Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1904-07-02
MEETING OF oTruMWA TRADES
AND LABOR ASSEMBLY HELD
LAST EVENING.
All Old Officers Re-Elected-President
John w. kitto Delivers Interesting
Address - Business For Next
Meeting.

held in Labor Hall last evening. Of
ficers for the ensuing term were elect
ed and the address of the president was
read. There was larg attendance
and the meeting was most interesting
one
All OF the old officers were reelected
ana John Boyd was chosen as a mem
Der OF the board of trustees. An i'm
portant communication was received
from the American Federation of Labor
regarding the strike situation in Col
orado. The letter will be made spe.
cial order of business at the next reg.
ular meeting and all delegates are ex-
pected to be present The officers for
the ensuing term are rs follows:
President-John w. Kitto.
Vice PRESIDENT. G.. Barnum.
Financial secretary and treasurer
John OFT.
Secretary--Daniel Gallagher
Assistant secretary-L. Lightner.
Sergeant at Arms-H. q. Roe.
Trustees-T. D. Watson, ]. G. Bar
mum, John Boyd.
President kitto's Address.
The address of President Kitto to
sAAS Ns'oSAlbly Wdb dS lOllOWS
TO the officers and members Of the
Ottumwa Trades. and Labor assem-.
bly,. Ladies and Gentlemen: In con-
formity with our customs l herewith
submit brief review Of the work of
the assembly for the past six months,
together with few thoughts and re-
concentrations that have occurred to
my mind in preparing the same. It
will be remem bered that about the be-
ginning of the year we were told by
some of our flnanciers or captains of
industry that We were about to exper-
ience depressed condition of the
market. Some said that there was no
real or natural cause for it, others
said that it was in accordance with en-
exorable laws governing our CONNER
ctal and Industrial system While we
We're among those who said that there
was no just cause for it, we are com,
PEELED to admit that the depression fol.
lowed the prediction and reached OF.
tumwa, The United Mine Workers
were the first to feel its effects and
after brief but eventful struggle de
cided to submit to slight reduction
The carpenters were the next, but as
their demands were refused by con.
tractors, who knew several months
before what their trade rules would
be for the ensuing year and made nc
objection, and further, their demand
for an eight hour day being only re
quest for conditions that are now en-,
joyed by other crafts and many of their
own locals and will in the near future
be universal, we are right in spppo:s.
ing their position and believe their re-
quest will be granted ere the close OF
the season.
"The garm ent workers, federal union
and blacksmiths, employees of the
Hardsocg Manufacturing plant, were
then informed of the depression and on
their failure to see 1t that way work
was suspended for several days. But
firmness and conservatism on one side
and desire to resume operations or
the other finally resulted in an am
icable settlement.
Open Shop Proposition.
'The Team Drivers SIT (coal haul
ers) and the brick, tile and terra Gotta
workers union have been for some
time and are now engaged in defending
one Of the vital principles of organ
lied labor, which is involved in the
open shop proposition AS this ques
tion has become quite prominent Of
| late allow me to state briefly what i
means to the trades union movement
/ The maintenance of the union organic
alton through which wages are upheld
costs time and trouble and money. Il
also involves to those who are active
in it the dangers of the displeasure o.
employers and sometimes the loss o.
their position. If the non-union maj
secures rate of wages above wha
he could get If the union did not eXis
the members of the union feel that ht
has made a gain directly at their eX
pense. They have sown and he has
reaped. Again If the non-union man
being as efficient as the union man
competes for employment by cutting
under the union scale there is weak
ening of the collective bargaining Th'
employer will prefer the non-union MAJ
to the union man, because he is cheap
er, and the final result of the process:
if permitted to work itself out free
! ly, will be the destruction of the or
ganization. There must be some plar
adopted to give more substantial ait
to crafts who are fighting the ope1
shop proposition, All other locals af
| filiated with the assembly make fav
orable reports and with the exception
of the musicians are on fair terms will
their employers.
Unjust Criticism.
I'VE sometimes hear a murmur o
dissatisfaction or unjust criticism bu
i 1t almost always comes from those whit
do not attend their meetings as regular
| ly as they ought. The easiest thing il
the labor movement 4s to fold you
arms look wise, and criticise the ef
forts of others. A follower of Solomon
once said, The greatest help one cal
be to the great, living, moving worlt
is to help yourself Did you ever Sc,
any of your neighbors cross over tt
your side of the street and sweep of
the snow from the front of your hous'
and rapping on the door tell yon tha
they would save you the trouble b,
doing it emselves? sgain, don't ex
pect your union to do more for you il
six months than you we're able to at
tain in six years time Of indiyidua
/ effort, and always remember that thu
strength and influence of the centra