Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-09

After an extended tour of speechma KIM
| through Canada and the New England
| states, In company with other officials O.
the American Federation of Labor. Presi
dent Samuel Gompers and Secretary Franz
Morrison returned to Washington abou
the middle Of the week. They found theil
desks piled up with important document:
which had accumulated during their alb
sence from headquarters. Both officials
informed a Star reporter that the recent
council meeting was productive of many
good results; that many matters of i'm
portance to workingmen of North America
especially Canada, had been disposed OF
and that the labor movement had taker
on a sudden impetus in Canada and Is
meeting with unprecedented success. The
next meeting of the council will be held
in this city June %.
The federation officials spoke in the high
est terms of the manner in which they
were received by the Canadian officials
1mmediatel after the close of the counci
meeting the labor leaders were rendered
a banquet and reception by the municipal
authorities of Toronto. The mayor acted
POSTMASTER, with the city aldermen In
attendance rs co-hosts.
According to Mr. James Duncan, second
vice president of the federation, there Is
an attempt being made by interested par
ties in Canada to poison the minds of the
laboring people there against national and
internati onal unionism. These men, says
Vice President Duncan argue that agita-
ton of labor affairs by other than resi-
dent. voters of the country IS intended to
fCment strife and to interfere with Cana
dian manufacture, to the gain of the peo-
pie of the United States.
In reply to this argument, Mr.. Duncan
says that it is well known that in al
trades the workingmen of this country arc
paid much higher wages than are those OF
Canada, and that to divert work from a
low paid market to the United States-a
high paid markets, in reality, like at
tempt to run water up hill. Mr.. Duncan
further states that 1t Is the purpose of the
Canadian manufacturers to show that II
would be to the advantage of the working
people of Canada to form a national labor
body of their own. if they are determined
to organize This agitation has been car
ried so far, says Mr.. Duncan, that bill
bearing on the subject has been introduced
in the provincial legislature of Quebec. al
the behest of the labor opponents. This
measure is meeting with opposition from
the laboring masses and they expect &c
defeat it.
In protesting against the measure the
labor leaders are using the argument that
Canada looks very freely to the United
States for capital to develop her industries
and natural resources. and say that as
there is no geographical line recognized by
the capitalists of North America neither
is there any necessity for the Industrial
movement, economically considered being
split by an imaginary line, simply to suit
the prejudiceS of sectional opinion. Mr.
Duncan further stated that recently Mr.
Samuel LanderS, a Canadian labor leader
answered through the press the arguments
against labor organization at which time
he gave the names of many Canadians who
are holding high offices in international
labor bodies to show that there is an
equalization of representation, and that
the laboring people are content with the
manner in which their aHa1rs are being
managed at present.
1t is reliably reported that the Amalga-
mated Society of Carpenters and Joiners
has decided to apply to the Central Labor
Union for representation in that body
About a year ago the amalgamated organi-
zation was denied representation in the CEN
trail body because of its refusal to cooper
ate with the Brotherhood Carpenters
through the Allied Council of Building
Trades of the Central Labor Union. 1t Is
stated that recently the Amalgamated AS
ISOLATION withdrew from the carpenters
council, which was composed of members
of that organization and 174S Assembly
knights of Labor, and decided to affiliate
with the council of building trades and
accept and recognize the card of the coun-
ell
1t is stated that the matter of an agree
ment between the Allied Council of Building
Trades of the Central Labor Union and the
Master Builders Association has not as
yet, been finally determined. The terms of
a proposed contract, which was submitted
to the council by the builders were rejected
at recent meeting of that body and it is
said that another form of contract will be
prepared and submitted to the council for
its consideration 1t is also stated that
negotiations have been pending between
the council and builders for several weeks
relative to the terms of an agreement
which would establish and maintain annie
able and mutually satisfactory relations
between the various organizations allied in
the council and the employers belonging to
the Master Builders Association
The signing of the contract of the brewery
workers by the local brewers and also the
general contract of the Central Labor
Union by the local brewers has 1t is said.
caused apprehension among those of the
organizations affiliated with d. A., 66, K
of L., that they will be Disseminated
against in the employment on building con-
struction. Recently District Assembly. No.
&C, X. of L., communicated with the local
brewers and requested them mot to dis
crinnate in the employment of mechanics
or to have inserted in any contract any
clause which could be construed to exclude
knights of labor" This matter was, through
a representative of the Heurich Brewing
Company, brought to the attention of the
Central Labor Union, and a committee was
directed to confer with the representative
relative thereto.
A form of contract which applies to fire
men and oilers employed in the local brew
cries has been submitted by Local 63
Brotherhood of Stationary Firemen To the
Central Labor Union for Endorsement The
contract was referred to the contract com
mittee of the central body. 1t processes
that eight hours shall constitute a davis
work at a minimum scale of 50 per day
and so cents an hour for all time in excess
of eight hours 1t is stated the engineers in
the breweries are required to work twelve
hours continuously at a wage of So
With the exception of the proposed
change in wages and hours 1t is said that
there Is no material change in the terms
proposed from the conditions under which
the brewery engineers are now working
The general convention of the Interna
tional Association of Machinists convened