Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-12
Observation-Disclosures
in THE LABOR REALM. +;

Is In LIE LABOR REALM, Z
Sooooooooooooooooooooooooo
The matter published in this column
is furnished by the Officers of the
Federation of Labor.l
The final meeting of the banquet
committee Of the Trades and Labor
Assembly will be held this evening at
Labor hall for the purpose of making
the final arrangements for the ban
quet to be held by the assembly Friday
evening of this week. The event has
been uppermost in the minds of the
union men of the city for some time,
and from the completeness of the
plans which have been made it is
thought that the occasion will be
memorable one for the trades union
lists of the city. All union men and
their wives, sisters and sweethearts
have been invited to attend. The COM
mittee has also requested the mem
bers of unions to invite a limited num-
Der of guests. The program will be-
gin at $50 p. M, and all should make
arrangements to be seated at that
| time.
State Federation.
From the appearance of reports re-
ceived from central bodies all over
The state, Davenport will probably
have the largest convention of labor
ing men ever brought together in this
state when the State Federation of
Labor meets in that city in May. The
officers of the federation are display
ing much energy in bringing together
at this convention all of Iowa's labor
! forces, and are meeting with much
encouragement. Since the re-affilia-
ton of the miners there will without
doubt be larger delegation from To-
cal district No. 10 than ever before.
The Ottumwa delegations will begin
selecting their delegates in the very
near future.
Allied Metal Mechanics.
The Allied Metal Mechanics met in
. regular session at Labor hall last Mon
| day evening. The meeting was large
lily attended and much important bus
mess was transacted in the interests
of the craft. Secretary Carbon of the
local organization reports that the
union still continues to increase it's
membership.
II brotherhood OF BIackSmithS.
The local union of blacksmiths is
growing beyond the predictions of even
i its most enthusiastic members. Hard
II ly a meeting night passes but that
4 there are from one to two applications
and before then end Of the fiscal year
Hit is thought the union will control
! the entire craft in this city.
Carpenters and Joiners.
The local union of carpenters and
i joiners is progressing as it has never
heretofore Since the visit of Organic
err Henry everything seems to be run
ming along the carpenters way and the
organization is now in such condition
that it will be able to control the en-
i tire craft in this city. The members
of the union are very enthusiastic ov-
er the success of the organization and
feel gratified at the result of the work
i in bringing new members in the past
three months.
Team Drivers.
The visit of Organizer Donahue ir
the interests of the local team drivers
union has resulted in an agreement be.
ing reached with all the coal operators
in the city except one. Express Driv-
ers' local No. 511 reports the control
of all the express drivers in the city
. with the exception of two. The mem
bers of the local request union mer
and merchants of the city when EN-
ploying expressmen to ask for the card
and look for the button. which is worn
: upon the lapel of the vest.
President Gompers Talks.
The American Federation of Labor
) has issued circulars instructing al
local organizations in behalf of the
anti-injunction bill and eight hour law
now pending before the United States
senate. In his annual report to the
American Federation, President Samu
; ell Gompers said:
The bill commonly known as the anti
injunction BILL drafted by our attorneys
approved by the American Federation OF
) Labor, and introduced at our request wa.
passed by the house of representatives Ii
its original form. The senate iudiciar,
committee first reported the bill in like
manner. but subsequently offered sucl
amendments as would actually for the first
} time in our statute law, provide in speclfi,
terms for, and authorize the issuance of
, injunctions in trade disputes. OF course
E we opposed tHlS amendment, which con
! verified an anti-injunction bill into IL pro
injunction bill. This bill will again be con
sidered by the coming session of congress
r since its position Gas having passed tn,
house is retained
, 81 recommend that our legislative com
), mittee and officers be directed to continu,
their efforts to secure the passage of tn,
\ bill in its original form as passed by thu
house, and to oppose any amendment cal
culated to impair the fundamentally Lawful
: action of the organized workers in the
efforts to secure improved conditions
I'VE reiterate our position that organic
ed labor seeks no immunity from the law
for violations committed by any one of it
members; but 1t insists that that which i
lawful when done by other persons shall
/ not be regarded as unlawful when dom
by wage-earners either as individuals or il
association.
I'VE demand, too, that the common Law
practice shall apply to wage-earners a
well as to all others; that is, that no in
junction shall be issued wherever there /
another remedy provided by law.
e "Our fellow workers or our moyemen
are not law-breakers; but If anyone b
) guilty of a crime the laws of our countr,
and the laws of the states have provision