The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-10
TRADES
COUNCIL
WORKING
.UnionMenMoving
to Fight the
OrientaIs.
WILL ORGANIZE
ALL THE CRAFT
Once They Have Power Battle
Against Cheap Skilled Labor
Will Be Inaugurated.

cSape f1s .na af"a have ''T%oa brought asloto ao
its membership all the organized
trades of the city, there will be inaugur-
ated campaign against Oriental skilled
labor. which is expected to make an inn
preston upon Honolulu, and may have
the effect of driving back TO the plan
tations hundreds of the Iaborers now
working al the trades in this city
If there is a single of the objects
of the Council which are prominent this
one, to drive away from the city the
/ Orientals who are occupying the places
which might be filled by Americans, is
foremost. And it might be said with
absolute truth as well that had there
never been Japanese carpenter employ
ed upon the buildings of the United
States naval station, there might not
| have been a Trades Council for several
years. 1t was the trial of that case
against Campbell and the result of the
jury's determination which prompted the
various union men Of the city to organize
so as to meet and combat the conditions
now in existence.
To accomplish the ends of the Council
! the energies of the men at the head of
/ the organization now being bent to-
ward the uniting of the various trades.
There will be within short time e series
of organizers who will work under the
auspices of the Council. who will endeav-
, or TO bring into the LEGAL unions all the
Americans who are working at the vari-
Gus trades in this city. This first step,
of complete organization Will be the
most careful one, for it is recognized
that there should be this complete unity
of the forces before there may be
brought on any fight for the control Of
a trade. When the trades are as well
organized as may be expected It is the
intention of the men who are at the head
o. affa1rs TO proceed to move against
Oriental labor as it comes into competl-
ton with Americans.
The officers of the Trades Council are
Matthew Heffern, president; ]. T. Green
wood. secretary; and j. Ball, treasurer.
SO far. the Council comprises representa-
t:ves of the following unions: Iron
Moulders, Boiler Makers and Iron Ship
Builders, Electrical Workers, Carpenters,
Painters Timers, Plumbers and Plaster
ers. 1t is expected that there Will come
into the Council very soon the printers.
the bricklayers, the stone masons, the
sailors and the longshoremen. When
these have been taken in and any other
unions which desire may have become
affiliated, the move viii be made
There have been some difficulties in the
way of union along the lines which have
been laid down, owing to the fact that
in the charters of some of the local un-
ions there is a prohibition against any
affiliation with another union in a Ma
tional council which shall not have a Ma
uonal charter; also there are provisions
which preclude the getting together Of
the. various unions here, except there Is
a simple combina ton for local purposes
This point il is thought has been safe
guarded in the constitution of the local
Council and the promoters of the organ
ization do not foresee any difficulties in
the way of "a complete joining of all the
unions of the city. There are local uu-
ions here which M
the National unions, owing to compIica-
tions which not known here and
these may only be permitted to come to-
gether with the regular unions under
special circumstances.
The fight which is to be made against
Oriental labor will be first directed
against the employment OF the trades
men upon work for the National gov
ernment was the case in the matter
of the Navy Department buildings. Then
there will be a wider application Of the
principle made, and it is believed that
there may be some degree of success at
tanned in this struggle. There is said TO
be a strong feeling of conservatism In
the Council in that upon previous occa-
sions where local unions have sought to
make out cases upon what have been
taken to be trivial causes, the Council
n. .scualILU1vf-qness cnfw shrGIy
simply has sat down upon the wou!d-be
strikers and kept the peace. II IS sald
that there are two strong sentiments ~
the Council. One is against strike
where arbitration may be brought IN
and the other is against any future com
bination with laborers, such as the plan
tation hands Irhe sentiment Of iaoor
men found yesterday to discuss the or
ganization. was that there could be no
sympathetic strike here, and tnat u
would be unvyise to make the CouncH
Stand o,1- for the victory Of the single
trade which might have grievance,
v7ey bv working. the members might
give financial assis tance 70 the strlheI7-
The Council viii attempt 70 ssculs
f,-II y7arnbership before the end OF the
year, a