Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-12-06
BELMONT TRADES UNION
In Regular Session at Bellaire Yester-
day Afternoon.

New Bylaws Read and Laid Over
for Action at the Next Meeting.
A Steel Worker Tells Why the
Strike Was Declared Off, Union
Will Take Suitable Action on the
Decision-Steel Scale Discussed.
Other Business Transacted.
The Belmont Central Trades and
Labor Union held fairly well at
tended meeting at the G. A. X. hall
yesterday afternoon at Bellaire The
meeting was called to order by the Pres
ident, John H. Campbell, with Mr..
Kunkel the Vice President, and MIR.
Culbertson, the Secretary, present.
After the minutes of the previous
meeting had been read and adopted, Mr..
Kunkel, chairman of the bylaw COM
mittee, read the new bylaws, rules and
regulations, the preparation OF which
were ordered at the previous meeting.
At the conclusion of the reading good
deal of wrangling was in order as to
whether or not they should be debated
and amended.
Mr.. Larkins thought that the word
4
Council" as the former word signifies
a body of men, while the latter word
means the amalgamation of unions.
Mr.. Salisbury held that while the
word union" was not applied as ele-
gantly as it might be, yet it was thor
oughly understood by the body that
the word meant the unfication of many
locals and agreed with another member
who had previously spoken, that it was
appropriate. He was in favor of letting
the word stand as the substitution OF
another word would necessitate the
changing of the seal of the Belmont
Central Trades and Labor Union. Sew
eral clauses of the bylaws were spoken
of, but it was finally decided that action
be deferred until the next meeting,
which was according to the constitution.
Under the head Of strikes delegate
asked to be informed if the action OF
the steel workers in declaring their
strike off was by the consent of Presi-
dent Garland, 70 the Amalgamated AS
ISOLATION of Iron and Steel Workers, or
merely by the decision of the local
Amalgamated lodge.
A steel worker present, in reply, sta
ted that their action in declaring the
strike off at Saturday nights meeting
was only by the unanimous consent of
the members of the local Amalgamated
lodge. as the strike in the first place
was not ordered by the Amalgamated
Association, but by the local. He said
that they had conferred with Mr.. Gar
land before the strike was inaugurated,
and while the latter refused to order a
strike, he agreed to support them on
the condition that they fight the battle
alone. According to this agreement we
received about $500 from Mr.. Garland
and together with what money and pro-
vision was received at the commissary
from the citizens of Bellaire and the
neighboring towns, we were supported
satisfactorily for a time, but the funds
and provisions gradually dwindled, and
at last we found ourselves mourning
debt We then thought that further
work of the commissary would be TAX
ing advantage OF the public. This was
one of the reasons why we gave up and
another was that I for one, and about
eight others knew that We would not
be taken back at the mill under any
circumstances, and that by our holding
out those who had prospects of being
reinstated were only being detained
uselealy."
members why the scale paid at the
Bellaire steel plant was not in accord
ance with the scales paid at other steer
plants in America, and was answered
by President Campbell, who said that
all scales have always been arranged
by the locals, as it is impossible for
the convention to arrange the scales for
the various mills. At the steel plants it
depends on the conditions existing in
the mills. Out of thirty-five or forty
steel plants throughout the country on
ly four or five are union mills for the
reason that each has been steadily cut
ting under the other until the steel bus
mess has become demoralized.
A motion was then made to have the
Union openly concur with the action
of the strikers in order to withdraw
the brand of non-unionism, which the
body had placed upon all employees of
the Bellaire steel plant four weeks be-
fore. An amendment was made to this
motion that it be laid over until COM
munication could be had with Presi-
dent Garland in order to learn whether
or not the strikers had taken the wrong
step by declaring the struggle at an
end. A vote was taken and the action
deferred for four weeks.
The Postal Savings Bank matter was
brought up again and referred to the
Legislative Committee for action at the
nextvmeeting.
Credentials were received of e. S.
Brown, Alexander Brandon and VIM.
Roush, Of Union No. 43O, United Mine
Workers of America.
The matter in regard to member of
Hackett's band was referred to the Mu-
sicians' delegate for investigation.
The Secretary's report showed ex-
penditures to amount to S2.04 and re-
ceipts to 81. Adjourned.
Miss Oliver needs no words of praise
to induce those who before heard ner
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