The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1903-07-16
STATE LABOR
FORCES MEET HERE
Important Gathering of the Year
Entertained In Convention ]
During the Week
TALK OF NEW LAW FOR WORKMAN
Fifty Delegates From Fourteen Cities in
the State Assemble for Annual Meet.
ing of State Federation of Labor

ing of State Federation of Labor
Manitowoc this week entertained the
most important gathering of labor union
organizations to be held during the year
the annual convention Of the State
Federation of Labor having opened in
the city Tuesday and continued in ses
sion until today. Forty eight delegates
from fourteen cities in the state were
seated in the meeting which was presi
ded over by Frank j. Weber, state orga
nizer of the Federation, aud many i'm
portant measures affecting labor were
considered. Fred Brockhausen, Of Mil
waukee, is secretary and treasurer oi
the Federation and John Stipeck, also
of Milwaukee. was assistant secretary q
the convention.
Most important Of the documents pre-
sented to the meeting was the annua
report of State Organizer Frank j.
Weber and the address accompanying
delivered at the session Tuesday. Mr.
Weber reviewed the labor field in Wis
consin and the progress which has been
made during the year in the organiza
ton of the workers. In part his ad'
dress was as follows: IF it is to the
interest of capital to combine its inter,
ests against destructive competition" he
said, "why should it not be Of greater
moment to the wage earners to combine
themselves to protect there economical
and political interests against the COM
bination of capitalists who seek to alb
sord all that labor produces.
"The latest government statistics
show that there are 1.7O0 600 tiny wage
slayes under the age of IA years work
ing in the factories, workshops, mills,
mines, department and one horse stores.
While a new child labor law has been
enacted in the state Of Wisconsin, which
is a long stride forward in the pl election
of innocent childhood, it is not as strin
gent as it should be. The time has ar
rived when the trade unions Of our
state and country should demand the
abolition of labor.
mo class of people can understand and
sympathize with the needs of working
women like those who stand eide by
side with them in the factories, stores
and workshops and who know by actual
experience what their home life must
be. The time has come, under our COM
petitive system. in the development Of
woman when she must take advantage
of the opportunities offered by organiza.
tion. The most necessary needs Of the
woman is shorter hours OF labor, better
sanitary surroundings and more oppor-
tunities for education, and all this can
easily be obtained by and through or
ganization. One of the aims and OBJ
iects of the trades union is to grant the
women of our country the same econo-
mic and political rights as the men
possess.
Without going into any lengthy dis
cussion ON this subject, which is now
being vigorously discussed by employ
ers of labor, it is only necessary to say
that there is not . single labor organiza-
ton that could keep out Of the hands of
a court for one year Of its existence if 1t
ever consented to the capitalists
scheme to become Incorporated. Suits
for real or imaginary grievances would
be brought against the men,"
Mr.. Weber assailed the use Of injunc-
tions in labor disputes and characterized
some of the decisions Of the courts as
tyrannical and a disgrace to modern
civilization. The remedy, he suggested,
was the ballot. AS to the strikes he
said:
Trades unions neither court nor "a
vor strikes The strike is labor's last
recourse, used when all attempts at con-
ciliation and arbitration have proved
futile. It's use Is serious matter; 80
serious. in fact, that the experienced Ia
Dor organization will 20 out Of Its way
to prevent unnecessary industrial dis
putes.
'The twenty four inch rule is an In
strument made use Of by mechanics to
measure their work. The moral use OF
the twenty four inch rule is to divide
the time into three equal parts, where
by he finds eight hours for his vocation,
eight hours for rest and recuperation
and eight hours for mental development
and social intercourse. Economic think
ers agree that the eight hour day Is not
a panacea for our difficulties or even q
solution Of the question Of the hours Of
employment, but 90 per cent. Of wage
earners agree that 1t Is step in the