The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1897-08-23


on Market street yesterday afternoon.
President Ned Sims presiding, and Sec
rotary Duffy at the desk. There was q
very good attendance, and the chief dis
cusslons took place on the immigration
question, coal or gas at the water works,
and the horseshoers' difficulty, The lat
ter ended In the horseshoers' union CIV
ing notice of its intention TO withdraw
from the assembly, This was the result,
of the action of the assembly taken after
II was found that the union consisted OF
employers.
The only credential received was that
of Edward Dittmore, National Tobacco
Workers Union, Local. No. 2.
A lengthy discussion ensued on the re-
port Of the immigration committee, dee
ferred from the last meeting. There
We're two reports from the committee,
majority and minority report, The ma
jority report favored the adoption of the
petition and resolutions of the Kane La
Dor League. but suggested that the petit
lions be sent for signatures to every local
union In this section, instead OF 10 in
divldual voters, thence TO the national
representatives at Washington,
The minority report believed the pres.
ent immigration laws are strict enough
II enforced. The alien contract labor
laws could be made more effective II
power were given to bring complaints "a
the courts by an immigrant commission,
er, instead of by prosecuting attorney
as AT present. Stricter laws were urged
against the birds OF passage, the class
of men which comes to the United States
every spring and returns In the fall
bringing their money back with them,
Delegates Bauer and Boles strongly
supported the minority report, The ma
jority report, favorlng prohIbltory i'm
migration, was ably supported by Dell
egate 7. l.. Lewis He traced the evil
effects that had followed the dlsplace-
ment OF English-speaking labor by an
illlterate foreign element. Since thu
displacement wages had been reduced
almost one-half Foreign laborers ara
in charge of an EnglIsh-speaklng fore
man, and can't be organized into unions
He referred to the reductions Of long,
shoremen, railroad laborers and coal
miners.
Delegate Riley favored 'prohlbItory
legislation not because he was certain
all Of the clauses, nor all the effect de-
sired by American worklngmen could be
secured, but for the reason that in ask.
ing for all something could be secured,
In opposition to prohibitory legisla-
ton Delegate Tighe made some re-
marks He argued for spirit Of broad
mlndedness, and stated that restrictive
prohbltory laws wouldn't be considered
at Washington.
After some more discussion pro and
con, in which Delegate Gabriel Jackson
made fervent plea to prohibit immi-
grafton, Secretary Duffy read an an
swer to the assembly's request for in
formation from the headquarters Of the
American Federation of Labor anent Its
position on the immigration question.
Secretary Frank Morrison answered
that the Federation had not placed
itself on record, but at the Nashville
convention will hear the reports of each
representative. The branches have
recently been instructed to send dele
gates prepared to vote on the matter,
questions having been submitted TO
them recently. The questions were
very practical. They bore upon the adj
visibility of further amending the pres
ent laws. of getting a provision In the
law guarding against criminal and pau
per immigrants. lnstructing the foreign
consular service and giving them great
err power to enforce immigration laws,
Furnishing the employers violating the
allen contract labor law, holding the
steamship companies responsible for
character of passengers, etc,
vote was then taken on the imml-
grafton committees report. The mi
nority report was lost, to 80; and the
majority report was adopted, 30 to Q.
Mr.. Foster, OF the miners soliciting
committee, reported as being gratifled
with the generous treatment accorded
the committee. Contributions had
been good, and much distress had been
relieved on both sides of the river.
The city water board, through Secre-
tary Schellhase notified the assembly
that after careful consideration of the
assemblys proposition to substitute
coal for gas as fuel at the pumping sta
tion, the board had come to the conclu-
sion that the change was not warranted
The board asCertalned that TO use coal
the boiler capacity would have to be
increased by an additional battery
costing $1,000. The board felt satisfied
that coal would cost $1,000 more per an
mum than gas. If the difference was
S4OO or $500 the board might make the
change. but the probability of coal
strikes and casualties made the supply
OF coal at times very uncertain,
Delegate Foster stated that he was
satisfied that with u fair test It could
be shown that II coal were used, the city
Would be saved from 81 600 to 1880 per
annum. He thought the water boards
reference to the coal strike as carrying
very little weight. and didn't think It's
communication gave any explanation
why gas was cheaper by $4,000 per an
num- while the miners committee dem
onstrated It's argument by an array Of
indisputablo facts and figures.
Delegate Bauer, OF the committee,
stated that the board had suffered CON
siderable expense Of both tests and
didn't propose making a further test al
its expense. The boards figures In
reaching the conclusion that gas Is
cheaper we're reached by those tests,
the same as the miners had used In
proving that coal Is cheaper.
Discussion on the question threatened
TO delay other business, and u motion
was adopted that the communication
from the water board be laid over for
two weeks.
The assembly unanimously decided
that all locals falling to send delegates
for n period OF three months must com
ply with the constitution
Tho horscshoers' union grievance
against local holacshoeng Arm then
came 10 the front, IN tho rocommondn-
tlon Of the arbitration committee ask
Ing that n boycott be placed on Baum,
berger 4 Mclaughlin the firm IN qucs'
tlon Members Of the union were hchrd
but II wns the opinion Of many OF the
delegates that ua the horHorhocrF union
IN composed Of employers and not Jour