The San Francisco call., 1896-04-01
THE MASS-MEETlNG.
Gathering of the Building Trades to
Discuss the Working-Car
SYSTEM.

berS OF the various unions IN the Building
Trades Council held last evening in the
Temple at 1l5 Turk street. The purpose
was to explain the aims. objects and pur-
poses of the system to those who did not
thoroughly understand them. The fact
that there was q number of vacant seats
led to the belief that the card and its
meaning is pretty well understood. AS
fact it should be, for it has been the theme
of discussion in every union affiliated with
the council since its acceptance several
months ago.
Henry Never of Carpenters Union %
opened the meeting and stated the object
of the gathering. He said that the Build
ing Trades Council is now the strongest
labor organization ever existing in this
CITY. He said he wanted to enlighten the
public as to the meaning of the term labor
agitators. The opinion of many IS that
this class of human beings are not repre-
sentatives OF the trades. All of those
who are now prominent in trades unions
and labor organizations are good workmen
and those who speak at the meetings are
hard-working craftsmen. The chairman
urged all union men 10 be moderate but
firm in enforcing the card system, and 10
do all in their power TO induce non-unlon
men TO join the union and TO respect and
will not avail.
r. T. McIvor of the Painters Union
explained the working card, and said:
All the card consists OF is a small piece of
papers, certificate that the bearer is a mem
ber OF certain union. Before proceeding
wish TO speak of a trip made to the City Hall.
l inspected the tower ana found.a lot OF rusty
iron supporting the immense dome and lot
Of laborers, not painters, daubing some
what it was on this iron. 1t is the
time now for the workmen OF the City
10 look into these matters. This is an I'M
portant matter, because thousands of dollars
OF the peoples money is being spent for rotten
work and poor workmen in the construction
OF a monument that should be credit instead
OF a disgrace to the City. The job Is rotten
from basement to dome-as rotten the men
who are running the Citys affairs and con-
structing the building.
Referring TO the card again he said that
the objects are to bring together for mu-
| tual protection those who will not help
themselves and therefore fall easily into
the clutches of the employers, whose IN
! terests are not the interests OF the
| laboring man. Thus the union labor
ers must band themselves together to
maintain their rights as against those
/ who are willing TO receive the benefits but
are not willing to share in the tolls that
! are necessary TO secure the fruits of organ
lied labor. The speaker urged those who
are in trades unions to go out
and organize those who are not.
| The workingmen all over the coast are
only too anxious to form nto unions. BY
| the end OF this year he expects 10 have all
| California organized better than ever be-
fore. Mr. McIvor said that he does not
expect that the Introduction of the card
! system Will be productive of any trouble.
! ?. Ross Martin was the next speaker
and he was enthusiastically received. He
began his discourse by referring to body
I
! were excayatlng for the foundation of a
building who were receiving only 65 cents
a day. why don't they organize ?" was
! the question and this formed the text of
! the speakers discourse.
| As to the working-card the speaker said
| that the card is only the workingman's
| trademark. 1t represents what he has to
! sell-hls labor. 1t is to his interest that
| his goods should not be aduterated as it
| is by those who are designated as "Scabs.
| Men depreciate the value of labor by max
ing it cheaper. Mr.. Martin for time lost
track OF the object of the meeting, the card
system, by discoursing upon matters of
| political economy.
P. FL. Mccarthy of Carpenters Union
No % went:directIy to the point and said:
Tomorrow morning, April /. all union men
finding non-union men at work on a job must
! notify the boss that either the man must send
in his application for mem bership in the union
OF his craft or the union man will walk out OF
his job. The boss will not keep non-union
man five minutes if he thinks that all the
union craftsmen will walk out.
Mr.. Mccarthy made a strong appeal to
the assembly to enter politics as union
men.
w. II. Hutchinson, treasurer of Carpen-
ters' Union 483. went into the history OF
the working card system and said
that he was one of the first to dis
cuss the system at a time when the
labor unions were..very low. After discuss
ing the system in the several unions, it
was decided to put it into effect and at
last it was adopted by the building trades
of this City. He urged every union man
to assist the business agent by enforcing
the provisions Of the card on every job in
San Francisco.
c. f. Schadt of Carpenters Union No.
4S3 said that he had just returned from
meeting with the French and Italian Car
! pehters' Union. He heard a report read
to the effect that every French and Italian
| contractor had given in to the eight-hour-
a-day system. The men of that union are
very enthusiastic in the cause of union
ism. He spoke at length upon the neces-
sity of educating the working classes, not
in ''book learning" but upon their rights
as citizens and as workingmen and the ne
| cessitV OF OrpaniZinp trades pniOns