The San Francisco call., 1897-07-31
WILLING TO
JOIN unions
A Committee From the Let
ter Carriers Band Visits
the Labor Council.
They Claim They Are and
Always Were Friends Of
Organized Labor.
Officers Elected for the Ensuing Six
Months and Other Business
Transacted.

San francisco Labor Council held its
regular weekly meeting at Union Hall
last night, with J. Hill in the chair and q
good represe tation from the various
trades unions present.
William Kane of the Green Glass
Bottle Blowers Union, who succeeded
James Keegan, resigned, was duly sworn
in as delegate from that union.
At last weeks meeting resolution was
passed providing that letter be sent to
the Postmaster-Generalo objecting to the
existence of a non-unlon band of letter
carriers who plav at rates below the union
scale. A delegation from the letter
carriers accordingly waited on the council
and was given the privilege of the floor.
They objected strongly on the ground
that the action of the council was wholly
unjust ard stated their case as follows:
when the letter-csrriers we're first Or
ganized in this CITY they had no band of
their own, and whenever they required
music always employed a union band.
About three years ago they decided to
form band of their own, and to that end
hired an instructor, who was union man.
Since their organization they have spent
hundreds of dollars, every cent Of which
of organized la bor."
The delegates further stated that the
band never played below union rates and
that they have been prosecuted and chaTac-
terized as 1.-The notorious scab band of the
letter-carrieEs," not by the Musicians
Union, but by clique composed of few
mem bers of that body. They also claim
that they are anxious and willing to join
the Musicians Union, and to that end
an application for mem bershlp had been
sent in about eleven months ago, but they
had never received any direct reply, al
though they had heard in round about
way that they could not join because they
were Federal employees.
Delegate Davis of the Musicians Union
was on his feet in moment and informed
them that being a Federal employe de-
barred no one from mem bership and
stated the cases of several Federal en-
ployes who were good members of the
union, He also mentioned a contract
which he had seen a few days previously
between the Ietter-carriers and the Sons
of Benjamin which was below union rates.
A resolution was passed to the effect
that the Letter-carriers' band cannot be
recognized by the Labor Council until
they join the Musicians Union.
Delegate Furuseth of the Sailors Union
reported that the Klondyke excitement
mad not i'm proved the condition of the
men along the water front to any great
extent.
Mr.. Davis reported that letter had
been received from the National secretary
in regard to the letter-carriers' contro-
versy, stating that immediate action
would be taken on the matter, and he
had commun icated with the Postmaster
General.
The Glass blowers reported that busi-
ness was good and work plentiful.
Delegate Meares of the Bakers Union re-
ported that matters in the contest between
his union and Davitt & Daily were pro-
gressng favorably as far as the union was
concerned.
The semi-annual election for officers
was then held. The only contest
was between ]. Hill and G. E. Hawkes..
Mr.. Hawkes. withdrew before the election,
and the secretary cast ballots for the fol-
lowing:
President, ]. Hill; vice president, NJ. Davis;
recording secretary, Ed Rosenberg; financial
secretary, ]. Walters; treasurer, Ch. Batter
man; sergeant at arms, William Dove;
trustees-W. Macarthur, J. Brown. w. c.
Ackerman; executive committee-M. Davis, A.
Furuseth, ]. Hill, J. Walters, C. Z. Hawkes.,
Ch. Batterman. W. Meares; law and leg1sla-
tive committees L. Robbins, w. Macarthur,
]. Hill, A. Furuseth, w. B. Benoist; organic
ing committees. L. Robbins, Ch. Schuppert,
W. Macarthur, S. Smith, w. Dove.