Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-03-23

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ubmitted-Routine and General
Business Transacted.
There was only fair attendance OF
delegates at yesterdays meeting of the
Ohio Valley Trades and Labor Assem-
bly,. The first business taken up was
the acceptance and qualification of del
egates. as follows: Hodcarriers' Union,
{ Ed. Brown, vice Osborne Gray; Jour-
neymen Butchers No. $500, Peter Hill
Ienbrand. vice Jos. Williams; Stone
masons No. 2, Paul Kleeh, vice John
Wendler. resigned.
The West Virginia Legislative Com
mittee presented a report relative TO
the use Of coal by the Water Board.
The Board was visited, and promised
to abide by the former agreement with
the miners and the Assembly.
The Arbitration Committee presented
written report relative to the trouble
in the butchers union about the refusal
of three members 10 pay their dues.
The matter was finally adjusted salts
factorily to all concerned. The COM
mittee also reported on the coopers'
grievances. stating that the local brew
cries have made satisfactory promises
concerning the purchase of kegs. After
considerable discussion the report was
adopted.
The special committee to investigate
the alleged sale of non-union hats in
this city. presented verbal report.
The discussion developed an interesting
condition of affairs. 1t was stated
that a local dealer informed the COM
mittee that he could purchase 5000 so
called union seals for five dollars.
There is a genuine and a bogus seal,
and the delegates wanted information
which will enable them to distinguish
between the two. After some discus
sion a motion was adopted, instructing
the Secretary to communicate with the
national body of the hatters. 1t is I'M
derstood that printed cards will be dis
tributed containing fac SMILES OF the
genuine and counterfeit union seals.
The special committee on city charter
reported progress. Chairman Riley
of the ways and means committee, re-
ported that no meeting has yet been
held. He called a meeting for next
Saturday night at Assembly hall.
A resolution was adopted requesting
delegates to report to their respective
locals that it is the desire of the Assem-
blv that the members of such unions
leave nothing undone in their efforts
in helping Garfield Assembly in its
fight. EX-President W H. Riley and
Mr.. Jere Mead have been in Pittsburg
prosecuting the boycott placed by the
Assembly. Mr.. Riley took the floor
and made a plea for an earnest effort
to push the boycott He emphasized
the necessity for personal effort, and
pointed out the indifference of labor
ing men and organizations in matters
of this nature. For example, he told
of one man who had induced his grocer
TO stop handling non-union cigars.
When he and Mr.. Mead visited labor
headquarters in Pittsburg, they were
welcomed and told that Pittsburg or
ganized labor was in line with Garfield
Assembly in its fight. Then they
treated us to scab cigars" There are
300 cigarmakers in Pittsburg. and only
one-third of them are union men. He
took the position that unless the dele
gates pushed these boycotts properly,
the Assembly is nothing more nor less
than a debating club. He intimated
that less eloquence and more work is
what is Aquired In conclusion he
stated that the committee vas better
received in Pittsburg than it had ex-
pected
Another resolution was adopted. re-
questing the delegates to the national
convention of miners to be held in
Columbus on April 14th, to introduce
a resolution in that body favorable to
the Wheeling cigarmakers, and against
the non-union product generally.
The Secretary read a communication
giving the declaration of principles Of
the Citizens Employment Association
of the United States. This is a scheme
for new political party. with the ame-
Iteration of the condition of the work
ingmen as its object. A blank was
attached for the signatures of persons
pies, and the leaders in the movement
offered to send speakers to this city.
if their expenses are paid The plat
form declares in substance, that river
and harbor Improvements are a neces-
sity; that roads and road building
should be done by the government:
that public lands should be improved
by irrigation, for the use of the people:
that the government should issue silver
in making these improvements: that all
emigrants be taxed $500: that none but
citizens, or those in process of natural
ization. shall be employed by the gov
eminent, and wages shall not be less
than 81. so a day. The general head
quarters of the new party are in Pitts
burg
The matter was not received by the
Assembly with any degree Of enthu-
siasm. The scheme was generally
looked upon as impracticable.
The miners delegates complained
about the awarding of the coal contract
for the electric light plant to the Glen
dale Coal Company. which they al
legged is a non-union mine. 1t was
stated that there was but two cents
a ton difference between the bids of the
Glendale company and a local union
mine. A motion was made. instruct
ing the Legislative Committee to call