The age-herald., 1901-02-25
MEETING OF THE
 TRADES COUNCIL President Williams Submits an
 Interesting Report
REVIEWS THE PAST TERM
Representative J. Il. Leath Reports on Legislative Matters-Prepara- tions for Grand Labor Day
 Celebration Begun. f

Celebration Begun.
 The regular meeting of the Birmingham Trades Council was held yesterday after noon i'll Bricklayers Hall, and besides the transaction of routine business heard the report Of President Williams for the last term, which proved highly interesting.
 James H. Leath of the legislative com mittee submitted a report, a number of new delegates were obligated and prep erations were begun for grand Labor Day celebration, by the appointment of a committee to formulate plans and make arrangements.
 The meeting was largely attended and after the call to order and the follow ing new delegates presented their ereden- tias and were obligated;
 '. l.. Bridges Lodge, No g. Amalgamat- ed Association of Iron, Steel and Tin Worllers-D. U. Williams, Al Harris, b. M. Southgaite, William Williams and w c. Jones.
 Cokemakers' Union. No. 53-John West, Robert Fitzgibbon and John Byrd.
 Machinists. Fidelity Lodge, No. 7-J. J. Fagin, P H. Moore, F. J. Woods, J. J. Kelly and J. M. Riley.
 Boilermakers and Iron Shipbuilders, Magic City Lodge, No. 4-Lewis Cooper, J. H. Motherwell Ed Mims ". R. Gard ner and Frank Scarider.
 Meat Cutters and Buthers' Workmen of Pratt City-C. S. Lecreu, J. T. Simmons, A. z, Strain, Luther Fox and l.. r. Davis.
 President Williams Report.
 President Williams then submitted his report which was as follows:
 Birmingham, Ala, Feb. "A, l9Ol. Delegates of the Council.
 Gentlcmen-Owing to the circumstances which you. of course, understand-the open meeting and my unavoidable absence from the city at the last regular meeting I have been unable to give you report on my stewardship for the last term.
 It is a matter of congratulation to me to observe the rapid strides being made by the trades union movement in this district and the number of able men and women who are seated in this body as representatives of the largest number o1 locals ever affiliated with this council. And you brother delegates represent, as you we'll know, a larger number of union men and women than was ever before represented in this body.
 There have been two strikes to mar the serenity of my last term l refer to the strike of the printers in this city and the A. A. I. s. & T. W. at Ensley. The printers are now out and have been for thirteen weeks and they are putting up a noble fight for fair increase in wages, and they are in need of all the financial and moral support that can be given them. A number of the locals have re- sponded to their appeal for aid, and if assisted they will be able to keep up the fight.
 The strike at Ensley was lost for the time being, but none of the principles were sacrificed and the membership of the A. Ala S. & T. w Instead of decreas- ing has increased the members, realizing more fully than ever that without or ganization they can do nothing, and that it is the only hope for their success.
 While on this topic, l wish to impress on you that we are not organized for our personal gain and selfish aims, but for the benefit of our fellow workmen and the community in which we live. Union men properly conducting themselves can do more for the community than any other factor. As an instance l will point to the success of the late State Fair. Without exaggeration, I will say that far ,a rfu tion and earnest support given by or ganzed labor this fair would have been as monumental a failure as the previous effort when our ranks were arrayed on the other side. and now lets all lend our energies to make the fair the coming fall a greater and grander success than was ever dreamed of in this community.
 Our Labor Day last year, as you all know, was an unqualified success, and I counsel you to begin at once arrange ments for celebration on the first Mon- day in September that will eclipse any demonstration yet given.
 Our efforts to have the street tax abol- ished has so far been failure, but I will ask every one of you to make 1t so un- comfortable for the officials who persist in fastening this infamous burden on the people that they will be glad to concede to our demands next year.
 In the last annual convention of the A. F. of l.. the South received more than ever before in it's history and I recom- mend that this council continue to af- filiate with that body and that repre- sentative of this council be sent to it's conventions every year, for which a fund to defray the necessary expense be cre- ated, that the delegate may know upon what he can depend This can be done by a small monthly assessment on each affiliated local.
 I recommend that we continue to in- stall our officers in open meetings as I believe the last was fruitful of much good for our cause.
 I again take occasion to thank you for the honor conferred upon me in the dis charge of my duties I thank the officers and the different committees for the man. ner in which they have performed the duties assigned them. By putting our shoulder to the wheel and standing to- gether we can make this council the ban ner body of the South and the peer of any under the flag of the American Fed eration of Labor.
 The report was received and ordered spread upon the minutes.
 Other Business.
 Chairman Leath, of the legislative committed submitted a verbal report of