Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-21
IN LABOR CIRCLES.


Washington printers In general, with
their fellow craftsmen in all parts OF the
country, are preparing for the coming 49,
paign for an eight-hour day. They have
hung their banner on the outer wall, az
local typo expressed 1t, land VIII hgnt
the matter to q fsnish''
Much eight-hour literature Is being cir
culated by Secretary George g. Seibold OF
Columbia typographical Union. One Of
the pamphlets has as frontispiece this
quotation: Beware of entrance to a quar-
rel; but being In, bear't that the opposed
may beware Of thee"
The United Typothetae of America. COM
posed Of employing printers. has declared
by resolution that It will resist any at
tempt on the part of the International
Typographical Union to reduce the present
hours of labor"
Against this declaration the organized
journeymen printers through their general
body make the counter declaration that the
fight for an eight-hour day Is on and VIII
be continued. The report of the eight-hour
committee. which was adopted at the re-
cent international convention at st. Louis.
recites that: I'm the movement for an
eight-hour day for the book and job menu
bers OF the Typographical Union, autho"-
lied by our Cincinnati convention, the In
ternational eight-hour committee mas
sought an agreement with the United Ty-
pothetae Of America under which the eight
hour day could be made effective on
mutually satisfactory plan,- and with the
minimum of embarrassment to the interests
o. our employers
THE overtures for peace thus made wefe
refused and declined and replied to with
threat combined with practical declafa-
tlon or war should any effort be made 10
achleVe the shorter work day. as witness
the language of the resolutions adopted by
the late typothetae convention
we reafiirm and again demand the eight
hour day for our book and job members.
\ on n
to negotiate with the United TypOthetae
Tor an agreement under which the eight
hour day will become operative. and SO Ia
struct our eight-hour committee"
fne printers have designated the eight
hour contest as 1.-The battle for the indus
trial twins-short hours and high wages
Allen A. Tanner, a preacher OF Toledo,
Ohio, has left the pulpit to join the ranks
OF union labor. He has donned overalls and
Jumper and Is working as a machinists
helper IN the machine shops OF the late
Mayor Jones Of Toledo. A desire to inform
himself as to the labor problem led MIN to
investigate the conditions of the worker as
tney really exist and not rely upon the con-
ciusions reached by college professors in
the quiet retreat of class rooms He be-
came satisfied that 1t was impossible to
understand the labor problem without first
understanding the laborer The so-called
upper classes distrust the worker because
they do not know him. Mr.. Tanners re-
spect and admira ton for the workingman
have increased as his investigation have
progressed. and he says the ordinary la
Dorer IS as truly an educated man as col
lege professor. AS to union labor he has
the following to say: II believe in unions
Like other human institutions. they do not
reach their ideals but they are a necessary
rorce IN the present economical strife. They
are among the greatest educational forces
III this country. They may be wrong In
times of strikes, but the wrong done is
small lndeedltn comparison with the contin-
IN tt,ov~.
Ing class. We are prone to magnify the
little anarchist at the bottom Of society and
10 overlook entirely the big anarchist at the
eop. we forget, too, that the last is the
cause or the first" Mr.. Tanner is still a
minister. and takes pride in spreading the
truth to the workingman as he sees II.
AT the carpenters national convention.
no" IN session, number of important mat
ters VIII be considered, 1t is stated One is
the malgamation with the Wood Workers
international Association. Another Is a
proposltion to pension members of twenty
years standing in the order who are over
sixty years of age.
This information is very strong or
ganization, its July receipts being $32 $40 I8
sI au Lts expenditures $39, 067.95. including
s5G = = ff -ews l,.--ti : 81 y - ~
Conventions of national and internationa,
,anor organizatlons are now in order The
photo-engravers have just ended their ma
tional meet at ST. Louis The eighth an
nual convention of the InternationaI IYninn
OF steam Engineers Is on at Omaha The
new England bakers adjourned several
days ago at New Haven, Conn. The CON
Vention of the Brotherhood of Carpenters
and JOiners began its sessions Monday at
Milwaukee. The annual meeting Of the
trades and labor congress of the dominion
of Canada will be held at Montreal next
week. Ae~'
The Blast Furnacemens National Union
VIII meet In Indianapolis early next month
ofol T nth
tional will meet in convention at St Louis
October 3, and the journeymen BARRIERS of
America will hold their annual sessions at
Louisville, KY, beginning October f.
The ninth biennial convention of the
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Firemen was
held last week at Buffalo. N. Y. The great
event of the year will be the convention of
the American Federation Of Labor to be
held at San Francisco in November
The first organization of Washington
musicians. according to an old-timer was
in 1881, when the independent Musicians
Union" was formed and held it's meetings
in Esputas hall, Sth and E streets south
east. Among the early organizers were
those whose names are familiar In the mu-
steal annals of WashIngton-the Pistorios.
Esputas. Prosperis and Webers The old
independent body Is said to have had a
membership ranging from 125 to $50. and
that 1t went out of existence on account of
certain legal proceedings which were In
stttuted against II.
The union was practically reorganized in
1884 as Musical Assembly No. 1908, knights
of Labor. The principal organizers on this
occasion were James C.. Callan and Dan
Imich, since deceased, and the first meet
Ing was held October of that year. In
describing how the assembly came into ex-
istence Mr.. Callan said to Star reporter:
About one dozen of US met at the big
drinking fountain at 7th street and Penn
sylvania avenue, and discussed the matter.
We decided to organize. and put a special
notice In The Evening Star calling a meet
ing of those interested at Abner's Hall,
which was donated. rent Free for the pur-
pose by Mr.. Ed Abner. The assembly was
formed with a substantial membership, and
continued in existence until the organiza-
ton of the present body, Local Union No,
161 of the American Federation Of Musi-
clans"
A number of the International unions
have pledged themselves to an effort for
the proper observance of the twenty-fifth
anniversary of the founding of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor. The matter will
be thoroughly discussed at the convention
in San Francisco in November. The feder-
alton was organized at Pittsbure, and that
city Is looking for the 25th annual conven-
ton in 1905.
Great interest is being taken by all of the
Greater Boston labor unions in the demon
sfrafion n he held under fha opeDtoa. ~