The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-09-13

trail Labor Union agree, however, that the
present committee, composed of John +.
White, Edgar A. Perkins and Henry Fried
man, has accomplished the most good and
showed the greatest results of any preced-
ing committee. What the present commit
tee has done it has done by hard work, for
the Labor Temple committee is dealing with
a hard proposition. 1t is working under in
structions to raise at least $1,000 as a pre-
liminary step, after which, it is thought,
there will be no difficulty in securing funds
to complete the building. The committee
says that 1T can raise the required $1,000 by
1st of next January. The members of the
unions represented at the Central Labor
Union have each been levied tax of cent
per week. and. although the income from
such tax is not large, it is gradually in
creasing the fund.
1t is said by old labor leaders of the city
that the Labor Temple was a dream of the
labor unions of the early eighties. 1t was
in those days that the movement was be-
gun, or rather the agitation of it, by the
knights of Labor. A $4,000 project was
started but it proved to be a bubble and
was punctured by the storms that swept
through the ranks of the labor army in the
days of the great street railway strike.
Many attempts have been made since then
to restart the project and to furnish build
ing for the use of the ever-growing unions
of the city. Different enterprises have been
resorted to in order to accomplish the end
in view. One year Sunday afternoon band
concerts were given in Tomlinson Hail. but
they did not prove popular enough to pay
the committee. Other schemes have been
tried since then but none of them have been
very successful The present committee in
it's efforts have done more than the average
The men on the committee represent the
best element of the Central Labor Union
and are all sincere in the furtherance of
the cause.
JOHN F. WHITE, AN EXPERT.
John F. White, chairman of the commit
tee, is considered one of the most reliable
men in the city's labor field. He is a
thorough student of social and political
economy and is recognized as such even
outside the labor world, as was evinced in
the movement several years ago of the Cen
trail Labor Union to buy the water works
of the city, Mr.. White made an estimate
of the contract and because it amounted to
a sum of several millions of dollars. he was
inent men. However, when an expert was
brought here from Cincinnati to figure the
proposition out, his report very nearly SUBJ
Stimulated that of Mr.. Whites in every
particular Mr.. White also stands for con-
servatism in his demands and does not de-
vote much time to the scale question, pay
ing more attention to the economy of the
labor movement. That his ability is fully
recognized by the central body is shown by
the fact that ever since he has been as
ISOLATED with the Central Labor Union he
has been on the legislative board. AT pres
| ent he is chairman of that board and has
served in that position during different years
In the past. When questions of more or
| less import arise in the central body. Mr..
| White is always certain to be placed on
| the committee which will handle the point
at issue. He has been at different times a