Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-21
] IN THE LABOR REALM. |

| tenth annual convention at Detroit,
Mich, yesterday. All the old officers
were reelected and many resolutions
| for the benefit of labor We're passed.
| At yesterdays session the convention
adopted resolutions appealing to the
congresses of the several states, the
sixteenth constitutional amendment to
prohibit the Acknowledgement of citi-
zens on account of sex, directing Pres
ident Gombers to correspond with the
trades unions of continental European
cities with view to bringing about
fraternal relations.
For the first time in many years the
convention had no proposition on the
money question before it. The re-elec-
| ton of Samuel Gompers as president,
is gratifying to the conservative ele-
ment of trades unionists throughout
| the west. 1t will be the purpose of
| the federation to push more energeti-
cally than heretofore the work of or
ganizing the skilled and unsl1illed la
boring people.
The political resolution adopted are
not of n partisan nature and it is the
| purpose of the federation to defeat il
| possible the nomination of men of all
| political parties who are not in har-
money with the work of improving the
conditions of the toilers of this coun-
| try. w
The annual report of Factory Inspec-
tor James Campbell, of Pennsylvania,
for the fiscal year ended Oct. 81, 1899,
4 advance sheets of which have been re-
ceived, shows that there We're 1920
more persons employed in the manu-
fncturing establishments under the
supervision of the factory inspector in
1899 than 1898. Mr.Campbell says that
if the demand for skilled worlSmen and
'laborers could be supplied the increase
would be greater There were 127 IL
Eterate children dismissed during the
/ year and 22S accidents reported, three
fourths of which We're due to careless
ness. Sixty places have been found
since July 4, 1898, where clothing was
being made and contagious disease
prevailed. The goods were seized un-
der the ''sweat-shop' act. Mr.. Camps
bell says the prompt compliance of the
.bakeshop' order is evidence that the
bakeshop owners realize the popularity
of the law.
An exchange states that at the ST.
Louis Central Trades and Labor Union
resolution was presented and adopted
providing that no delegates of any To-
cal body affiliated with the Central
Trades and Labor Union will be recog-
nized unless such delegate has the
union label on his clothes, hat and
shoes, the same to go into effect on
and after Jan. 1, 1900.
The biennial report of Labor Com
missioner O'Bleness has beenissued and
among other things he recommends the
issuance of a quarterly bulletin from
the bureau of labor statistics. This,
classes of the state information of the
conditions existing when it would be
Eof some value to all those interested.
He also claims that to carry out the
| law governing the bureau of labor sta
! tistics, it would cost the state $4,000
annually and keep ten men constantly
of the statute, Mr.. O'Bleness recom>
mends that the legislature set aside Il
special department of the work which
shall be done at certain time.
It now appears that Oskaloosa will
soon be as thoroughly organized as OF
| tumwa. The latest organization to
ask for the support of the working
people is the garment makers union
(which will be inaugurated this week.
A Trades and Labor Assembly, bar
tenders league and team drivers
union are among the possibilities.
| A##
Louisville, Ky. Typographical Union
sent memorial to the Louisville street
car company, as a protection of life
and property, asking the company not
TO employ as motormen any man or
set of men who have not had at least
two weeks experience in such posi-
tons.
1t is said that labor will be represent
ed in the next Ohio legislature by
twenty-three farmers. puddler, mold
er, engineer, metal polisher, miner and
a carpenter.