Evening star., 1897-02-08
ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE
Mass Meeting tooBe Held Shortly to Bring
innWorkmen.
Central Labor 1Unien Plans and the
Work NOss Under Way and
That Planned.

An important meeting of the recently
formed organixhtson committee Of the Gen.
trail Labor Union and Building Trades
Council was held Saturday evening at the
| hall OF the electrical Brotherhood, and a
movement started to organize all the un-
orsanized working people in the District.
Inc subcommittee of the Central Labor
Union reported that arrangements were be-
ing made for a mass meeting, to be held
within the next two weeks. which will be
addressed by several Of the most promi-
| nent labor leaders of the country. In the
meantime active efforts will be made to or
ganize a federal union, under charter of the
American Federation of Labor.
AT the last meeting of the committee this
wes decided to be the most feasible plan
ny Wnlcn organization can be extended, and
d suocomm1ttee. composed of Milford
oponn. r. I. Lanis and John Weber, was
appointed to draft statement defining the
purposes of an organization of that charac-
ter.
it IL was unanimously agreed by the COM
nttee, which represents the trades unions
OF the District, that federal union should
oe organized as soon possible, and the
organizer, with the assistance Of the
LABOR Union. will engage in the work when
the subcommittee makes report.
member of the committee stated that
II Is possible to enroll membership of sew
NAaooooiiu ny tNc pan proposed. 1he
matter has been considered for some time"
ne said, and without exception it has been
regarded favorably by those who desire
better organization OF the labor of the Dis
trict."
ihe committee on statistics Of the Cen
tral Labor Union, after a full canvass
nave, 1t was stated. ascertained that many
OF the crafts of the city are not organ
iAeo' Ihese compose paperhangers, coop
ers. saddle and harness makers, shoe
makers iron molders pattern makers, brass
hnishers, cabinet makers. stair builders,
plasterers, lathers, bicycle machinists, re-
tail clerks, laundry workers, boiler makers
and number of others.
Frequent attempts. it was said, have
been made by the organizer, Mr.. William
F. Weber, to organize these crafts hut
without success thus far, as a sufficient
number as required by the constitution of
the American Federation of Labor for the
chartering of distinctive trade organi-
Zation could not be obtained.
The purpose of the organization of the
federal union, announced, is to COM
btne the workers of the several crafts
above mentioned with all other wage earn
ers under the charter of and in affiliation
with the American Federation of Labor.
The cardinal idea of the proposed Or
ganizatioD will be the; maintenance of the
support of the interests Of the trade union
organization. The membership of this Or
ganization will not be confined to those of
the crafts named, but any one engaged in
legitimate business will be eligible.
OF course this will, IT is understood, in
clude those engaged in every vocation.
even includingi lawyers doctors, real es-
tate men. salonn keepers. who, If they be-
come memberss will be required to patron
ize organized labor, and in return the
members of or8anized labor societies will
exclusively patponize them
Those engagedFin pursuits which are gen.
orally occupiediby unskilled labor will also
be eligible to membership. Because OF
the miscellaneous composition of the new
organization, the principal feature OF dis
tinctive trade organization, that of the
scale of wages and how many hours should
constitute daS's labor. will not become
part Of the scheme of the body.
In other loc9iities where federal unions
have been organized the beneficial feature
of the organization has been an inducement.
to persons to unite with it. In many IN
stances sick benefits are paid and the or
ganization maybe termed trade beneficial
society," -s-