Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-16
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PEOPLES PULPIT.

To the public: We deem it neces,
cary at this time, when so much is be
ing written about the trades unions by
those who are not members of them
and know nothing of their workings, to
issue a staten ent to the citizens of OF
tumwa in defense of organized labor
and the true conditions as they exist
between employee and employer and
place before generous humanity the
real situation with the amounts OF
earnings of heads of families, the cost
ofliying and the reason for antagonist
against organized labor from some
quarters in this city.
casual observation into conditions
surroundingthe homes of the working
people of this city would lead any fair
minded man or woman of matured
years to the conclusion that all the
talk and chaff about labor organiza.
lions demanding unreasonable wages
at unreasonable times and becoming
arrogant and oppressive against cati-
talists and business men would not
stand investigation in the shadow of
z truth. The thorough and systematic
Pronunciation of the trades union move
ment in this city has for it's purpose
the turning of public opinion against
4 organized labor and the material wei
fare of the wage Garner, and to our
Z knowledge this is being fostered by
Some EN- ployers with the assistance OF
their business managers for the pVr.
pose of maintaining labor at the low,
est level of wages that it is possible to
a keep body and soul together. To crowd
into the letters of despair and slavery
those who are compelled by the lack of
real national prosperity to seek en-
ployment of them and their illS.
Answering the numerous falsehoods
as to the increases of wages of the diff
ferent organized crafts in this city we
herewith assert with full confidence
that no reliable contradiction to this
statement can be made, that the aver
4 age increase of wages of all the forty
four local unions affiliated with the
Trades and Labor assembly in this city
has been less than 6 per cent; that the
K highest increase received was by the
miners organizations, which was from
1 IL to 13 per cent and that only brought
them up to somewhere near standard
living wage scale. Three unions have
received 10 per cent increase, which
brings them nowhere near the amount
paid to the members Of their craft
throughout the different cities Of Iowa
Twenty-Five unions affiliated with the
Trades and Labor assembly have re.
ceiyed no increase in wages nor better
conditions of employment except a re.
duction of the hours from ten to nine
Two unions affiliated with the Trades
and Labor assembly yet remain to sign
agreements for the ensuing year.
So that it may be seen that the enor.
nous increase of wages claimed to
have been received by organized labor
in this city through the enemies of the
labor union movement is false and a
myth and not worthy of consideration.
All unions except three have secured
q reduction of hours from ten to nine
and even this reduction Of hours with
the increased wages as not
ed above does not come
anywhere near equalizing things
with the increased cost of liv.
ing upon which we have an immense
amount of data, but as we do not desire
to burden our friends with too long a
statement upon this part of the ques.
ton, we will simply refer our constitu.
ency and enemies to their account
books for house rent and other neces.