The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-26
The Establishment of the Headquar-
tiers Of Two Great Organizations
Here Has Big Eject.
CONFERENCES WITH EMPLOYER
"A MEETING IN TIME WILL OFTEN
SAVE A COSTLY STRIKE.
Prosperous Condition of the workers
of This City-LocaI Unions and
Their Affairs.

men-especially from the point OF view OF
employment. Unionists and nonunionists,
they are all. with few exceptions. employed.
working six days out of the week and not
worrying about the coming week jackson
all-trades even can easily find something at
which to put their hands. Indeed. the COM
plant comes now from the other side 1t is
not that there is dearth in demand, but
That there is scarcity in labor. The en-
ployers say that they could use more men If
they could get them, and they are almost
willing to pay higher prices for them. The
contractors OF the city. with the contracts
they have on hand would be glad TO see
more men working on their jobs. IL they
could get them; the traction companies are
IN need OF laborers. In the shops, the fac
tories. the foundries. there are positions of
some kind for laboring men. In fact in al
most every trade and craft in the city, labor
Is more or less In demand.
MEANS BETTER WAGES.
Naturally the press of demand means bet
ter wages TO the laboring class. In many in
stances. the scales have already been in
creased; In several they are under advise
ment- With few exceptions, labor In In
dianapols Is not cheap. Certainly il Is not
cheap as II has been in times past. Com
pared to some other towns. the scale is
above the average. and compared to others,
IL falls slightly below the standard The
best evidence that wages are better in In
dianapolis is the corresponding improve
.ment in the conditions OF the workingmen
and their families. They are living in better
homes and recognizing more the advantage
and necessity of comfortable. clean homes.
1t takes only short walk down Washing
ton street some time in the afternoon to Sc
cure the conviction that their children are
dressing better. 1t was a timely remark
made the other day by a man who said that
nowadays one can hardly tell the children
of the working people from those of the
higher class. An Improvement in the stand
ard Of living eventually brings about an
Improvement in the moral tone of the Ia
borer.
In this betterment of the working class
the unions have. indeed. had an active part.
The growth In Indianapolis within the last
few years is almost unprecedented. The fact
that the headquarters of two of the strong
est unions in the country have recently 10
Gated here mas been a stimulus to the local
unions A week does not pass but what
score of men enlist under the banner of
unionism. 1t is estimated that there are now
week new unions are being organized The
butcher. the baker and the candIestick MAX
er will all. sooner or later, have their
unions. There are many who look upon this
growth with feeling of uncertainty. Its
outcome rests with the good judgment and
the reasonable demands OF the working peo-
pie themselves. The true import of union
is not fully comprehended by many. They
are inclined to the opinion that the under
motive of the union is more money" even
by extortionate measures a betterment of
the conditions of its members Is nearer the
heart Of the union and to this extent does it
attempt to adjust wages to a medium of
equal fairness
IN CASE OF A DEADLOCK.
In the case of a deadlock, the union seeks
drst a conference with the employers, and
II the differences cannot be adjusted, the
call for a strike Is given. In many in
stances the men are hasty and strike be-
fore a conference. but the conference comes
sooner or later in the final settlement. so
that the sooper the two parties get together
the better. Some of the greatest union men
In the country have said that frequent con-
ferences between the men and their employ
ers not only does more good than a strike
but saves a strike. They believe in talking
the matters over and both parties at least
coming TO some mutual understanding as to
the main issue Of the differences. 1t is said
that in too many cases Of local strikes the
men are holding out for demands not clear
IN the minds OF the employers. A conference
at least gets &c the vital point in the dis
pute.
A visit to the local headquarters of the
unions Of the city Is sufficient to satisfy one
that the laboring men are pretty nearly all
busy Every union in the city does not have
headquarters: the majority of them meet
in halls once a week or once every two
weeks. But the labor halls serve as the gath
ering places of the men. and when work is
scarce the halls well patronized. The
meetings Of the unions are as strictly secret
as those of Greek-Ietter fraternity and in
q few instances new members are initiated.
There Is nothing like secrecy to create inti-
macy. and in this respect the unions bring
the laboring people together elbow to elbow
AID make them each others friend.
CARPENTERS UNION.
Among the local unions. the carpenters
union seems to be the most prosperous. Its
men have all been employed for several
weeks and Harry Travis. business agent of
the union. could have placed men most ev-
ely cay ne SAID ne cOul0 nave pidCeO as
many as twenty-five carpenters one day If
he had had them The machinists are also
an a prosperous condition. The demands for
them are greater than for many years. and
they are taking advantage OF the opportun-
ity to improve their conditions. A revised
schedule. prepared by their advisory board,
Is now In the hands of the Big Four officials
awaiting acceptance. Their one strike in the
city is at the National Motor Vehicle Com
pany. from which about thirty OF their men
walked out some time ago, because of re-
fusai Of the employers to grant their de-
mands for higher wages. f. c. Collins,
business agent Of their union, had several
conferences with Charles Test. president of
the company. but settlement OF the diffi-
Guilty 10. in sight The employers. the men
say. imported about dozen "scabs' from
Chicago. with whom they signed a contract
until Aug l. II Is said that the "scabs'' are
receiving cents an hour more than the To-
cal machinists demanded.
Throughout all the other unions in the city,
ef which there are more than nifty. the re-
.Dorts are that every one is busy and mat