The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-13
POLICE BUREAU FAILS
CAN'T PROVE ITS INNOCENCE TO GEN.
TRIAL LABoR UNION.
That Organization Believes the
Scheme II N MeDace-LOcai
Labor News.

" NA1
Is true. will virtually put it out Of bust
ness. The central body unanimously adopt
ed a motion Ieafirming its decision in OPP
! posing the establishment OF the new sys-
tenn. and protesting against the Board OF
Safety granting its officers and employees
\ police powers.
Several weeks ago the Central Labor
Union appointed a committee composed OF
State Labor Commissioner Mccormack.
Edgar a. Perkins, president OF the state
Federation OF Labor, and D.. l.. StoGdard,
OF the Carpenters Union. 10 investigate
the company. The committees report to
the central body was TO the effect that the
company was being promoted for the pur-
pose of assisting corporations by furnish
ing secret and special police. and that 1T
would be inimieaI TO the interests of Or
ganized labor I'm the time of strike.
The report was adopted by the central
body, and President Feltman and Secre-
tary Slough were appointed a committee
to wait upon the Board of Safety TO ask
that police powers be refused to the COM
pany. While the visit of the latter COM
mittee was being deferred a letter was re-
ceived by President FeItman from the Po-
lice Dispatch Company, asserting that an
Injustice had been done. that it was not
the purpose of the company to oppose or
ganized labor in time of strike, that IT
had not been given a hearing by the com
mittee, that merchants would not sub
scribe for service until the matter was adj
5usted. and asked for a reconsideration OF
the action by the centrdal body.
1t was decided by the TO give
the company a hearing. which took place
yesterday afternoon at the company's head
quarters, and the matter was brought up
before the central body last night for re-
consideration. The conferences yesterday
resulted in the company Offering TO insert
the following provision in its grant of po-
lice power, provided Central Labor Union
would rescind it's former action: 1.-The In
dianapolis Police Dispatch Company shall
at no time lend any assistance whatso-
ever to any person, firm or corporation IN
cases of strikes or labor contentious, ana
AZ Is hereby ordered that If said COM
pany shall at any time lend assistance to
any person, firm or corporation IN cases
OF strikes or labor contentious, thls Ordef
of the Board CT Public Safety shalt be
null and void. and the authority herein
conferred shall be revoked and the police
powers conferred upon It's employees sndll
be revoked"
THE PROPOSITION SCORNED.
The proposition did not meet with the
approval OF a delegate in the central body.
1t even made some more hostile TO the
company. The proposition was considered
by some IS nothing more than a bride ana
was denounced as such. Edgar A. Perkins,
of the special committee, was the first to
speak upon the subject. He said the COM
mittee did not nave TO SO to the company
nor the merchant police force for its in
formation. All il had 10 Go. he said, was
TO read the company's literature and adver-
'tisements TO come to a decision that an
extension of police power to this company
would not be to the interests OF organized
labor.
twas the next delegate TO speak FOR the real
firmatiOn OF the central bOdys action. lie
said this ompan may not De ~cohnected
Is the same. The head OF the company, ne
said. he knew TO have always been opposed
TO organized labor and had fought 1T, and
that, so far as she other members We're
concerned, they we're no more respectable
than any one else. He ridiculed the state
ment OF the company that IL was organized
10 protect life and property, saying the
police department offers ali the
protection that is needed. And the COM
ypany has even gone 80 far as TO Otter STOCK
20 organized labor men, he said. which
IS no better than a bride. one OF the COM
pany's representatives asked me 10 tahe
stock. I do not know whether II was Iree
or not" He ended by saying that 1t was
within the power of the Board or Satety 10
'rescind its order If 1t was so disposed. ana
the clause placed In the Ordef Wouiu amount
John +. White. of the Typographical
Union, said that state Labor Commissioner
Mccormack was preaching sound doctrine,
and that the company was not founded on
principles Of 4 republican form OF govern
ment. eliminating its attitued toward or
ganized labor. lie said that the PROPOSE
ton of the ompan offered TO let organ
fzed laboripg men alone In time OF strike,
but said nothing OF unorganlzed laDorlhs
.-.~ u 4 ofp1 Tint fhara may he strikes
of nonunion men. that some of the present
organizations may be broken up in the fu-
sure, and then they would be unOrganlzed
and made subject TO the discipling of the
Police Dispatch force. D. J.. Stoddard
)said that II there was any sympathy IN
the movement at all il should be given TO
the merchant police force. He said he did
not want 10 take them into consideration
at all, but II that phase of The subject
two merchant policemen in the city had
| already invested more in purchasing their
routes than the new company mas eXpend-
ed thus far on its entire system
William l.. Hamilton, OF the Pressmens
Union: Roscoe Barnett, Of the Painters
Union; r. r. Croft, of the Retail Clerks.
Union, and Harry Slough, secretary or
Central Labor Union, spoke against allow
ing the company to have police powers.
Barnett said that different persons had
tried ever since the Pinkerton law was
passed to have bills passed authorizing just
such companies as these. The motion to
reafhrm was carried without u dissenting
OTHER LABOR AFFAIRS.
A communication was received from the
Shirt Waist and Laundry Workers Union.
of Troy, N. Y. asking that the delegates
Sdemand their union label. The letter stated
that the union was lighting several large
firms and that the employees had TO buy
the thread they used in the factories Of
the company at a price 10 cents a spool
in advance of the market price OF thread.
The communication was turned over to
the grievance committee.
The trustees or the Central Labor Union
were ordered to look for a new hall. They
have the ElkS Hall on North Meridian
street in view. TIL Elks are selling all
of their furniture in preparation to move
into their new building. and the trustees
were instructed TO ascertain what 1t could
be purchased for.
President Perkins. of the State Fedora
ton OF Labor. reported that the foreman
Of a brick factory at Arcadia that had dis
charged "A man for b~elOngfng 10 a union
had been convicted under prosecution, and
that the State Federation would fight the
case In the Supreme Court If the company
\ carried IL there.
The Teamsters' Union complained that
the city and asked the help OF the Central
Labor Union. II was said that the con-
tractors OF the city are not supporting
the union. and the matter will be looked
into by the grievance committee.
C~ereaIine Works Trouble Slight.
IL is believed that an adjustment will be
reached between the operators of the ce-