Evening star., 1901-08-10
O'cONNELL is CRITICAL
CONDEMNS MOVEMENT OF NAVY
YARD EMPLOYEES.
Says Trouble Grew Out Of His Objec-
tion to Publishing senator
Hanna,s Picture.

l :
Hanna's Picture.
The movement to unite the navy yard
and arsenal employees in q protective asso-
citation. inaugurated Thursday evening at
| McCauleys Hall, is severely criticised by
President James O'ConnelI of the Interna-
| tional Association Of Machinists. The
movement was also condemned in advance
by Columbia Lodge. No. 174, of that order
| through resolutions.
! Mr.. OConnell made the following state
| ment on the subject to Star reporter to-
| day: This movement has been started
and fathered by men dissatisfied because
| they were not allowed to run things as
| they saw fit in the naachinists' association.
| 1t Is headed by men who have been sus-
pended or fined for violation of the rules Of
| the local lodge: by men whose application
| for membership has been rejected, and by
! others who have fallen into error and have
| not paid up their honest indebtedness to
| the local lodges.
Could Not Get Charter.
"a charter could not be issued any such
| body by the American Federation Of
Labor, for the reason that the fundamental
! principle of the Federation is based upon
| the right of each trade to have control
| over its own craftsmen. Therefore, no ap-
| plication for charter on the part of an
organization Of government employees that
would include in It's membership machfnists
! or other mechanics with national organi-
zation would be favorably considered by
the Federation of Labor. The Interna-
| uonal Association of Machinists claims the
sole Jurisdiction over that craft.
1.-The statement reported to have been
made at the meeting by Mr.. Simering that
| both Mr.. Gompers and myself opposed the
| ffteen-day leave bill Is absolutely without
| foundation, and is only made for the pur-
/, pose OF creating antagonism among the
/ machinlsts of the yard to the International
| Association officers.
! Review of the LegislatiOn.
''The truth of the matter is simply this:
| During the last few Congresses the Amert-
can Federation OF Labor has been en-
deavoring to have the present national
eight-hour law amended so that it may be
| effective During the last session of Con-
gress our members at the navy yard pre-
sented a bill for the purpose Of giving
| navy yard and arsenal employees thirty
| days annual leave with pay. 1t was re-
| ported to me that the committee from the
| local lodge of machinists having this bill
| to prevent the passage OF the amendment
| to the efght-hour law. I took the matter
| up with the local union and advised that
| the committee in question be very care
|
| the eight t-hour bill Both Mr.. Gompers and
| myself did everything in our power to as
| sist In the passage of the fifteen-days' leave
| BILL The correspondence in my office will
! show that / took special interest in the
bill and wrote thousands Of letters through
| out the country encouraging our local
| lodges to take the matter up with their
| representatives and senators. I threw my
| personal weight to help the measure with
| legislators here In Washington and devoted
a great amount OF time and expended con-
| siderable Of the funds Of the International
Association of Machinists In behalf of this
] bill.
| LAS a true member Of the association
| there are means whereby Mr.. Sfmering
| could proceed In presenting grievance
against an officer of the association with
out going outside and publicly denounclng
| an officer he possibly does not know other
| than to pass the time OF day.
Senator Hanna's Picture.
| ''rhe truth Of the situation is simply
| this: objected to certain picture being
printed in our journal which Mr.. Sfmering
! brought here and insisted should go In. I
| incurred his displeasure because would
| not allow him to use our official magazine
| as a means to boost himself up politically"
Mr.. O'Connell replied, in answer to
question. that the picture he referred to
was OF Senator Hanna.
In discussing the criticism made at the
meeting regarding the disbursements. Mr..
O'COnnell said that the Toronto convention
had cost 81 ,393. 80, and that during the
| month of June $52,0O1 had been disbursed
by the International Association in aid OF
the strike In May no disbursements were
made for the nine-hour strike, although
some 5000 was used to aid various small
strikes.
Action of Columbia Lodge.
The resolutions passed by Columbia
Lodge No. I74 state that as it is currently
| rumored that a movement Is on foot headed
by suspended. fined and dropped members
+ Of the International Association Of Ma
chinists. assisted by rejected applicants and
a few machinists now holding membership
in the association. to start an independent
| organization composed of all navy yard
and arsenal employees; that the above par
| ties are circulating statements to the eff
| feet that Columbia Lodge, No. ia Interna-
| tional Association of Machinists is in SYM
pathy with the above movement the mem
| bers of Columbia Lodge, No. 174, Interna-
| tfonal Association Of Machinists emphatf-
cally deny that this lodge is in any way
connected with the proposed movement to
! start an Independent organization in the
| navy yard or arsenal. and we warn all ma
| chinists to beware OF being entrapped into
any scheme that would weaken or disrupt
our organizations: and, further that we call
| upon all machinists to affiliate themselves
| with the lodges OF the International Asso-
| citation of Machinists for we believe that
the best interests of our craft can be served
through that organization.
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