The times., 1899-11-30
ENGLISH LABOR LEADERS.
Two British Trades Union Delegate
Arrive in Washington.

Arrive III W taShlhE
Alexander Wilkte. of Newcastle-on- Tyne,
and James Hasiam, Chesterfield, England,
are at the Hotel Raleigh. Mr.. Wilkie is
general secretary of the Associated Ship
wrigbts' Society. and Mr.. Haslam is the
general secretary of the Derbyshire Miners
Association. They are fraternal delegates
sent by the British Trades Union Congress
to the annual convention of the American
Federation of Labor, which will be held at
Detroit, Mich, December II to 10.
Messrs. Wilkie and Haslam arrived at
New York on Saturday, where they remain
ed until yesterday, when they came to
Washington. They were met on their ar
rival in this city by Samuel Gompers and
James O'Connell, President and Vice Presi-
dent Of the American Federation of Labor,
and Frank Morrison, Secretary Of the
American Federation Of Labor, and Messrs.
William II. Szegedy, President. and James
L. Feeney. Secretary of the Central Labor
Union, Samuel De Nedrey, n. o. Sprague.
/ Milford Spohn, Charles Deitrick, and
Charles II. SquieT, a committee represent
ing the Central Labor Union of this city.
The Englishmen were seen at their hotel
last night and asked for an opinion on the
effect of the British-Boer war on organ
lied labor and the probable result They
/ declined to discuss the matter, however,
/ saying that they are too much occupied
4 in their efforts to alleviate the condition
of the toiling masses to pay much attention
to other affairs. They however. spoke
/ freely on the conditions of labor in Great
Britain. In fact, they are agreed that the
conditions are rapidly improving. This
they say, is plainly manifested by the bet
/ terment of the conditions of wage -earners
I of all classes. This betterment Of the con-
dition of the laboring people of the king
dom, it is maintained, is the result Of or
/ ganiZatiou among the tOilers. There are,
of course, it was stated parts of the cOun-
try where the wage -earners in all trades
and callings are not organized. There the
delegates said, the people work so long as
, there is daylight and for mere pittance
as wages. Where the trades people are
educated to know the value OF organization,
there, it is said the hours of labor are
short and the wages equal to the best paid
in any country.
The conditions under which skilled labor
works in England ii was stated. are very
. similar to those in America In all Cow
ernment work the employees work eight
hours a day while on private work the
length Of days work is nine hours. Ac-
cording to the report Of the Beard of Trade
of London, there are about . Goo eco or
ganized skilled worbmen in the British
isles. This estimate, the delegates say. is
too low, as is shown by the enumeration
made by the building trades union, which
estimates the total at about 3.O0O coo.
The delegates say their mission to Amer
ica is entirely friendly; they were not in
structed along any particular line, except
to cultivate the friendship of the lab0ring
classes Of the United States. The friendly
relations which exist at present, il was
stated, have a strong influence on the work
ing classes of the two countries, and every
thing possible will be done to Increase and
extend this influence. At. present there is
a mutual recognition of working cards
between the members OF organized labor il
England and America. and in this way the
interests of trades Unionism in both couu-
tries is being brought closer together
During their stay in the city Messrs
Wilkie and Haslam viii be shown all the
places of interest by the members of The
local committee On Friday they viii visit
the Capitol and Congressional Library with
Mr. Szegedy and on Saturday the navy yarl
I with Mr. OCOnneI.