Waterbury Democrat., 1903-01-31

"Citv Clerk Ryan's Joke Book" The ignorance displayed as to the true sta-- tus of the labor problem is appalling and every line shows that such infor- nation tor mis-information) as they do possess was obtained through the columns of the subsidized capitalistic press. One of them says: It must be borne in mind that the employer, not the elnploye fixes the price to be paid for labor.' That in the past such has been the case to too great an ex- 1 tent is true, but at the present time large percentage of the Wage-earners have minimum price fixed for their | labor and below that price will not dispose of their goods. The method 1 most in vogue is for committees from employers and employees to meet and agree upon a wage scale for some definite period, or until such scale be- comes unsatisfactory to either party, when upon due notice it may be re- arranged. The day when one side has all to say as to the price of labor is rapidly passing away. Another cor respondent tor perhaps the same one under another nom de plume) fears that if unionisln continues to spread 1 the same conditions may prevail here as in Chicago. Oh, hasten the day! Chicago is the most strongly organized city in the United States, and wages in all lines are from 20 to 30 per cent higher than in Waterbury. Tn the skilled trades 40 per cent higher would probably be near the mark. As is re- membered by all, the winters of 1S93- 54, immediately following the Worlds fair was hard one for the laborins classes in Chicago, but during that tune not a single application for aid was made to the charitable associations or the city from trade union members Tn this respect, at least, all will unite ! III wishing to see the same conditions prevail here as there.
 I STRIKE NOTES.
 | we Walk no more. The sTJnion Oyeriand' is now the thing.
 It the boycott is unlawful what about the blacklist? That the latter IS made use of in Waterbury is be- yond dispute.
 1 So long as the employer through sell nsh greed continues to ignore the just demands of the employees, so long as an employer continues to act as an absolute dictator, just so long will la- l por unlonS De necessary.
 l The old saying that the chain is no stronger than it's weakest link seems to be falacious at the present time. The weakest link in the TrolIeymen' s union had borne watching for several days and when it parted no one was surprised. The gap was filled and now the chain is stronger than ever. The coal operators had nothing to arbifrate-neither has the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Co. The evi- dence produced before the commission shows that there were many things that needed adjustment through arbi- tration or some other channel in the case of the former, and the more the facts are becoming known the more general becomes the belief that the same conditions prevail in the latter case.
 The fduciary officers of all unions should see that the strike benefits are paid into the hands of the proper off, cers promptly. The strike commit I tee of the Central Labor union are at I the rooms every evening and from 10 1 to 12 on Sunday while the committee of the Trolleynen's union are always on hand at II a. m. and , D. m. each day, and money will be received and receipted for by either. Moral assist ance is necessary, but the dollars and ] cents must be on hand in a fight against such a corporation as the Con- ncetfcut Railway and Lighting Go. The pay day is Sunday and the hour Il a. m.. See that your union has it's money there on time.
 The New Haven Leader states that it has been asked several times to give the facts of the case in regard to the Waterbury trolley strike, and pub fishes the report of the clergymen's $ committee as the best evidence ob- tainable concerning the merits of the controversy. Commenting upon the same, it says: .'This report has con vinced most of those who read it that MT Barrett was discharged for some reason other than the one given by representatives of the trolley com pany. The circumstantial evidence gives considerable strength to the con- clusiOn that the discharge was due to MT BaTetfs activity in organizing the men into 9 labor union"