Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-07
IN LABOR CIRCLES

certain measures before it, looking to the
betterment Of the laboring classes, the off,
Gals Of the American Federation Of Labor
and other prominent labor leaders are in
anything but happy frame of mind. The
majority OF the leaders entertained the hope
until the last moment that Congress would
favor them with the enactment Of their
measures.
Notwithstanding the unfavorable state Of
affairs. the labor leaders. especially the
officials of the American Federation of La
Dor, will continue the agitation in the in
terest of their organizations before the
legislatures Of the various states. During
the heated months of the summer the Or
ganizing of the non-union workmen will be
carried on upon an enlarged scale, and
when Congress reconvenes next December
it is expected the membership of union la
Dor will be largely increased.
Organized labor, as a whole, is especially
interested in the eight-hour bill, and 1t was
the earnest desire of all that that measure
should become a law during the session
Just closed. Senator McComas of Mary
land was an ardent worker in behalf of this
measure, and it is conceded that it was
through no lack of energy on his part that
1t did not become a law. In a letter to the
Central Labor Union of this city, prior to
the adjournment Of Congress, the Mary land
senator said:
Il am using every power to try to break
through the statehood bill blockade and get
up the eight-hour bill. If l can reach
vote L believe we can pass it. l am work
ing to reach that vote These few lines
infused new life into the labor leaders, who
had become somewhat discouraged by the
outlook, and it was for this reason that
hope for its passagerWas entertained until
the last.
Former Representative David H. Mercer
OF Omaha, Neb.. whom President Theodore
Roosevelt, it Is understood, contemplates
appointing as the successor of Mr.. Mer-
Ram, director of the census, can be said
to have the Endorsement of local organized
labor. Several prominent leaders in the
printing trades of the District WILL it is
believed, call on the President in the near
future to urge the appointment of Mr..
Mercer, who, they declare, has proved him
self to be champion of organized labor.
The action of Judge Adams of the United
States district court at st. Louis, Mo-, in
issuing an Injunction in connection with
the threatened strike of the !, 100 firemen
and trainmen of the Wabash Railroad Com
pany for higher wages is the subject of no
little discussion among labor leaders in this
city, some of whom of the opinion that
the Justice overstepped his authority.
Judge Adams, it is reported, based his ac
ton upon the interstate commerce law.
Judge Adams action" said Secretary
Morrison Of the American Federation Of
Labor to a Star reporter, lis the latest in
stance of the imperative need of anti-in-
junction laws. 1t is because of the dis
abuse of the injunction that organized
labor Is in favor of anti-injunction legisia-
ton. We maintain that we have the right
to direct our members in matters Of i'm
portance to them. The courts have de-
cided that workmen can quit work indi-
vidually and collectively, if they so desire.
The combinations used the injunction to in
tim1date their employees and hamper them
in taking advantages of their rights as
citizens of the United States"
referendum vote is being taken among
the members of the International Union of
Soft Stone Cutters and the International
Union of Bricklayers and Stone Masons to
decide whether it is advisable to become
aft1llated with the American Federation of
Labor. So far as is known the PROPOSE
ton is favored by the members of both
crafts. At present there are 1O4 interna-
tional unions allied with the federation
At the regular meeting Of Printing Press
men and Assistants Union, No. l, this
evening nominations for delegates and al
ternates to the annual convention of the
International Printing Freshmen and AS
sistants Union, to be held in Cincinnati in
June, will be made.
Labor leaders in this city are tubilant
over the receipt of news to the effect that
the legislature of Pennsylvania passed the
Garner bill Tuesday limiting the hours of
labor for children at the coal mines and
collieries to eight hours a day. The bill
passed by a vote of IA to 5, and is the
reward of a hard struggle on the part of
the United Mine Workers of America.
Again negotiations are on foot looking to
the settlement of the strike among the
union machinsts, boilermakers and black
smiths of the Union Pacific railroad. Presi-
dent James O'Connell, president of the In
inr,o1 ni-+i Df ,;,,:,t 1af&
Washington Wednesday for Omaha, Neb
to attend a conference to be held In that
city Monday between the labor leaders and
railroad officials concerned in the difficulty
Mr.. P. J. Conlon, first vice president of
the machinists, of Cleveland, Ohio, is in
this city performing the duties of the Of
flee Of president Of the body during Presi-
dent O'Connells absence. An attempt on
the part Of the railroad officials to inaugu-
rate the piece or premium system of work
Is said to be the cause of the present strike,
which was instituted last June.
Fourth Vice President Thomas l.. Wilson,
who is at Omaha, Neb., directing the ma
chintsts strike against the Union Pacific
railroad, in the current issue of the journal
of the craft speaks of the objections to
the piece work system, in part, as follows:
"Piece work takes away from the men the
chance to deal with the company collective
ly and leaves them as individuals to the
tender mercy of INSCRIPTIONS foremen
Then when it is once introduced. though
the men may at first receive a very fair
weeks wages, yet as soon as the company
discovers that man makes more under
the piece work proposition than he former
ly did under the hourly rate, the first move
of the foreman is to cut the mems wages
to a point which Is equivalent to the same
amount he formerly received when he
worked by the hour. The system also
takes away from the employees the oppor-
tunity to learn the trade in all of it's many
branches
"An apprentice becomes not a machinist
but a workman who can perform but one
single operation, or, in other words, a
specialist AS specialist he feels that if
he loses the position which he then oc-
cupies he will be unable to find another
in another shop unless some one dies This
would take away from the men their chance
to organize, and to demand, as aforesaid,
their right to deal collectively with the
company and would leave them as individ-
uals practically neither more nor less than
a part of the machine and the property
of the company, instead Of the independent
position in which the American machinist
today finds himself, where he is competent
to fill any position in the shop, either on
the floor or on the bench or on the ma
chine.
consequently, being an all around an,
capable of filling any position, he does not
feel nor fear the loss of his position, know
ing, as he must. that there is plenty Of