Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-02
IN LABOR CIRCLES
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Labor day plans are progressing and MI.
| Milford Spohn, chairman OF the Labor day
| general committed is said to be preparing
| some genuine innovations. AS on the last
holiday, the celebration will be held at the
| Benning race track. At the next meeting
| of the central body Mr.. Spohn expects to
| be able to have his committee report on
some of the features which will be en-
| bodied in the program of the day. Athletics
| will be among the attractions. including
| running races, egg race, sack race and a
| game of base ball. The latter alone will be
| worth the price of admission.
| The committee is busy, and the pros
| pective visitors may rest assured that their
| comforts will be looked after. and also that
| there will be something doing all day long
| to claim their interest and attention.
| A full list of events will be published
soon. including list of prizes for all the diff
| ferent races.
The annual Labor day excursion of D. A.
ST, X. of L., this year promises to be big
success for several reasons. principal
among which are number of new events
and a handsome prize offered by the Dis
trict Assembly for the highest number Of
tickets sold. The principal new event will
be the shoe race. The contestants, whose
shoes must be near alike as possible,
are required to remove them and place
them in large box After the shoes are
| mixed as much as possible. at a given sig
nal, the wearers will endeavor to secure
their own and replace them on their feet
Considerable amusement is anticipated, as
any one picking up shoe other than his
own will be at liberty to throw the same
as far possible.
Other events scheduled are pole vaulting
running and standing broad jump. sack
race, wheeibarrow and three-legged races
1o0-yard dash. 5O-yard dash and Waiting
cAYtn N-t fnr he ab;I
race pie and sausage eating contest
The secretary states that entries are open
up TO the time the events are scheduled
and that no fee is required 1t Is proposed
TO have two of the best amateur base ball
clubs play match game for suitable
trophy.
District Assembly has under advisement
several important matters relative to labor
conditions which 1t proposes to submit to
congress when that body next assemblies
Efforts have been made in Washington to
have erected a permanent home for the
meetings and the offices of the various
iaDor organizations in this city. A COM
mlttee OF the Central Labor Union was ap-
pointed with that purpose in view, but so
far plans for the proposed temple OF labor
nave only been tentative. At this time the
labor temple fever is striking organized
labor in other cities. Plans are now under
way In indianapolis, a city which is prob
ably the headquarters for more interna-
tionai unions than any other, for the es-
tabiishment of Labor temple and from all
reports the project is being pushed success
fully
The committee in charge has several sites
In view, but is inclined toward a lot that
has at present such building on it as may
be used temporarily by the local unions
and in this way bring in a slight revenue.
Credentials have been presented to the
Central Labor Union and delegates seated
i'm that body as follows:
Cpholsterers' Union, No. 5S-Henry NoIda.
&. b. Johnson. F. Barker c. Alderman and
A. Norris.
Bottlers' Union, No 251-G. T. Bateman,
Muse.
Frank Morrison, secretary of American
Federation of Labor. has returned from
Atlantic City, where he spent part of a
two weeks outing.
d. F. Manning, president of Retail Clerks
Union. No. 262. has returned from Gal
weston. Texas where he was in attendance
at the convention of the Retail Clerks In
ternational Protective Association. Mr..
Manning had an extended trip through the
south. visiting New Orleans and the princi-
pal cities in Texas.
1t Is said that as the time intervening be-
fore the bi-annual wage agreement meeting
between miners and opera tors, next Janu-
airy, shortens. the efforts of the United Mine
Workers to strengthen the organization in
both the hard coal and soft coal regions
daily increasing
President John Mitchell of the United
Mine Workers has taken personal charge
of the work of extending the organiza ton
in the hard coal fields and is devoting every
moment of his time to building up the
union in that section.
Vice President T. L. Lewis has been
given full charge of the soft coal fields of
western Pennsylvania. Ohio, Illinois and
Indiana These men are assisted in their
Of mt
ever sent out by the miners union.
The hard coal miners are working with
out an agreement and under the award of
the commission appointed at the end of the
anthracite strike by President Roosevelt.
The bituminous miners are working under
two-year agreement but the opening of
large number of mines when the hard
coal strike was on has glutted the market
with soft coal to an extent that the larger
companies have felt the break in prices
seriously. AS result the miners in west
ern pennsylvania expect that a demand for
reduction in wages will be made and the
hard coal miners in the eastern portion of
the state will present a demand for a
signed agreement with the operators.
1t is expected that the operators will re-
ject the agreement, and President Patrick
Dolan of this district of the miners union
has said that no reduction in wages will be
accepted
With these conditions confronting the
men the utterances OF President Mitchell
at Scranton the other day carry unusual
significance. He said
Never in my life have I felt more con-
cerned about the entire mining situation
than now. l don't know whether you fully
realize what confronts us on April 1 next
year. Every miner will be without a con-
tract, Every miner will be in a position
to demand his wants
But while will have the liberty to
make demands the operators will also be
at freedom to make demands on us. There
are external evidences they will have some.
On every hand stockades and fences ore
being built. and places being filed with
every available pound of coal. Indications
are that they are preparing to resist your
demands or make demands on YOU"
From every shipping point along the hard
coal companies railroads comes the In
formation that great storage bins are being
constructed. one especially at Mahanoy
City, which is reported to contain 500 900
tons Of anthracite coal.
The men realize the situation and the
union is gaining by leaps and bounds
President Patrick Dolan of the Pittsburg
district has been unusually active during
the last few months In organizing new
locals. three new ones being formed the
last week in this section alone. In the
Irwin field. where there are 14O00 nom
union miners. great force of organizers
for bs 1nin at urnr Taa Iu