Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-01-28
IMPORTANT MATTERS
Questions That Will Come Before
State Federation of Labor.
CHRIS EVANS ON CANCELLATION
of the American Fedora
ton of Labor Tells How Plan Be-
came PopuIar-NeWs of the Labor
Organizations of OttumWa.

[From Wednesdays Daily
The main questions for the delegates
to the convention of the State Fedora
/ ton of Labor this year will be those OF
free text books, compulsory education
and the abolition OF child labor from
the workshops and factories. A deter
mined effort will also be made to get
the members of congress and the Unit
ed States senators from this state to
vote for more stringent immigration
laws. According to Edwin F. Nc
Sweeney, deputy immigrant commits
sioner at the port of New York, the
immigration laws as they now stand are
prohibitive to the best and most de-
sirable class of immigrants for this
country. At the same time they admit
a most undesirable class, among which
are those who have no understanding
of moral or educational features OF
American life, are incapable OF assim-
Hating and who nearly always congre-
gate in large cities and seldom il ever
reach the high standard of American
citizenship. All of these matters will
be brought before the citizens OF Iowa
and their support will be asked.
The labor movement has now grown
to such an extent that it is capable of
accomplishing great deal of good,
and it's active advocates will make a
; decided effort to still further make the
labor organizations useful to the inter
ests of the working people. 1t is un
derstood that President Holder will
submit many new problems in his an
nual report to the Federation.
Building Trades Council.
: The Building Trades Council held
: an enthusiastic meeting at the brick
; layers hall last Saturday evening anu
made the formerly temporary organiza
: ton permanent. The constitution was
adopted and committees were appoint
5 ed to look after the interests of the
l various buildings trades crafts. This
/. organization will no doubt be the
7 means of bringing many members in
to the folds of the building trades, and
5 as it has conservative officers at its
! head much is expected of it. The next
meeting will be held Saturday evening
of next week. The following officers
T have been elected:
/ President-James King, stonecut
e tiers.
t Secretary-Mr Whitney, painters.
I Treasurer-Andrew Ready, carpen
I tiers.
i rgeant-at-arms-W S. Page, build
$ ing trades laborers.
5 Printing Pressmen.
4 The printing pressmen met in regu
:. lar session at Labor hall last Sunda,
a morning at which time the following
). officers were elected:
q President-F. G. Myers
a ce-president-Jam King.
n Financial and corresponding secre
n tary-J. H. Binks, Jr
n Carpenters Union.
5 Secretary Frank Duffy reports tn
It following growth of the carpenters
e and joiners union: The growth of on
If organization at the present time is III
p paralleled in it's history. 1t is boom
0 ing along at a great rate, much to tn
e satisfaction of it's officers and mem
d bers. We hope before long to have
IS membership of 100000 in good stand
r ing. We added l 200 new members i
p the past month. Our expenditures TO
y death benefits were $4,000. We hav
f, strikes in Buffalo, N. Y York, Pa, an
Winnipeg, Wis, for better condition
V. of trade Only about 800 persons ar
v affected and our prospects are goo
% for satisfactory settlement"
u Musicians Union.
This is the busy season for the m,
% sicians' union, and the union musician
4. Of this city have at no time in thei
n history been so prosperous. Presider
" Owen Miller reports the growth of tn
20 organization as follows:
fn hn no n r
q. interest in our organization. Apple;
H. lions have been received from lamp;
nf Fla; Salt Lake City, Utah; Madison
"a Wis; and inquiries from many othe
n, points. In the last month unions wei
organized in Washington, d. c.; Ii
fayette, Ind; Gloversville, N. Y; Oh
ton of nearly all affiliated organic
ar tons in demanding that only the mer
bers of the American Federation
o. Musicians should be employed on Ii
a, Dor Day has greatly stimulated OF
NJ movement.
On The Team Drivers.
as With the coming of the buildir
KS trades council it is but right to infor
On the team drivers of this city, that a
gu those who are not members shou
la make application at once. A speci
III open meeting will be held at Lab'
Ell hall Saturday evening, open to all tea
drivers, and cordial invitation is e
tended to all to attend. The time hi
us come for the team drivers to let b
cones pass and get into line. II
meeting will be addressed by prom
- nent labor speakers, and will be he
j, solely in the interests of the tea
a drivers.
How Cancellation Became Popular
Turning over the leaves Of tim
noting the incidents connected wi
the labor movement, l call to mind
bitter struggle in my own trade, t
a mine workers. 1t occurred in ISIS
q The struggle itself was an exciting o
II and it taught most valuable less
" to both sides.
a Within year from it's close be
N parties to the contest were sitting 81
81 by side discussing plans that wor
u tend to avoid future strikes and LOO
II outs. The conciliatory methods tn
81 adopted made friends OF men who h