The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-03
BIG ,ABOR MEN DISCUSS
SOMELABOR QUESTIONS
Frank Carpenter Has Interesting
Interviews WitllAJ James O'Coi1-
nell and James Duncan
'MCHlNlsTs- GRANTS CUTTERS
.The Heads 81 These Two Great eat
Organizations Discuss Unions lJtn1ieo a.
and benefits Derived.
especial Correspondent of The Times
Dispatch. Copyright. 1904 BY Frank y.

ii y q Z IL
especial Correspondent of The times y,
Dispatch. Copyright. 1904, by Frank q.
Carpenter) 5f
WASHINGTON, u. c.. April al, give
you here Interviews With two men VINO
represent the most Intelligent and most
skilled mechanical of the United states
Both are Vice presidents OF the Amerl-
can Federation Of Labor and each IS me
leader OF national union OF skilled
wnrkmcn whose members are 70 pe
found in every business center. one 10
James OConncll, the president OF me
international Association Of Machinsts,
ana ithe other, James Duncan, the sccre--
tary OF the National Union of Granite
n Cutters Each Of these men had reached
4 10 the top Of the trade he represents
before he was.s elected as Its leader
Each knows how to work with his hands.
x and has done 30 for years htlthe4hlghest
wages Both are conservative. diplomatic
and practical. They understandit nelr5
business and can hold their own IN their
meetings with the great capitalists ana ana
representatives Of trusts with ~hom tieS
daily come In contact to settle strikes
or lockouts. or to make trade agreements
which shall govern hours and wages t3olr
one year or five, as the case may be.
Seventy Thousand Machlnists.
4 met President O'Conncll nj The head
quarters Of the International Association
OF Ainchinists4 here In Washing tor. r. ey
z take up the greater part OF the second
floor Of the McGill building on G Street
rot far from the patent Office: and tileir
business is managed as carefully AS tllat
i of a bank or a great mercantile establish
ment. Two typewrlters were clicking
away in Mr. O'Connell's officc4as entcf-1
ed. and they kept on clicking while we
Z talked first asked as to- Just what
the International Association of Ma
chinIsts was. Mr.. O'connelI replied:
1.-THE International Association OF Ma
x chlnists has more than 10000 members.
Fl and 1t embraces about half Of all the
men In the trade. 1t has local unions
scattered all over this country. Canada
and Mexico. the largest being In the chief
manufacturing centcrs n Chicago there
are about eighteen different unions. each
or which sends It's delegates to a district
union which acts for that city. We have
a large number OF local unions Y In New
York. Boston and Pittsbnrg. anu more
or less In every manufacturing city OF
The South and West"
what do you mean by machlnists2"
1.-THE word rnachinist as applied to our
trade. said President o'Connell, rep
3 resents The highest intelligence and the
y greatest Skill! among the men no }ueai
with machinery. In our sense. the ma
chinist Il the man who makes. crec's'
+ and repairs nil descriptions Of machines
and machine tools, Il IS not the man who
rtIns the machine to produce another
e product after they are made. Our men
design and make machines with the aid
of drawings. They operate machines 10
make machines and machine tools. ami
they have TO be able TO do all kinds OF
work and repairs on any kind OF machine
from patterns and that within reason
4 able time.
"Their work includes the making OF
the finest and most delicate machinery.
srch as the tools with which watch
movements are made. and it includes the
making OF the heaviest and coersest of
machinery. even TO the great lathes
which bore ont the guns for our men OF
war The machines for making bicycles.
automobiles. typewriters, sewing ma