The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1903-10-30
PROGRESS, IN LABOR UNIONS.

: United States Just now than the spor
taneous movement towards the SUI
preston or Improvement of deinoralize
labor unions and the complete estaf
lishment, upon a lawful basis, of bot
capitalistic and labor combinations l
this movement, unionized labor itse
is prominent. The last straw tina
seems to have broken the back of tn
= walking delegate, who stirred UP an
profted by causeless strife, was tn
arrogant demand made on the Presi
dent and by him Justly rebuked.
The voice of the press, as the Adver
tiser has already shown, is clear AM
decided. Quotations from several of tn
most important newspapers in tn
country have been published In thes
columns which proved the unanimit.
of public opinion. Some of TIL
strongest expressions, however. arr
found either in unionized labor organ!
or in journals which have been sincere
and influential in their support of the
unions. The National Labor Tribune
of Pittsburg. thinks that the enemies Of
organized labor. some of whom II
names, are greatly pleased with the
outbreak of the Washington Central
Union, The Philadelphia North Amer
lean, a noted advocate of the unions
characterizes the demands made by
Samuel Gompers, the President of the
American Federation of Labor, and by
his associates, as illustrations Of blind
obstinacy." The only complaint the
Springfield Republican has to make is
that President Roosevelt did not go far
enough. Only fourteen per cent. of the
wage earners in the country are union
lists, and 1t is regarded as preposterous
that they should attempt to deprive
eighty-six per cent. of their Inherent
rights. 1t is recognized as true also
that the majority of the unonists do
not endorse the lawlessness of the
walking delegates, and, at the polls
and elsewhere, will act upon their own
judgment as intelligent and conscien-
tious American citizens.
Law and legislation are aiding the
new birth of unionism. At Hamilton,
Ohio. lately, the Hamilton Topographic
cal Union, the Hamilton Co-operative
Trades and Labor Council and the
Nonpariel Printing Company, were en-
Joined by Judge Belden from boycott
ting the Republican News. The opn-
ion in this case was unusually direct
and positive, and such rulings are null
tipiying in other States. The object of
the boycott in the instance mentioned
was to force the newspapers into union
ization. The legislature of Alabama,
anticipating the proposed action in
New York, has enacted a stringent law
against both strikes and blacklisting.
At indianapolis, a few days ago, the
representatives of seven hundred thou
sand workmen employed in the build
ing and repairing trades were engaged
in the formation of an international
federation to substitute arbitration for
strikes. The only great strike that now
appears to be imminent is that pro-
posed by the miners Of Colorado, Utah
and New Mexico, In which the unions
would have to contend with the Ma
tional Employers Association, which.
for defence, has already accumulated
a fund of a million dollars that can
speedily be raised to three millions.
This strike, If not warded off, will be
an object lesson in the loss of wages,
the waste of money, the arrangement
Of an important branch of industry,
and the poverty and suffering it must
produce.
The firm determination evnced in
New York, to call off all large improve
ments proposed for the coming year
rather than submit to the exactions of
the walking delegates. has had an i'm
mediate and marked effect The same
Samuel Gompers, who antagonized the
President and afterwards tried to per-
vert and soften the reply he actually
received, has advised the building trade
unions in New York to abandon their
strike and submit to arbitration upon
terms proposed by the employers.
All these indications point to a change
in the Objectionable unions themselves,
and to the permanent utility of COM
whether of labor or of cap-
tai, that respect the constitution and
the laws and aim at practical and use
full ends.