Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-18
BOOT AND SHOE WORKERS
Having Strenuous Time Over the
ST. Louis Situation.

Having Strenuous Time Over the
ST. Louis Situation.
Cincinnati. Jan. 1.-THE convention OF
the Boot q Shocworilcrs' international
nion, Saturday, resumed considerations
oi the St Louis case, which represents
the opposition to the general officers, rs
well as the interests of those identified
with the knights Of Labor and the Nest
crn Labor tl.ion i'll all sections.
y. }. Lawrence opened the discussion,
denourcinS the general officers Cor the
T"Vuking of eight St Louis charters be-
fore this convention me-. lie said the"
did it so that they would have nine
| friendly delegates from st: Louis to this
convention, representing the new locals.
/ instead ct u from the old locals. a cif
ference of IS in favor of the present gen
cral officers. He said the referendum was
| not effective under the present marriage
ment, which he charged with misuse of
the stamp. collusion with bosses. dis
elimination and many other things.
Mi. Lawrence reviewed conditions at all
the ST. Louis factories and the proceed
lnSS OF the locals ana council in St. Louis.
in his claim that the general officers were
faVoring ii. NJ. Eaton. now superintcn-
dent for Hamilton Il Brown. in St. Louis,
and formerly OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES of the
Boot and Shoe Workers Union III their
general Offices in Boston.
He quoted an alleged letter from Supt
Eaten to Iles, Tobin offering "A pos ton
to r. A. Sicbcrman in the Hamilton g.
Brown factory. and called attention to the
tact that it was dated after Siebcrlnan
as general organizer. had been in St
Louis insisting on the locals CARRYING out
| their contract with Eaton, company.
Mr.. Lawrence charged that the general
officers prohibited them from organizin;,
al! their st. Louis factories and held that
the limitation was in the interests Of the
open shop and nou-union factories i'll COM
petition with the union shops.
Tie repeatedly charged collision. cspcc-
tally with Eaton. He said the manufac.
turcrs Wera notitic.! whcn committees of
the general executive hoard came to ST
Louis. but not the officers of the union.
he SAID th2ir suspicious We're so al''dS'-h
that st. Louis members finally would hav,,
nothing more to do with the general OIL
GERS.
He also charged tho ACCOMPLISHMENTS
with certifying that there was 5000 in
tn" strike fund when such was not the
case
Mr. Lawrence while in Eoston at The
convention Of the American Federation
Armstrong and other knights Of Labor.
but not i'll an official capacity. When ne
i"turr',! l." 81. Louis tnc Foot and .Snoo
N"rf q w"rc affiliated with the Amcri-
can labor 1ion as they needed help and
got it,
He charged neglect hy custodians of
til" stamp a.; tn" union stamp was fn;lnd
on goods in shipments from the Joliet
rVnit"ntiary
Mr.. Lawrence said in closing:
hhlioNn IN tn" organization of the
Loot ana Shoe Workers lnterna tional
tniun. hi: | am opposed to its executive
heads rs it now stands"
re Ii'"""h that ON" of tho chief organ
1TrIS went to ST. Louis at one tirI" about
TN" commencement of the trouble and
went about the city at night with tn,
union men. spending as high SO in ON"
night buying IntoXiCantS in or,icr that lie
might gain the point h sought. He do
clarci That Pres. Tolin had ordered the
unions OF II. S.ouiS To cease pro"clEting
and not to enter into any more contracts
with shu" manufacturers relative to the
Ue' of tn" union label He Il t.Iar.d that
; Z f;hinc lad Paid tn" fare of Il non
union man there in order that watch
mi"ft h" kspt on what was going on i!c
criticised III" financial records of the
union. Saying; that the rcceiptS were not
proportional to the reported increase in
tn" membership.
"a, ne oncning Of The afternoon So.
II" brewers. ard Ed Ward of Boston,
Ncf" presented t. the convention Mr.
k"nlp"r said his organization would sup
r0ii the Il. & s. w. label now as it had
III the past. lie requested the indorSc-
rl"nt of the label of his union and it's
SUPPORT by the members Of the shoe
workers.
Ed Hcttcau. the last representative Of
IN presenting his case. The balance of
the day was consumed by the delegates
asking questions of the representatives
from St. Louis.
Pres. Tohin expresses his entire conf
dence in the convention being with him
in the St. Louis troubles
Ey almost UNANIMOUS vote the convcn-
ton decided to pay the delegates at the
rate o. = per day from the funds, of the
general union for each day the conven
ton lasts. 1t is the general opinion that
the convention will adjourn. Monday night |
Cincinnati. Ohio, Jan. 1.-THE contro- |
vcrsy between thcA eight st. Louis unions
whose charters have been revoked and
he int itna1 ~
eCuiiye board of the Boot and Shoe Work !
ers Union, was continued over Sunday. |
The delegates are determined to cOncIudc !
the controyersy when lively session is |
expected with view to adjournment
night, the delegates have been
considering the case in formal confer
ence. today, with indicat tons, tonight. |
almost unanimously
At meeting of the Boot and Shoe
Workers, today. under the auspices of the
CINCINNATI unions, members of other
crafts were largely represented and the
sentiment was strongly favorable to main.
tanning the laws and Jurisdiction Of the
nat1onai union over subordinates and to
preserving lnvio!ate contracts and agree |
ncnts with manufacturers The exDeIlpd |
St. Louis unions charged the general on
,er ,s.o WIN j. usurnation and insisted on alb
insisted that when the council of Locals
was controlled by contract breakers" |
md those who would not recognize the
general executive board. there was no al
except the revoking Of char
ers. as in the ST Louis case
Other labor organizations are interested
n the controversy since the expelled ST
American Labor Union, while the Boot
md shoe Workers is affiliated with the
american Federation of Labor.
The former Boer commandment. Gen.
oelarey, has arrived at Havana from
v eXicO, and will study Cuba with ~ |