Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-02-04

LABOR Union nelo a very interesting
and fairly we'll attended meeting at
Bridgeport yesterday afternoon. The
union was met with the application
from the Ohio State Liquor League for
membership in this body and the apr
~plication was rejected. The interest in
the discussion of the trust question did
o show the life of the former meet
ing. Almost all the work was in a
routine way. Williams S. Joy, of
Martins Ferry, of the Amalgamated
Iron and Steel Workers, and Mr.. Fees,
of Bellaire, of the Carpenters and
Joiners' union, were new delegates,
and were obligated. The legislative
committee had no report. The arbitra-
ton committee reported on the trou-
bile of the milk mems union at Mar
tins Ferry and stated that they had
failed to reach any agreement with
the party who has offended the union,
and after considerable discussion,
which fully showed that all union men
should patronize those who belonged
to unions, a motion was made to place
the party on the unfair list. The mo-
tion was unanimously adopted.
Again the blacksmith trouble at
Martins Ferry was brought up, and
again it was explained that a man who
was a member of the Master Horse
shoers' Association was not eligible to
be a member of the Blacksmith's and
Wagon Makers union as the former
was that of bosses and the latter Of
wage Garner.
The third report was that of the
butchers in Martins Ferry who were
reported no progress, and the matter
was fully discussed during which it
was brought out that one local union
in Martins Ferry, not affiliated with
this union were good patrons of the
non-union butchers. AS in the other
cases each delegate was ordered to in
sist on his local to only p~atronize
union butchers.
The organization committee had no
report. "A communication was read
from a Steubenville party, informing
the union as to where they could buy
the only union made shoes in Bellaire,
Bridgeport and Martins Ferry. The
president asked the delegates to be
careful in regard to buying shoes with
out the union label. A number of the
delegates talked about plans to get a
larger attendance, and all delegates
were urged to try to secure some of
their fellow workmen. One cause of the
poor attendance yesterday was on ac-
count of the weather.
One delegate stated that he had been
requested to ask this union to recog-
nize the Ohio State Liquor League, and
that they he allowed to send delegates
to this union. This request brought
forth much discussion. One member
stated that he would not object to the
legitimate saloon keeper being a mem
Der of this body. Another stated that
ne would object, as he did not know of
any legitimate saloons, and that all
had slot machines in his city, which
was not lawful. One delegate stated
that there was not a saloon run law
fully in the jurisdiction of this body
and that they violated the laws of the
state, county and city, and that all
unions were founded on the avs of
the Bible and the land. The chair ruled
that the constitution stated that only
wage earners could be delegates or
members, and that this league was in
up, the question being: Resolved
that the trusts are not beneficial to
union labor" Secretary w. S. Nor
ris for the affirmative, in part stated
that the word trusts had become OBJ
noxious and that it was despised by
the working people, but that there were
good men in the trusts, and many
gave much to charity, and cited RocKe-
teller and Carnegie and elaborated on
their many gifts, which would stand as
monuments to their memory, and cited
that Carnegie was to give to the city
of Wheeling SIS, 900 for a library
which would benefit the laboring class.
Trusts were formed to stop competi-
ton, which should be controlled to a
certain extent, and while trusts prof
its were large they paid high wages,
and as an example, said that American
manufacturers were only 1917 cents
higher on tin plate per box than that
imported including duties and freight,
> and that the American manufacturer
paid 100 per cent more wages.
Mi. Parsons, negative, gave a history
Of the first union which was formed
by John Synee among the coal miners,
The cause of the union being formed
was that the people were being op-
pressed, and at that time the trusts
were known as pools and combina-
tions. In reference to the Standard
Oil Company he said they pay high
wages and have reduced the price of