The age-herald., 1899-05-24
Debs, the Great Labor Leader,
 Will Lecture Tonight
WORK OF ORGANIZATION
Several Organizers Are in the District United Mine Workers Called to Meet on June 1o to Dis
 cuss New Contract

famous lecture at the auditorium tonight, under the auspices of the Labor Advocate of this city The coming of this eat thinking. working man, has been talked of for some time past, and the lecture tonight will be one of the best entertainments which Birmingham has had for many months. MT. Debs has a national reputa- tion as an orator, and the position that he now holds with the great class of work ing people of this country. proves him to be man of ideas and of brains
 J. H. Leath, president of the Trades Council, will have charge of the entertain ment tonight, and at the head of a large corps of ushers, will insure that perfect order will be kept, and that everybody who comes will be given seat, especially ladies and their escorts.
 Organizing Labor
 Not only is thls week an important one for the laboring people, in that MT. Debs lectures in Birmingham but there has rarely if ever before been a time when there was such activity in the organi- zation of protective labor unions. In addi- tion to tho ocal labor leaders who are taking such an active part in this work, there are present in the city, John McNeil, of Kansas City, president of the Interna- tional Boilermakers and Iron Shipbulders association, F. L. McGruder, organizer for the American Federation of Labor and others.
 A great deal of attention is being devoted to the organization of those trades in which the laborers are composed mostly of ne groes. Some objection has been raised tc nIa hut of I,l recognize that unless negro labor which works side by side with white labor, will necessarily hold the latter back, unless they-the blacks-are themselves or ganized
 Those who employ labor will not pay members of a white labor organization more than they will unorganized negro la borers who will work for less money. For this reason it is to the interest of the white laborers to see that the colored laborers themselves form organizations.
 For instance, year or two ago when pig iron was selling for six and seven dollars ton, the coal miners of the dis trict received about 371k cents ton for mining coal, and the common laborers around the mines received 75 or 80 cents a day. Now, when pig iron has advanced to over SIP a ton, the miners who are or ganized, are reaping the benefits as well as the operator; they are receiving on an average of 471a cents per ton On the other hand, the unorganized mine laborers, most ly, negroes, receive the same wages that they did when iron was cheap.
 Actively at Work
 One or two meetings of the laborers in various trades are being held every day and will continue for a week or more.
 The iron moulders of the city, who are just being organized, held enthusiastic meeting Monday night, and were addressed by John McNeil A great many names of new members were added to the list, and the new organization was found to be in most fiourishing condition.
 The carpenters, who are also just being organized held a meeting Monday night, which was addressed by w. M. Stanley.
 Last night, at Fox's hall, the boilermakers held another meeting, which was addressed by John McNeil.
 At 1 o'clock today in Bessemer, the coke drawers, ore miners and furnace laborers, mostly negroes, will hold a meeting and will be addressed by Mr. McGruder. These laborers also had a meeting Monday night, at which MT. McGruder addressed them, and will have third meeting the latter part of the week.
 Tomorrow night there will be meeting of building laborers, such as brick and nor tar carriers. which will be addressed by MT. Stanley.
 Monday night President Young of the Alabama division of United Mine Workers, organized two assemblies at West Pratt, in addition to several others in this district last week. He is actively engaged in this work now.
 As stated above this work of organization will be kept up for some time.