Evening star., 1897-01-14
THE LABOR UNIONS
Important Question President Com
pers Must Decide.
fN0CHARfER APPLICAFIONSEIPECrED
An Appeal to Printers for the
Eight-Hour Law.

Eight-Hour Law.
GIG ARM UNION
One of the first questions which Presi-
dent Gompers Of the American Federation
| Of Labor will have to dispose of after the
| work at the new headquarters of the or
der in this city gets to running smoothly
will be the status of the Ohio State Fed
Grafton of Labor.
This organization, which was formerly
known as the State Trades and Labor AS
sembly, was renamed as above at the an
nual convention held in Columbus last
week, and the first thing they did, accord
ing to a letter received here from Cincin-
natl, was to send telegram to President
Gompers asking for charter of aff1liation
with the American Federation Of Labor.
The communication goes on to say: This
action was not taken hastily, and 1t is said
some opposition was made but the real
object for wishing to affiliate with the
American Federation of Labor is to pre-
vent the organization of a rival state body.
And this object is admitted to be true.
Among the labor organizations which
have taken a prominent part in urging the
necessity for organizing a new state BODY
Is tfe Cleveland Central Labor Union,
which withdrew from the assembly some
months ago. Other unions have since with
drawn, and through the efforts of the
Cleveland body plans have been perfected
for the organization of new state body, to
be affiliated with the A. F. of L. This
action was decided upon some weeks ago.
but before it could be carried out the an
nual session of the state assembly was
held The plan to organize a new state
eody was known to the assembly, and as it
nrtn hnn pl1v,p J4v,< h<el, I,
assembly, after some discussion, concluded
to amend its constitution change its name
Of L.
The Question of Recognition.
Being informed of this action which was
so unexpected, the promoters of the new
state body at once entered protest and dis
patched message to President Gompers
to delay action until explanation could be
made. Now the question arises, will the
application of the state federation be ig-
nored and charter granted to body not
then organized, or will President Gompers
decide that the state federatfon's applica-
ton should be granted and the unions
Wishing TO organize new body be urged to
join the state federation?
1T is certain two charters cannot be is
sued. Regarding this matter from disin-
terested standpoint, the only way in which
to settle it would seem to be by granting
the state federation a charter. If the
unions wishing to organize a rev body had
Tor their object the organization of a state
branch OF the American Federation of La
Dor, then their object has been attained by
the action Of the ex-asser1bly in changing
Its name and applying for a charter by
which 1t could affiliate with the American
Federation of Labor, which action, what
ever the faults the old body may have had
In the past, certainly indicates that 1t shows
a disposition to adhere strictly to trades
unionism in the future. If 1t does not there
fS a remedy and 10 he
voked and 1t would then be the proper
time to organize a new body. Final action
now rests with President Gompers. who,
before settling the matter, will allow both
sides full hearing. His decision is await
ed with great interest"
Secretary Frank Morrison.
The friends of Mr.. Frank Morrison, the
new secretary Of the American Federation
Of Labor. among the members of Typo
graphical Union, No. 16, Of Chicago, have
rendered him a farewell banquet, which
will take place in that city Saturday even
ing next. Next week Mr.. Morrison comes
to Washington to take up his new duties
ut the headquarters of the Federation. Mr..
Morrison, his friends claim, scored a nota-
BILE achievement in gaining the election to
the position of secretary of the Federation
1t was as delegate to the recent convention
that he made his first appearance in the
organization councils and his only previous
experience as delegate was at the Colora-
do Springs assemblage of the International
Typographical Union. The only office he
ever held, outside of committees in his own
union, was that Of secretary of the labor
congress.
Appeal for the Eight-Hour Movement.
Mr.. P. ]. Mass. general organizer Of the
International Typographical Union. has is
sued an appeal to printers to support the
eight-hour day movement. in the course of
which he says:
LAS the Colorado Springs convention of
of the 1. T. U. submitted another short
hour law to the referendum. and We are
about to vote on the proposition, it is to be
hoped that the printers, who are the pion-
GERS of organized labor, will at the age of
forty-six years adopt short-hour day.
Nearly every other craft has adopted
some measure looking to the shortening of
the hours Of labor, and there is no denying
the fact that we are way behind in this
shorter workday for somebody else. the
English-speaking Typographical Union
can always be depended upon for word
jammers,' but when 1t comes to voting for
sis of past events shows too plainly that
we vote against our interests on the ques-
ton. just as we do in politics.
1.-The contrast between the hand compos-
itor of few years ago and the machine
compositor Of today furnishes sufficient
argument for those who take the side Of
shorter hOurS-nOt alone Tor newspaper
men, but book and job men as well. 1t is
well often to aim at the unattainable, as
we thereby make attainable what would
otherwise be unattainable. Give men
shorter hours, and you give them more
time to study and learn why bread is SO
scarce while wheat is so plenty.
Work of Foreign-Speaking Craftsmen
I'VE the English-speaking printers)
ought tc hang our heads in shame when
our foreign-speaking craftsmen and their
attainments in the line of shorter hours,
ETC., are mentioned. Take the German
Topographic for example. Though but
twenty-one years old, that branch has had
an eight-hour day in successful operation
for the past ten years, and it was obtained
with very little trouble. True, their dues
are much higher than ours, but their va
rious benefits are much greater
Another. A year and half ago / or
ganized Hebrew Typographical Union No.
217 in Chicago. AS soon as the charter ar
rived they declared for a nine-hour day,
and had no trouble in obtaining It,
"Still another. To cap the climax for at