Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-26
IN LABOR CIRCLES
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!
The conventions of the league are helo
at Irregular periods and are subject to call
| from the president. The neeCS OF tile Vi
gaEzation in the way of Increased dues ~
| said to have been the reason Presloen.
James Wilson issued the call for the recent
convention.
Important changes have been made in the
constitution OF the union In the way OF re-
| districting the field of the union into Iou,
| new sections which have been des gnateo
"A B. G. and D" Vice presidents for each
| district have been elected and the dues OF
| the league increased from % to 80 cents per
week
| In speaking of the past year President
Wilson said: The league is in an excellent
| condition and the prospects are good mere
| Is practically no trouble existing between
| the workers and their employers and work
seems to be plentiful Our organization mas
! grown largely during the past year ara
| prospects are good for a greater increase
| during the coming year. The dues have
| been increased and a good reserve tuna
| will be created from the increased income
! We will hold our next convention In To-
| ronto. Canada. The date has not been set
and it may not be held for two years.
The officials at the headquarters OF the
American Federation of Labor on G street
| have received from western labor writer
| a number of epigrammatic sentences from
| a recent speech of Mr.. Samuel Gompers
| president of the federation. They are as
| follows:
! reSS.
| The labor movement is the organized dis
| content of the race with social conditions.
1t is the crystallized yearning of men for
| better and better lives.
| The of the revolution, the abolition
! of chattel slavery, the liberty of Cuba from
| the yoke of Spain. all resulted from dis
| content of the people.
! No social conditions are eternal
| Change and progress are law of the So
| cial world.
But thea. F. of L. is not for the pes
| simist. Union men find hope in union.
| Some men live a life of dreams They
centel their thought upon ideal system
Of society; they want nothing but this
ideal. Some expect 1t in thousand years,
! some in one hundred years. some in our
time
The trades union M ovement in America is
not revolutionary. 1t does not expect to
change the system of wealth production by
a platform, nor reform all property reia-
| lions by vote.
But It is A prophecy of better and
brighter day. even when most practical.
| The form OF the labor movement
ganized discomfort in any country Is de-
termined by the political and industrial con-
ditions existing in that country.
In America trade unionists; In
Russia We would be revolutonists
| There wealth Is a curse. The commonest
rights of free speech and a free press are
| denied men.
If l were in Russia l would be revoiu-
ZIONIST But we have all these rights here
| We don't need revolution. What we really
need Is to learn how to the rights and
| privileges we now have
| individuality is preserved by organization
| We must surrender sore rights in society
| TO government. order that government
may protect us in more necessary and val
ued rights
Rebellion against lawful and just govern
ment is an attempt to gain what the non
| untonist calls liberty.
| The civil war was a strike against the
| government.
| The south is glad today that the strike
was lost
Individual rights must be subordinate TO
public Welfare
| When liberty is denied the citizens are Mt
fault.
No individuality proper is possible to the
WORKER In a great modern industry except
In the union.
In the union the workman regatns the
economic and social Importance he has lost
through division OF labor and specialized
industry.
The old shoemaker IS lost in the ghty
machine hands who make a shoe In the
union he becomes again shcemaker-a
shoeWorke:. not simply appendix to Il
machine.
| Liberty is not something fancicuI 1t is
not floating in the air to be grdsped or abb
sorbed
Liberty is opportunity to assert rights. to
| bargain for pay or privilege. to exercise
| Faculties, to live full well-rounded life
In the union the workman can drive the
pest possible bargain In the sale of his la
| Dor power.
In the old time the employers fixed the
| price of labor.
In the new time the union has a voice In
| the price.
That you have lost liberties In Colorado
Is the fault Of your citizens
There are seventy cities and towns IN
| massachusetts which have the eight-hour
day on public work. 213 with the nine hour
day and 56 with the en-hour day. Five
seVenths OF the cities and towns where
eight hours constitute DAVIS work the
wages are 50 per day and upward One
sixth OF the nine-hour places pay So or
| more per day. Out of the SO ten-hour places
out three pay as high as 81 per day Six
| only of the eight-hour towns pay as low
as S1.5O per day. while so of the nine-hou
and 40 Of the ten-hour towns pay 81 so or
less. In one nine-hour town the daily
wages Is 81. %. and in three Others of the
same class 1t is $135.
In Troy, N Y. the journeymen printers
have obtained the eight-hour day and an
increase in wages.
A strike of the Brotherhood of Painters
is imminent In New York city. The union
with a membership of $780, demands that
the Master Painters Association shall sub
NIT proposed trade agreement to the gem
eral board of arbitration of the Building
Employers Association. The demands have
been made the Interior Decorators and
Cabnetmakers Association. The master
painters have refused either to draft the
terms or submit the dispute to the general
arbitration board 1t is said that IL the
brotherhood men strike their places will
be taken by the Amalgamated Painters So
ciety, rival body.
Following the example Of the working
men. policemen have struck in Warsaw
LODI Odessa and some other Russian cities
Their chief demands have been for increase
OF pay and reduction of hours of duty
| Russian policemen. a rule, receive a
very small pay. often little as fifteen
roubles $3.50 per month and for them to
exact brides is simply a matter of neces-
! sity. The hours OF service are not regu-
| lated.
The Central Federated Union of New
, York has passed resolution giving the
| knights of Labor organizations repre-
scented in that body ninety days either to
leave the Knights or the Central Federated
Union. This action was taken because the
| knights OF Labor have organized rival
to the Asphalt Workers Union affiliated
| with the American Federation OF Labor.
The lockout of plumbers In Pittsburg
/ l De he MI,