The San Francisco call., 1896-02-25
.LABORERS IN POLITICS.
Several Interesting Addresses
at the Painters Open
Meeting.
A Prospect That the Bosses Will
Come to Terms - Carpenters
Business Agent.

Those who have kept close watch have
observed that there is growing boom IN
trades unionism in this City and vicinity
within the past few months. New unions
and combinations of unions have sprung
into existance and others have felt the in
fluence and taken new lease OF life.
How this spirit of progress started is not
known. Foremost in the lead are the
building trades. Six months ago several
unions of this craft could hardly secure
quorum at their meetings. Now their
halls are crowded on every meeting night
and the memb ship rolls have run up
from few dozen to many thousand and
every day brings new mem bers into the
organization.
A prominent trades union man has
summed up the situation In this way:
For years the unions have struggled along
endeavoring TO better the condition of their
members, but to no purpose, for they have
not won single important victory IN
standing for what they considered to be
! their rights. The reason for this is they
| have not stood together as unions, but
each stood selhshly for itself. The work
| ingmen have at last recognized this fact
and now they are convinced that in united
unionism is their only hope for relief and
| that new tactics must be pursued in order
| to accomplish anything
! This is manifest by the fact that there is
| a general movement toward entering pol
itics, not on the old party lines, but In the
| formation OF workingmans' party. 10
! this end IS the labor convention working,
supported by the entire strength OF the
| building trades. the socialist element of
! the community and with prospect of the
support of all the other organizations OF
| wOrkingmen.
This and kindred subjects were discussed
| 10 Z OF hn Of ha
painters and decorators at Washington
Hall. The large hall was filled to the
| doors, and a number of stirring addresses
were delivered by James Andrews, r. t.
Mclvor, z. Ross Martin, James Rose and
others. In speaking of the differences
with the boss painters Mclvor said
that there is every prospect OF
! the difficulty being settled without
| the necessity of resorting to drastic
measures. March L was set as the date
when the painters and decorators would
demand better wages, shorter hours ana
recognition of the working-card system.
He said that the largest and most respon-
sible painters are in favor OF acceeding to
the demands of the journeymen, but that
a formal reply to the latter's open letter
cannot be obtained until March D, as the
! master painters Will not wait until the
4th. Those who acceed to the demand
will be literally supported, but those who
hold out will be fought to the bitter. end.
Should all the master painters think
unfavcrably OF the proposition then the
| Iourneymen Will secure stock materials,
| form companies and go into business on
their own account and make contracts for
painting at such low rates that no out
side contractor can make living.
Martin gave the painters few cold facts
i that made them do little thinking. He
said that in the United States there are
| 3,5oO,OOO lille people ready to do anything
to keep from starving. The boss painters
know they could secure plenty OF work
men and this knowledge had made them
confident of success when debating the
terms to unorganized or poorly organized
| laboreTs. The latter by standing shoulder
( to shoulder could secure their rights and
! in no other way.
: Besides the addresses there were num-
Der of songs and recitations for the enter
| talnment of the audience. Hereafter these
| open meetings and entertainments will be
| Eeld Semi-monthly.
At the meetings of Carpenters and join
ers' unions 483 and 304 it was announced
that +. r. Jonnson, the business agent for
the Carpenters unions, mad resigned his
position. He will go to Alaska to work,
leaving on next Saturday. johnson has
held the position of walking delegate for
| several terms and was we'll liked by the
carpenters. His place will be temporarily
| filled by selection by the district council.
His successor will have to be elected ct u
meeting of all the carpenters unions.