Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-07
IN LABOR CIRCLES
g.

Now that the Labor day festivities are
over. the organized workingmen of Wash.
ington will settle down again to the more
serious work OF the fall and winter. say
the leaders The proposed formation of a
branch of the Building Trades Structural
Alliance in this city Is still an absorbing
topic In labor circles. and prominent
member of the Central Labor Union gave it
as his opinion that the failure of the brick
layers to Join the new movement would be
the rock ON which Il would split
y member of the painters local took
optimistic view of the matter and stated
to n Star reporter that the alliance would
be formed. the bricklayers to the contrary,
Notwithstanding.
The varying phases of the great meat
strike are discussed generally by the MEM
bers of the local unions. The recent ex-
perience of J. H. Shanessy. make-beiieve
strikebreaker in a Chicago packing plant,
gives an interesting sidelight into the in
ner workings of the contest. Shanessy is
neither butcher nor drover. and never
mad any connection with butchering~ or any
Of its details. He is an ornamental pias-
terer and member of the plasterers
union at st. Louis. He was out of work,
it is said, and anxious to reach Omaha.
Neb., where his tradesmen were reported to
be busy. Not having the money to pay ms
railroad fare, Shanessy conceived the idea
Of getting there at the expense of the agents
of the meat packing establishments. VINO
were searching high and low for strike
breakers.
Shanessy is said to have thought it would
be a good joke the rich packers to have
them pay his fare to Omaha as scap'
when in fact he was a stanch union man.
1t appears, however. that the joke was turn
ed on MIN in a rather serious manner, ac-
cording to his experience as he afterward
related it.
81 had no trouble in securing the ticket
to Omaha" said Snanessy. land with about
sixty of the worst looking negroes and
white lfoboes I ever saw. L was escorted 70
a chair car Before we reached South
Omaha two guards armed with big army
reyolvers entered the car and locked the
DOORS which they carefully guarded. MY
plan was to desert the train at omaha,
but in this I miscaicuated. dozen
armed guards rounded up the fellows IN
our party like cattle when the train reach-
ed the stock yards and drove us into the
stockade | refused to work, and without
any ceremony two of the guards grabbed
me and threw me bodily into the COOLING
room refrigerator. There, G. you,
one of them exclaimed, you'll either work
or freeze to death.
INV prison was an intensely cold place,
and I was in cold storage right. Having on
the thinnest summer clothes 1 soon Desa'i
to experience great suffering. Inc teHpeta-
ture was down about zero and the SURROUND
ing walls glistened with ice. yelled at the
top of my voice and kicked at the massive
doors. but no answer came ran up anu
down the floor. trying to keep warm. Two
of my fingers froze and my ears were hard
ening In desperation / grabbed pfckax
lying on the floor and began to cut the
door. guard rushed in and put his re-
volver to my breast and told me to keep
quiet or he would shoot me. l demanded
to be released on pain Of having the man
in charge arrested. The fellow called one
Of the foremen, who ordered me to be
brought out.
"They tried to force me to go to work.
but I refused They did force me to put
on a pair of overalls, and l sauntered to-
ward a gate where they were driving IN
some hogs. Watching my chance. 1 darted
out of the opening and across the street
Two guards followed me. but ran into a
saloon where score or more OF the strik-
ers were congregated. and the guards beat
q hasty retreat
Shanessy said he had a close call for his
life. and is nursing his two ears and sew
eral Of his fingers and toes Wh1cn were
frozen when the packers mad MN IN co,o
storage at Omaha. He has returned to ST.
Louis, and states that from what he saw
in the packing plant the strikers have the
best of the strike and are sure to win II
they will only hold out
The Central Labor Union of this city
has received credentials from Engineers
Union No. "a, certifying as delegates VIII
liam Lucas J. w. Stockton. James Lee
Ianey, J. w. Hardy and ]. w. Ross
President W. D. Mahon of the Amalga-
mated Association of Street and Electric
Railway Employees of America, mas SUD
mitted an interesting report to the menu
bers of that organization. Among other
.The year 1904 has been more free from
contention than any other year IN the ms
tory of the association AT almost every
noint our committees have been met by
Shirt OF fairness, and their agreements
and other questions have all oeeh aoJuS'So
satisfactorily. ,,rasa,t
"The only strikes that are on at rr Tsena
GRO those at Houston, Texas. and Ierre
Haute Ind The strike at Terre Haute
has been in progress since January, Er,S'
In July seven new divisions were organ
led of N. di,,i-
CLOVIS that are not allowed the use of stools
for motormen have mace the IequeSeS S u
the companies for the same. ana ~ accoiu
ance with the requests OF lhese ui It .h. Al.
visions throughout the jurisdiction ASKING
them to give information as 10 tne use VI
stools by motormen and rules regulating
tho same I'D to the present time we nave
racaived reports from forty-nine divisions
Informing us of the use of stools ana the
conditions under which they are usea,
/. The Amalgamated Association OF street
and Electric Employees OF America was or
ea nized in September, 1892, at a convention
called by President Samuel Gompers OF the
American Federation OF Labor, Which was
held in indianapolis. At that time there
/
men in the country, and hardly any estab-
Hsted scales of wages or regulation OF
working hours. Probably few organizations
in the country have had stormier career
and few have made more substantial prog
ress in the way of lettering conditions for
their members. In almost every city of the
country there is now an established scale
of wages and a maximum working day of
ten hours. Largely through the agitation
of the union, closed yestibules to protect
motormen have been adopted in nearly all
cities.
In the twelve years since the union was
organized wages have increased from an
average of IA cents an hour to % cents.
while a higher rate than that is paid in all
tie large cities.
Several Washington disciples of st. Girls
pin are advocating the formation Of Shoe
makers Union here. Such an organization
was formed several years ago, but was
short-lived. One of the principal causes of
its failure is said to have been the cut
rate" cobblers and shoemakers who decline
to affiliate with the union
The first organization of shoemakers and
shoeworkers is said to have been perfected
in 1867, and was known as the knights of
st. Crispin. In 1869 this organization had
almost $1,000 members enrolled, but few
for in TO