Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-06-11
UNION LABEL LEAGUE
A New Labor Organization is to be
Formed in Ottumwa.
WOMEN TO TAKE An ACTIVE PART
Is a Step to Increase the Demand for
the Union Label-Labor Conditions
in Ottumwa for Past Ten Years
Other Labor News.

1.-THE matter published in this col
umn is furnished by the officers of the
Federation of Labor.l
From Fridays Daily.l
The Union men and women of OF
tumwa including their wives, daugh-
tiers and sweethearts, will form I'M
ion label league, some evening next
week. The formation of this league
Is another step towards making the
demand for the label more effective.
By inducing their wives, daughters
| and sweethearts who do the most of
the purchasing to join this league, the
union men of this city have taken the
step in the right direction, which will
materially increase the demand for
union label goods. A determined CT
| fort will be put forth to increase the
sales of all union goods, in preference
to those manufactured by trusts ana
combinations, that have been found
obnoxious, to both organized and un-
organized labor. With Union goods
all the way from soap to shoes on the
market an opportunity will be afford
ed to all laboringi people who are in
sympathy with better conditions for
themselves, to assist by patronizng
union labor goods, the product of an
other set of toilers whose sympathy
runs in the same channel. In speak
ing of arbitration, there is nothing yet
that has been suggested, that has pro-
ven so successful in bringing about
Cancellation, as the union label.
Future of Unionism in Ottumwa.
In looking backward ten years at
the industrial condition in Ottumwa, a
study of the present, and glance at
the future to those whose thoughts
and time are given to lettering the
conditions of the wage earners, the
outlook is bright. In that short period
of time great many of the toilers
have reduced the hours of labor, in
some instances of from twelve to ten,
a large number from ten to nine
hours, and larger number still, from
ten to eight. Not only have the hours
been reduced but the wages have been
materially increased, and in some in
stances, very nearly so per cent. Off
cial reports of the unions to the trades
and labor assembly, show an average
increase of 25 per cent, with an av-
erage reduction in hours, of one hour
and fifteen minutes per day. Still
there are some things that have
! been accomplished in this short period
of timey1 that have been as great
a benefit to the toilers as the reduc-
ton of hours and the increase of pay,
and that is the sanitary conditions in
which most of the work shops have
| MI ic ho At
cy of the trades union movement, and
deserves the serious consideration of
thoughtful people, who believe in a
better civilization. A great many
"Isms" have been brought forth to
benefit the working people of this
| country, but none of them have prov
en- practical, therefor the working
classes have allied themselves to the
trades union movement, and will stick
to 1t.
The Trades Union Doctor.
In leading editorial of the Ameri-
can Federation, Samuel Gompers
says:
Recently there appeared in the
newspapers a statement which was
widely published. and attracted great
attention. 1t was the announcement
of meeting for the formation of a
| National Labor Council, with power
to throw the united support of all its
constituents in any issue where the
trade has been decided to be in the
right
1T was asserted that the new organ.
ization would embrace four million
workmen. 1t would displace and SUI.
persede all other organizations of la
Dor, and generally bring about the mil.
lenium in a day. Perennially such
schemes appear on the industrial hori.
zon; and it is strange fact that when
they do show themselves the newspa.
pers of the country, and particularly
those hostile to the labor movement
publish such matter under scare-heads
give the new plan unlimited space and
encourage it with unwonted zeal.
Even today, with the friends of our
movement as typified by our $50 vol
unteer organizers; by our labor press
preaching the gospel of unionism, In
viting the world OF workers to enter
the portals of our organizations and
working for the interests of the whole
wage earning class and consequently
for all the people; the enemies of oul
movement misconstrue this normal
| duu UeHSllCcut dCIlFlIJ cliu aSSuSS uS
of desiring to form a gigantic labor
trust.
More dangerous yet to our steady
progress and onward march is the sub
tie enemy who by specious praise OF
the labor trust idea hopes to disrupt
the well organized forces of the work
ers, by encouraging them to grasp al
a shadow and lose the substance Of
the bona fide movement.
1t is a great advance step from the
wholesale slaughter of the miners or
the field of Latimer, Pa, to the we'll e.
ganized miners movement of today
: with it's grit and independence.
The advice given in these columns
to the miners and other workers, or
the occasion of that great tragedy, tx
: husband their resources, to grit theil
teeth and organize, has borne fruit
Instead of questioning how far we
} shall go, it would be profitable fol
) both the timid and the hostile critic tt
realize how far we have gone, ant
from that basis acquire an understand
ing of our possibilities.
: Several impractical efforts were
: made in the early history of the Labor
/. movement to establish a general or