The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-11-20

"A Might Ill Pafllament.
Hon. William Abraham, member of
parliament and Welsh labor leader,
will arrive in the city today and bc
the guest of Hon. II. NJ. Edwards at
the luttcr's home on South Nam ave-
nue.. Mr.. Abraham is familiarlv known
by his coiintrymcn as "Mabon.' and is
making II tour of the country inveSii-
eating the labor and industrial condi-
tions.
lie is also doing some lecturing. and
in Mears' hall tonight he will speak on
"a Night in the House of Commons.
The lecture will begin at 7.3O p. IN.
Mr.. Abraham landed at Montreal
one month ago After a brief stay
there, he went to Chicago. then to
Youngstown, Pittsblrg, Johnstown
and Wikes-Barre, spending several
days in each city and making study
of the industrial conditions in each. lie
has II thorough knowledge of mining
i'll all it's details. lie started 10 work
in the mines when he was not quite
, ten years old and filled every position
from the lowest to the most important.
lie became u leader among his fellow
workers and has been n pronounced
miners leader since 1870.
In 1884. through Il long, hard fight
of the Liberals, the franchise laws
We're changed and Great Britain was
rc-dstrictcd into smaller election dis
tricts, giving the laboring classes
greater opportunity of clecting mem-
bcrs OF parliament. In 1855 Mr.. Abra-
ham became the labor candidate
for member of parliament and was
elected by al good-siZed majority from
the district including the Rhondda
valleys of Wales, and he has continued
to represent that district ever since.
BY a LARGE MAJORITY.
Last year he was reelected by the
largest majority of any member in the
United Kingdom. He has made IL fine
record in the house Of parliament and
he is the only labor member from
Wales who is being paid salary by
the labor organizations of Great Brit
ain for his services in their interests.
He has also for years been the presi-
dent of the Welsh Miners Fedora
tion, representing IL total membership
of $4,000 mine workers.
Next year Il change is expected in
the system Of regulating miners
wages. hours of work, etc, and he
came to America chiefly to study the
system in vogue here and to ascertain
whether or not it contains anything
that would benefit the miners of Great
Britain. The information he is gain-
ing will be of value to him in the labor
convention that is to be held next year
in Great Britain.
Mr.. Abraham is better known in
his own country by the appelation
Of "Mabon'' than by his own name
The meaning of "Mabon" is "son of his
country" The title was given him for
his cleverness' as IL poet and singer,
and it is well applied in this case
Among the laboring classes he is highly
respected for his steady and unceusing
labor for the good and betterment of
his fellow workers. The miners in 1883
honored him by naming Il holiday after
him, calling it "Mabons Monday" be-
ing the first Monday in each calendar
month.
"MABON'S MONDAY"
On every "Mabon's Monday" The
miners get together and discuss union
matters and adjust what difficulties
exist, and the day is observed az q
holiday. The owners of the Collieries
alike welcome this day, as it gives
them Il chance to make repairs to
property, machinery ana so on, with
out having their employees labor on the
Sabbath. There is also q Labor Day
in Great Britain, which always falls
on the first Monday in May, and is
generally observed by all trades
througout the United Kingdom
For his education, spiritual and
otherwise, Mr.. Abraham gives credit TO
the Sunday school and the church
"Mabon" is astonishcd at the ad-
vance of America's industries and the
extent, resources and development of
our country. In the cities he has so
far visited, among other industries, he
inspected the great steel works, which
he says are the most StupendouS 0nd
marvellous in the World. The massive
steel plants of the United States are of
great interest 10 the W0rkingmen of
England i'll general, as these plants
can turn out more ana better material
III less time ana with less men than
any other country on the globe. He
says that so far on his brief visit here
he has realized that it is more Il ul,es-
ton OF capital than u question of labor.
VISITED SOFT COAL MINERS.
"Alabon' also visited Il number of
mines in the bituminous coal fields ana
closely inspected them. He Is UNI
able 10 say whether or not The wage
cdmcrs of Allericu We're better paid
than those in England but thinks
that they We're about equally paid for
their labor, lie says the United States
impresses one rs q country of endless
length, wealth, industries ana progress
S!NeneSs, a country enjoying Il flood of
prosperity ana being tenanted by peo-
pie who stint not IN hospitality.
Besides inspecting the steel ana min
ms industries of America, he also im-
tends to visit the slate uuarlies and
cement mills in Lehigh and Northamp-
ton counties, this state, where he has
business interests. lie was more than
surprised in the soft coal region mines,
where no horses or mules We're used
as n means of locomotion, as is cus-
tomary in England, lie says there
was a complete absence of these ami
mails and in their place all the work is
done by electricity. 1t seemed to him
as though he had bounded ahead a
century from the one he had been liy-
ins in, So marked was the transfor-
nation. Americans do not fully real
izc the industrial greatness of this
country, is his belief,
MIR. Abraham intended to get back
TO Wales in time TO spend Christmas at
home. but the task he has undertaken
and the United States is much larger
than he anticipated, and he does not
expect to reach home until the latter
part of January.