The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1904-01-30
PRESIDENT GOMPERS
STILL ROLLS CIGARS
SHOWS HIMSELF TO BE PRAcTl.
CAL CIGARMAkER AS WELL
AS STATESMAN.
Has Worked All Of His Life. Served
First Five Years as President Of
tho A. F Of /. Without Receiving
Salary. Has Boon Head Of the
American Labor Movement for
More Than Twenty Years.

newspaper correspondent, devoted him.
self one day last week to an extended
interview with President Samuel Com
pers. The subjects discussed ranged
from Mr.. Gompers experience as
journeyman cigarmaker to the most
far-reaching results arising from the
existence and operations Of organized
labor.
DO you know anything about work
yourself? Did you ever work for
Wages?" began Mr.. Carpenter.
Work! / have never known much
else but work. was the reply. II have
been working all my life and most Of
1t at my trade. My father was cigar
maker. 1 went into the shop at ten
years Of age and in time became
journeyman, and I continued to work
at making cigars for tWenty-six years."
What kind of workingman were you,
Mr.. Gompers?" continued the cores
pondent.
Il think I may say that I was
fairly good one. I was never out of a
job except at my own vollition and
I received as high wages as any of my
fellows"
Gompers as Cigarmaker.
could you make cigar today?"
llduc SOI1le dL bOSlOIl Il 1e" "Ccho
ago while attending our last annual
convention there. At the noon recess
l went to the largest union cigar fac
tory In the world, which was not far
| from the convention hall. One of the
! men asked me the same question you
: have asked. In reply I took off my
coat, sat down at the bench and made
three cigars. l have son who has
C{1o a ctN hora ff yvich
will go there and make you one now"
I did wish, and Mr.. Gompers went
with me to the factory, sat down at
one Of the benches and rapidly rolled
out u choice Havana. It took him less
than two minutes by my watch to put
the tobacco into shape, and the cigar
which lies before me as I write this
is as good-looking an article as any
cigar sold anywhere in the United
States. 1t is a big, fat cigar and con-
tains a good, honest smoke After this
Mr. Gompers rolled a cigar for him.
self and smoked this while we talked.
He told me that he still retained his
membership. in the eseiEarsaak kerssa. uni on,
and showed me shis sunion Book, with
the stamps of his dues paid TO- date.
He has been member Of that union
fer thlrty-nine years, and pays his
regular dues Of 30 cents a week to keep
up his membership.
The Evolution of Unionist.
when did you first become interest
ed in the labor movement?' I asked.
'When I was fourteen years DID,
was the reply. my father had been
a member Of the union, and at that age
I joined. I have been a union man
ever since"
"Have you ever been in strike?'
MANY times. Sometimes when I ap-
proved of the strike, and again when
did not. Some of the strikes were
hard ones, and I have actually suffered
from hunger during such times, but I
never regretted them. When I went
on strike I considered the shop door
closed, as far as I was concerned, un-
til that strike was settled, and for
that reason I did not want to strike
without due cause
Strikes and the Workingman.
do you think strikes pay the work
ingman?"
"They most certainly do, although
they should be avoided If possible. Still
I hope the time will never come when
we shall so lose our manhood as t
refuse to strike. Strikes are an element
of civilization. In barbarous times and
barbarous countries the people do MOI
strike. There are no strikes in China
The wages there are 10 cents day
and the workmen live in mud huts ant
feed upon rice and an occasional rod.
ent."
when has the laboring man the
right to striker"
He has the right to do so at any
time and for any reasons or for NJ
reason at all. Strikes are an evidence
of liberty and freedom, and We labor.
ing men claim the right to strike a.
any time. I am not discussing thu
policy. We have the right"
"What is the present outlook as t,
labor, Mr.. Gompers? Times have bee,
good. There have been many strike
and wages have gone up. It is nov
said that times are becoming bad; will
they not go DOWN.
LAS to the times,' said the presl
dent of the American Federation, IN,
information shows me that there is
! change for the worse. We have mum
/ Der of unions, which pay benefits t,
| their unemployed and therefore kee)
t track of those out of work. These un
| ions embrace fiddereftn branches Q
/ ions embrace different branches o
trade in many parts of the countr,
I and their reports form an excellen
| barometer of industrial conditions
From them can see clouds in the in
dustrial sky, and I look for a perio,
of depression during the next fev
| years. It will not be as bad as il
| 1857 in 1873 or in 1894, but 1t will b
/ felt more or less all over the country
| ""But what should govern in fixini
wagesthe cost of an article?"
mot at all. The wages necessary t
make the article under comfortabl
conditions should be that which fixe
the prize of the article, and not tn
Il price Of the wages"
II Hight Hours and Less.
IN The q {nversation here turned to tn
IN number of working hours. and aske
III Mr.. GDhpers whether the workingmel
wouldf5e satisfied if the whole Unite,