The times., 1897-09-26
BRAINS AND Drawn.

dSuNe one IN local labor circles There
has been plenty Of food for thought aud
plenty Of opportunities for action on mat
ters in which the wage-earners Of the
Country are directly interested.
The Executive Council of the American
Federation OF Labor convened here on
Tuesday with the full membership. with
one exception, present. As it was well
known tfat he council would consider the
situation in reference TO the striking coal
miners Mr. NJ u. Ratchrord, president OF
the United Mine Workers Union. ami Mr..
Gamer On Miller, who had worked side by
side with the former in the great strike.
were in aiten,Isrnee at the meeting If tb,
Council Aftey u careful survey OF the
situation il Was decided by the executives
Council, Messrs. Ra tchfOrd and Miller con
Curing, that there is no necessity for m.
holding OF a labor convent ton at st. Louis,
NO. during the coming week TIE ST,
LOUIS Convention was decided at a CON
/ ference ~ labCr leaders held some weeks
ago at Columbus, o., but since that time
tne s'fike las practically ended Under
the circumstances the council fssue6 4
circular I" tie trades unionists OF the
Chlted states and their friends, informing
/ thetn 0f the action and the reasons for IL.
"hile IN some parts OF West Virginia
ana Illinois the miners are stHl out. in
the whole coal region more than IS per
cent OF the strikers have returned To work.
+ President Ratchlord regards the conces-
slOns gained by ths miners as a great
victory, in fact, the greatest in the history
! or the labor movement in recent years
And It's effect, he is confident. win be
| lasting. The gain in dollars and cents to
| the miners President Ratchford saws.
! means great deal, but there is a greater
/ gam than that, the closer relationship and
| orotherly feeling which has been created
among all eiases OF organized labor.
Before adjouining the executive council
Issued "A address TO the trades uni,nists OF
the country, calling upon them 70 raise
FUNDS Tor che legal prosecution OF Sheriff
| Martin aud his deputies. In this connec-
tlon IT may be proper to mention that in
It's clTcul3s letter notifying the labor unions
throughout the country that there would De
II" labor convention heId at st. Louis it was
/ advised that tie money which would haye
beea expended in sending delegates 20 that
assembiage be contributed to the support
| Of tEs miners
l
| by Bricklayers' Union, No. ]. in this CITY
/ "hen on LabUr Day, its members de-
1 cided not 10 hold their annual street
I parade and to contribute to the miners
ali amount equivalents to that which would
I nave been expended for uniforms. music
and Other things necessary to the parade.
| On Tuesday evening, President Ratchford.
/ President GOmpers and other members OF
/ the executive council addressed large
| and enthusiastic gathering Of the WORK.
/ men OF the District al Electrical workers'
+ Hall.
| 1t this meeting, while the strike ana
| its results was the general topic, the sneak
eTs discussed the eigEt-hour law aud rhe
Immigration question also One Of the
! speakers maintained that an educational
| qualI1icatioh was advisable; not, be said,
6ecauss man could not be an honest. Nd
| night citizen. even though he could not
read nor write, but because if he could
/ ne would be able TO learn before he came
/ to TINS co untry what was best for his own
interests and that of his fellow work
| men. He would know how to avUid max
/ ing tro';ble for himself and through in
teliigent sympathy. do nothing to lessen
tie Chances or his co-workers to earn
livelihood.
Another speaker in discussing the eight
hour law, said that So far as legislation
is concerned, IT is a future The remedy
ne said, could be found only in true union
ism. The trades, he said, If well organ
/ lied and sincere in their purpose, could
make the la~ effective, but all the leets-
latiOn Imaginable could not, without tbs
determination OF the toiling masses, Ia
back it.
The action Of Columbia Typographical
Union, 40. 1O1, at its last meeting. au-
thOrizing its president and secretary 70
call upon President Mckinley and request
him to remove the Government Printing
Office from the classified service, has
been tie sole topic Of discussion in typo
graphical circles during the week The
union has membership OF nearly I 500,
51t attb session at which this action was
taken, scarcely one thirtieth OF the mem
bers Were present.
Ihls, taken into consideration with the
facs that 1T has been repeatedly demon
strated by direct vote that the union
is overwhelmingly in favor OF civil service
REFORM was not only surprising but OBJ
jcctiOnahle to the majority uf the menu
bership. So a special meeting was called
to reconsider the question At this meet
tnE nearly 900 of the members of the
union We're present, and by very de-
cided vote determined to settle the matter
for once and all time by again referring
the question To a referendum vote Of the
chapels Composing Columbia Union.
IN The meantime, however, the president
and seer tary called upon President Nc
hinley aud Informed him OF the action
taken by the union
At the last meeting of Mount Vernon
Assembly of Painters, No. 179S, K. Of l.,
communication was received from the
Building Trades Council in answer TO the
application Of that organization for ueur-
beTship In the council. The condition
prescribed by the council was that the
painters should withdraw from the Knights
OF Labor before 1t would admit them This
Mount Vernon Assembly decided not to
do, and so the matter ended.
Tie local Federation of Labor, which
met on Tuesday evening, held but a very
brief session. There was no very urgent
business demanding the attention Of tina
body, so after the reading OF the minutes
it adjourned and most Of the delegates
attended tile mass meeting held at Elec-
tricai Workers hall under the auspices OF
the building Trades Council.
The general executive board of the order
o. knights OF Labor, which was in session
last Y eek, adjourned without taking action
on one or two matters Of local interest IL
was also expected that a protest would
have heel Inads before the board CONCERN
1f,sr 4 al,