Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-04-26
BREAD AND CONFECTIONERY
Work Accomplished BY the Strong 0rgaaisa-
tion Formed.
Business to be Considered mt the An
preaching International COnven-
ton of the Union at Cleveland.

PETITIONERS Union of this city to the trien-
mai International convention of the organ
izat1on, which begins in Cleveland Ohio
Monday next, will start for that city Sat-
uroay evening. 1t is generally believed
Dy those who are engaged in this branch
OF industry that the convention will be the
most important of it's kind ever held
Within the last two years the original
wcrk OF the International union has been
supplemented by a general movement for
sanitary bakeshop legislation and the ap-
pcintment of state bakery inspectors. As
result of this movement the following
states enjoy the benefits of state inspec-
ton of bakeshops: New York, Minnesota,
Massachusetts,, Maryland. New Jersey,
Connecticut. Ohio, Missouri, Pennsylvania
and Ontario. Canada. The union succeed
ed In having special inspectors appointed
IN New York, Ohio, Maryland and Mis-
souri,. These laws are of immense i'm
portance to the public veal, intended to
insure the production of bread under clean
and healthy conditions. The International
union, with this record to Its credit, with
a membership of 10000 active members and
192 local branches, extending from the At
lantfc to the Pacific, is ready to embark
upon a still wider field OF labors, which
latter the coming convention will have to
lay out.
Questions of Importance.
The convention will consider and take
action upon the following important mat
tiers. which will have to govern the work
of the union for the coming three years
Inaugurating the eight-hour work day in
steam bakeries; securing bakery sanitation
laws in every state in the Union: organic
Ig the cracker bakers, and inauguratinS
a general movement against the United
States cracker trust, for which purpose
the convention will extend the scope of
both the union crackers and bread labels
sending out of commissioned organizers
and label agitators to arouse the people
of the country to the dangers of the rising
cracker and bread trusts; to organize the
Cnorganized bakers; the Institution of
general sick, death and out-of-work benefit
fund within the organization; the Inaugural
ton of general movement to induce the
master bakers pools of New York and
Chicago to recognize the unions of their
journeymen; the consideration Of the re-
str!ction Of night work, and the substitu-
ton of day work in bakeries wherever pos
sible.
Its OfRcers and History.
The present officers are: Henry Weise-
mann. international secretary. who resides
at Brooklyn, N. Y; John Schudel, assistant
secretary, Brooklyn; Charles Thiemsen,
treasurer, also Brooklyn. The executive
board Is as follows: Frank KnOth, No. DO
Sheriff street, Cleveland, Ohio; John Heller,
Cincinnati, Ohio; Charles Groh, No. 1O2
Lorraine street, third ward, Allegheny: G.
A. Dongus, No. 100 Dunlop street, Indian
apols. Ind; F. A. Harzbecker, No 8 La
mont street, Roxbury, Mass; Albert Herbst,
No. 396 North street, Rochester, N Y; Otto
Winzen, No, 1852 State street. New Haven,
Conn; Stephan Schmidt, Moss Scott street
Detroit, Mich. The union was organized
January 16. 1888, in the first national con-
vention of the bakers unions of the United
States. held in Pittsburg, Pa. Twenty-six
delegates were present at this convention
and they represented twenty-four local So
cieties. The first national secretary elected
was George G. Black of New York. who
held office till May 1. 1859. The convention
resolved to publish an official weekly paper,
The Bakers Journal, which subsequently
became the chief instrument of organizing
the journeymen bakers of the entire coun-l
try.
The first object of the union was the alb
clifton Of tine boarding house and saio on
employment agencies. These saloons were
the principal refuge of idle bakers in those
days. They were also the fountains of
their moral and physical corruption and a
standing menace to every better instinct
of the men.
Good Results Accomplished.
AS a result of the unions work they
have been abolished in most of our large
cities almost entirely, and the union labor
bureau. conducted by managers paid by
themselves, have taken their places. An
other reform achieved by the union was
the abolition Of the old-time system of
boarding and lodging with the employer
AS a result the wages of the journeymen
have risen and encouragement to establish
ing homes of their own has been given. So
that now the percentage of married hak-
ers is more than % per cent more than be-
fore these reforms were effected.
Other results obtained by the union was
the reduction of the hours of labor from
fifteen and sixteen per day to an average
Of ten; in many cities the total abolition of
Sunday work; steady increase in wages
from an average Of 81 per week in the sos
to s12 per week at present.