight-hour day even into
the rum shops. He asked the church to work
for the enactment Of laws fixing the mini
mum age of employment at sixteen years, to
make attendance at school compulsory to the
same age, to provide for truant officers and
factory inspectors at salaries that will secure
the best men and women and educate every
citizen to aid them in enforcing the laws.
Trades unionism meant discipline and order.
1t created labor bureaus and made labor
commissioners, factory inspectors and truant
officers fixtures in American life, and in his
opinion was doing more for the real welfare
and future salvation of the rising genera
tion of workers than the church. If the
church and labor worked together, child
labor would soon become misty memory Of
what would in the future seem like a bar
barous age
The railroad employees Of st. Paul and the
Northwest are evidently not the poorest paid
nor the longest worked. A late official report
shows that there are 400, 900 men in the rail-
way service in England. Some 10000 of them
receive $500 week or less; 160,000 get $3.50
per week. and so on UP to the highest paid,
numbering about 5000, who receive $3.50 or
little more for weeks work. More than
200, 900 receive less than ninety cents day
for long days work, while the most skilled
get less than 50 day.
The regular meeting of typographical
Union No. 30, which occurs this afternoon at
2 o'clock, promises to be both exciting and
interesting. Among other business of i'm
portance to come before 1t will be the sub
mission Of a proposition by the Dual City
Publishers association, affecting newspaper
year contract. The abolition Of the piece
work system, with the time scale as at pres
ent; insist on the right Of the publishers to
interchange matter, and a guarantee of con-
tract. They also ask the union to accept $40
per week for a day Of eight hours, and S23
week for compensation on morning papers.
Amendments to the bylaws affecting the sal
aries of officers of the union will be voted on.
II adopted the salary Of the secretary-treas-
urer will be reduced to s1s0 per year. the re-
cording secretary to s12. doorkeeper to Sc,
while the delegates to the conventions Of the
International Typographical union will re-
eeive s25 and transportation; If held in st.
Paul. nothing. In chapels of FIVE or more an
amendment will be voted on which, If adopt
ed, will give chairmen of ehapels Of FIVE or
more members salary of not less than 81
nor more than 90 per week, employees Of the
office to pay the same; If less than five, 81
per month, union to pay same. A proposition
to pay members Of committees Is cents an
hour foEs30at. time when on business for the