The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-05-01

THE SYSTEM INCLUDED.

A considerable number of the mem
bers of Electric City lodge, No. go
of the International Association Oi
Machinists, being employees of The
delaware, I.ackawanna and Western
railroad at Scranton. It was recognized
that they could hardly expect the
company to do something for them
unless it was also done for the ma
chinists at other points on the line;
accordingly the matter was put before
the lodges of the International Asso-
citation of Machinlsts over the entire
system. The result was that a coun-
Gil of delegates from lodges OF the
International Association Of Machin-
lists on the Delaware. Lackawanna and
Western railroad system was formed.
This was done at a convention of dele.
gates held March 12 1901. In Scranton,
at which time Humphrey B. Campbell,
until March I in the employ Of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
machine shop in Scranton. was chosen
as chairman OF this council
The lodges of the International As
sociation of Machinists who had
delegates appointed to be in Scranton
at this time. or who have signfied
their approval. are: Buffalo lodge.
No. 245. Buffalo, n. Y. one delegate; !;
UTICA lodge. No. 425, Utica, ". Y, one
delegate; Elmra lodge, No. 42l, Ell
mira. n. Y. one delegate; Electric
City lodge. No. 230. Scranton. Pa. one
delegate; District lodge, No. Is, which
includes the local lodges Of New York,
Hoboken and vicinity; silk City lodge.
No. 1888. Paterson. n. j.. no delegates.
but signed and sealed agreement of
approval and support; Syracuse lodge.
No. 3S1, no delegate. but signed and
sealed agreement Of approval and
support; sBinghamton lodge, No. 37i.
no delegate. but signed and sealed
agreement of approval and support.
There are six Scranton shops and
'seven out-of-town Delaware, Lacka-
wanna and Western shops connected
with the council. In some of these
shops there are as many as five
unions. II each union in each shop
acted separately the patience Of the
officials would be, no doubt, sorely
tried, and much of their valuable time
needlessly wasted. AS matter of en-
BUSINESS is BRISK.
Business is brisk all over the coun-
try. Mr.. Campbell went on to say.
All the shops are working full. The
Delaware, I.ackawanna and Western
company has its Pan-American busi-
ness at hand which shouldn't be inter-
fered with. The companies say 1t
would be all right in dull times to cut
off an hour to make it possible to give
ht,t ~,
like the present. the companies should
full capacity.
To that the men make reply, the
speaker continued. that the expansion
of American trade and the assureV
continuation Of prosperous times
makes it very indefinite as to when
there will be dull times again, it. ever,
and the movement to shorten the
hours can not be so indefinitely de-
ferred.
The men have OTHER grievances such
as apprenticeship systems, overtime,
Sunday work and the like. but they
are not to be put forward at this time.
With a proper feeling of harmony
existing between the men and the
companies these matters can be read
lily adjusted satisfactorily to both
sides.
Mr.. Campbell made the statement
that he never saw a shop that was
getting within twenty-five per cent. Of
it's capacity out of it's men and ma
chinery. 1t was because of the lack of
the friendly feeling that should exist
between employer and employs. With
such IA feeling existing, he said. he was
satisfied that in some shops the same
output could be reached in five hours
that is now attained in ten. The en-
ployers are daily walking over a verit-
able gold mine when they do not ask
us to confer with them. IF they would
only bring out the latent ingenuity of
the men in the matter of improving
their machines by increasing their
speed and the like, they would be sur
prised to find how the output could he
increased.
Mr.. Campbell told of how the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor was bent on
securing shorter day for the machin-
lists. and then read some statistics to
prove that the wages they are asking
here are not as high as are paid in
many less favored communities.
THE SCALE PRESENTED.
He concluded by formally presenting
the nine hour day petition in the name
of all the unions represented by the
delegates on the stage, and stated that
in the Judgment of the unions, ten days
ought to be sufficient for the companies
in which to frame an answer.
G. A. Delaney. superinto ndent OF the
Dickson Locomotive works; A. Il.
Fletcher vice president of the Dickson
company: i. w. Ger
ecke, superintendent of the Finch
company. and George
S. Atkins, superintendent of the
Scranton Forging works, We're re-
ported BY the Machinists press COM
lnittee to be III attendance.
The entertainment features of the
evening We're excellent selections by
the Electric City Glee club, led by
Moses Morgan, and the Machinists' or
chestra, led by NJ. j. Leonard, COM
posed of men from the shops, and bass
solos by Prof. II. Il. Jones.
Those VINO participated in the bur-
lesque We're: Humphrey B. Campbell,
James A, Donnelly. Anthony Freeman,
Frank A. I.oftus. Henry c. Gallagher
Henry j. Wetter, James O'Malley,
James T. Norton and Mark r. Bren-
nan. The comedy work of Messrs.
Lotus and Donnelly, and the singing
of MI Norton We're especially COM
h.