Evening star., 1898-11-15
CENTRAL LABOR UNION
Approval Of Appeal for Increase Of Wages in
Government Printing Office.
Question of Pay of Press Feeders
Special Committee Appointed
Future LegisIatiOn.

A large amount Of business was disposed
of at the regular weekly meeting of the
Central Labor Union. held last evening at
Typographical Temple President H. w.
Szegedy occupied the chair and J. S. Fee
ney was secretary.
The interest of the body in the matter
of the restoration of the wages of those
employed in the government printing office
was evidenced by the unanimous adoption
of preamble and resolution which rected
that ''the printers. pressmen, bookbinders
and other skilled mechanics employed in the
government printing office some years ago
had their salaries reduced from 81 to $3.50
per day, and they have been striving from
year to year to have their wages restored
The pressmen have been successful, but
the others have so far failed and as there
is now a bill pending before Congress which
if passed will restore the wages of all
skilled mechanics employed in the govern
ment printing office. therefore the Central
Labor Union is in thorough sympathy with
the printers and other skilled mechanics
employed in the government printing ofnce,
and the delegate to represent this body in
the eighteenth annual convention of the
American Federation of Labor is hereby
instructed to prepare resolutions and pre-
sent them to that convention, asking that
body to ndorse the efforts of our brothers
in the government printing office and aid
them in their efforts to have their wages
restored
The Press Feeders.
4 delegate from the Press Feeders Union
stated complaint of his organization that
the press feeders employed at the bureau
Of engraving and printing are not paid
equal wages, though required to do an
equal amount of work. 1t was stated the
wages of this class of employees ranges
from s1.92 to $l25 day. the latter sum
being the lowest wages paid in the city to
press feeders. their sclle-$1 92-being paid
in al other government departments. At
the request of the press feeders, com
mittee was appointed to see Director john
son and request that all the feeders EN-
pioyed at the bureau of engraving and
printing be paid 1872 per day.
Several bakers drivers were admitted to
make a statement relative to the formation
of a union of drivers They stated num-
Der Of drivers We're unorgarized and that
union could be formed if the Central Labor
Union would encourage their efforts. The
matter was referred to the organization
committee.
J. F.. McHugh. with a committee of the
soft stonecutters was under suspension
of the rules, admitted to the floor, and Mr.
McEugh stated that the purpose of the
visit of the committee was to bring to the
attention of the Central Labor Union a
statement recently published in local
paper that Mr.. William Silver. the orgtn-
iZer of the Central Labor Union had Or
ganized a union of marble workers, which
would be allied with the Central Labor
Union. Mr.. McHugh stated that the new
organization would injure the soft stone
cutters and he protested against the for
mer being recognized by the Central Labor
Union.
The statement made by Mr.. McHugh elic-
tied considerable discussion, during which
the fact was stated that the Central Labor
Union knew nothing about the organizat ton
of such a union in the District and that
until the fact had been definitely deter
mined and an application made for a char
Y
action in the matter.
Making Overtime.
1t was reported that government tele-
graph line is being constructed from the
navy yard to Indian Head and that men
employed are forced to work ten hours
per day. Messrs. John Lynch and Thomas
Hassett, who were recently employed on