Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-01
IN LABOR CIRCLES
c.,

run SnOotnly. Inc only ulrnCully that is at
present marring the harmony between
workmen and employer is the controversy
of the union musicians and the members OF
| the Washington Theatrical Managers, Assoc
| citation, due to the dismissal several weeks
| ago of the musicians employed at the La
| fayette Square Opera House. There has
| been practically no change in the situation.
| unless It may be said that the difficulty has
become more complicated.
| President William J. Kerngood OF Local
Union No. 18l of the American Federation
! of Musicians of this city is making every
| effort to bring about adjustment of the
| difficulty, which several of the members of
| the managers association declare must be
| put to rest before final consideration can be
| given the question of increased pay for the
| local union musicians. to take effect at the
| opening of the next theatrical season. over
lures are being exchanged at this time for
| the settlement of the contention, and IL is
the desire of all parties concerned that II
| be effected as early as possible.
Manager Ira ]. La Motto of the Lafayette
| Tbeater, whom the union officials declare
is only indirectly associated with the diff
| Guilty by his support of Leader Victor John
| son. is favorable, IL is understood. to the
| employment of a union orchestra at his
playhouse. but has declined to install there
such an organization unless the union sus-
| Ponds the fine of 800 imposed upon Leader
johnson for his alleged action in attempt
|
| salary lower than the specified schedule.
| The union has manifested a disInclination
10 acquiesce in the request of Manager La
| Motto to suspend punishment of Mr.. John
son. To take such action, It is claimed
| would be equivalent to allowing Mr. La
| Motto to dictate to the union. 1t is further
| maintained that the union reserves the right
| to discipline member who has violated one
| of the fundamental rules of the organiza-
| ton. Therefore, it is pointed out that the
| most speedy means to bring the LAFAYETTE
4 Rl kc
| payment of the fine by the offending leader
| At the twenty-third annual convention of
| the American Federation of Labor, held in
| Boston, resolution was adopted as sub
| mitted by Delegate E. ]. Roche of the Gem
| ual Labor Union of this city voicng con-
| domination of the manufacture by convict
| labor in Trenton prison of United States
| mail bags and mail supplies
Upon his return to Washington. President
| Gompers of the federation placed himself
| In communication with the officials of the
| Post Office Department relative to the mat
| ter He wrote to Postmaster General Payne
| and received reply to the effect that the
government official was opposed to contract
! prison labor mail bags and that he would
recommend the passage by Congress of a
law to prevent continuance of the manu-
| facture of the bags by such labor.
Delegate Roche, who has been active in
| the campaign against this class of labor
| conferred with Second Assistant Postmast-
| er General Shallenberger and obtained the
| latter's support in the effort to have the
| contract for the bags and supplies awarded
| TO a firm employing civilian labor. Although
| the officials of the union, supported by Rep
resentative Sibley of Pennsylvania and Van
| Duzer of Nevada failed to secure the pas
sage by the last Congress of a bill bearing
directly upon the matter, they succeeded.
through Representative William Hughes of
New Jersey, in having inserted an amend
ment to the post office bill providing that
no contract shall be entered into by the
Post Office Department for supplies manu-
| featured by convict labor. The amendment
| passed the House and Senate and is at
present law.
| James O'Connell, president of the Inter-
| national Association of Machinists has re-
turned to Washington after an extended
| tour of the west, which he devoted to a
study of the conditions affecting the union
machlnlsts, which, 1t is understood he
round were satisfactory on the whole
Mr.: Arthur Holder of Des Moines. Iowa.
mas been appointed assistant editor of the
oinclal Journal of the International Asso-
car OF Machinists. which is published In
TINS city. Mr.. Holder has arrived in WASH
| ington and will in the near future bring
1 his family here.
The appointment of Mr.. Holder was made
| necessary by the continued il-health OF
| Mr. Douglas Wilson, who has been editor
| of the publication for many years and
who is recognized as a prominent author
| tty on economical and labor questions
| Mr. Wilson is confined to his home at Ia
| koma Park. His long illness has seriously
| impaired his sight and it is feared that he
may become blind
Writing to President Samuel Gompe~s of
| the American Federation of Labor from
| Essex, England. upon the labor situation
| in the British empire, Thomas Reece SAYS
| that the British trade unions are moving
! toward greater solidarity 1.-The assault
| now being made on the rights of the trade
| unionist," Mr. Reece continues, drives
| even the most devoted believer in sectional
ism and independence into the better way.
Its general federation of trade unions
| moves steadily onward to a consolidation
| of forces which eventually must prove ir-
resstible. From a doubtful experiment IL
| has developed into a new factor which cam
not be ignored, and under the gifted guild
| ance of Isaac Mitchell now labor alderman
of the London county council and his able
colleagues, the pathway of progress is be-
| ing closely followed
Among the miners, Also the tendency ID
| toward more complete concentration. AL
ready the Miners Federation is an organ-
cation with huge influence; now the FEEDER
alton of Colliery Englnemen and Boilermen
| is seeking closer alliance with IL. North
| country miners unions still outside the ma
| tiOnal federation are showing signs of a
more fraternal feeling and a wider outlook.
THE disastrous condition of affairs in
Lancashire through the shortage in the cot
| ton supply, aggravated as it has been by
! the opera ton of the cornering bulls, has
| led to a proposal by the Rockdale district
of the Operative Cotton Spinners' Associa-
| ton, which, although Ii will almost GER
| tainiy be negatived on ballot, is still inter-
estng enough to note In passing. Any
| member of the union put out of employ
| ment by a common agreement to work
| short time was to be allowed. after being
| stopped six days whether consecutive or
| not), the sum of Is and Sd per day, and I'd
| per day for each child under twelve years
| old from the union funds. when not work
| ing. The main reason against the proposal
! is that even now the union funds are so low
! that a difficulty is found In keeping on a
! level with the employers in trade negotia-
| tons"
The Cigar Makers International Union
will celebrate it's fortieth anniversary June
81 1t was formed in 1864, and prior to
the Buffalo convention, held in 1867, was
known as the Cigar Makers National
Union of the United States.
The evident determination of organized
employers to insist upon open shops where
annual agreements and contracts are being
renewed has resulted In numerous strikes
in various sections. The labor organiZa-
lions of the country are issuing strict In
structions to subordinate unions TO insist
upon the closed shop The instructions.