The Worcester spy., 1899-11-09
URGED To ORGANIZE.
w. j. Shields and P. j.
Mcclure Address
Carpenters.
REDUCE THE HOURS OF LABOR.
No Members Of the Craft
Are Paid as Poorly as
in This City.
REDUCE THE HOURS OF LABOR.

For the first time in 13 years, P. ].
Mcclure of Philadelphia, pioneer in
the trade union movement and general
secretary ry-treasurer of the Brotherhood
of Carpenters and Joiners of America,
addressed an audience of wage earners
in this city last evening, when mass
meeting of carpenters was held in la
Dor headquarters.
Secretary Mcguire arrived from Bos-
ton at o'clock, and was escorted to
the City hotel by President p. B,
IKeefe and Secretary William A. Ross
| ley of the local Carpenters and join
ers' union. In the evening Mr.. Nc
Guire and Organizer William j. Shields
of Boston were the speakers at the
mass meeting. The straight from
shoulder attacks of Mr.. Mcguire were
something new for Worcester carpen-
ters and members of other labor or
ganizationS to hear. The grand old
man of the American Federation of
Labor, of which he is first vice-presi-
dent. never talked more forcibly nor
effectively.
President Keefe was chairman of the
meeting, and ]. D, Pierce, w. j. Shields
and Mr.. Mcguire occupied seats upon
the platform. w. ]. Shields of Boston,
who will remain in this city for q few
days, booming the membership of the
local union, was the first speaker. He
I said:
What is possible for the workingmen
of other cities is not impossible for
Worcester. The conditions under
which carpenters in this city eke out
a living are worse than in any other
in the country. The possibilities that
1 worcester, great building centre as it
IS, presents are many. That the car
lpenters in this city work longer hours
for less pay than any other in New
england, is not the fault of the con-
tractors. l do not blame the con
tractors for letting the men work 10
houfs 1t is not their duty to tell a
man that he is working too many
hours. The workmen themselves should
pc judges of that, but as they have not
been progressive enough to learn it,
Iney alone are to be blamed for the
present conditions.
There is no local merchant who
would not be willing to help carpen-
ters in this city in an effort to better
their conditions. There are Jobs being
done by non-union men in this city to-
oay, and they should be stopped The
union ought to have a business agent
IN the feld, whose duty it would be
70 follow closely all contracts for the
erection of buildings, and insist that
the work be done by union men.
Inc fact that many Of the large de-
partment stores do not open for bus
mess in the morning, is not because the
owner is especially fond of cutting
doWn the hours of work. but because
the labor organizations, in their cry for
shorter work days in other branches of
trade, have sounded a warning. The
laws on the statute books of Massa-
chusettS taVoring the wage earners
We're not all placed there from the vote
OF the political parties which pose as
friend of the workingmen." They rep
resent the activity of labor unions, and
massachusetts, has had more laws
placed on her statute books which tend
TO better the condition Of toilers in gem
! eral, than any other state in the Union.
1t IS gratifying to hear that Presi-
Gent Mckinley condescended to take
out union pricklayers' card at the
laying or the cornerstone in Chicago.
When the president is willing to do This,
IT shows that our movement is becom-
ing fashionable. There must soon come
tlme when we must realize that no
political party can give us the pros
perity we want. Organization can do
that.
rome dollar added to wages of the 20
100000 Worklngmen in this country,
each week, means that $40. .OOO. O0e more
this rate there would be an increase of
$l,OOO, ,00O,600 in the purchasing power of
| the wage earners of the United States
! wouldn't that mean prosperity? If
| Wofklngmen cannot have employment
II months in the year they cannot
spend money II months in the year.
| pelleVe that the working people
| lack brain development Organization
means advancement, but Worcester
| carpenters do not appear to realize This
| fact BY building up the membership
| OF the local union, Worcester carmen
| ters will be able to demand an increase
IN wages before Jan. 1, and next spring
ran INTO line for the eight hour day.
| Nine thousand carpenters in New
| York city get $4 per day The foreman
| OF Jobs in this city get less than the
| Journeymen in other trades"
| }. Mcclure was accorded hearty
| welcome when he was introduced by
| PRESIDENT Keefe Mr.. Mcclure said.
I do not know what 1 have done to
merit the title Of hero, as applied by
| your president in his introductory
speech. [ regretted my inability to at
| tend your mass meeting
In 1886 | organized this local union.
| Ihere We're doubling Thomases present
| then. There are now. nine hour dav
was established, but the Worcester
| contractors soon saw that there was no
| ''iCAiStAl III lue UNION, ana ten hours
| became in vogue again. In 1890 1t was
| again established, and local carpenters
| worked nine hours day, but through
their laxtty contractors have been able
to insist on any number of hours as
working day
In a city Of intelligence and culture
! like Worcester, it seems almost incred
| lble that carpenters work ten hours
! per day But there seems to be a. GER
tain amount of ignorance on the mart
| of the carpenters themselves. Some of
them evidently believe that IA hours
| work at 15 cents per hour is preferable
TO ten hours at two dollars per day.
Worcester carpenters are not like
| the Beers who are fighting for their
| country. Though outnumbered, and
battling against one of the most now
erful nations in the world, the Beers
are fighting for their rights We make
| no effort to keep that which we now
! possess. This is not a sign of progress
| sion"
Crane and Paine, and the social
| lists, VINO will get there some day.
when the millennium comes, will not
make any movement in favor of the
workingmen. We can never accomplish
anything individually. The age of one
man power is past. This is an age of
| vast combinations of capital. We live
| in an age that has progressed so rap
| idly that it makes a mans head dizzy
l IN think of tha ala noac II, tba ,,o.t