Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-04
IN LABOR CIRCLES

L
| 60
1t is reported that the delegates OF the
| local brickIayers have been withdrawn from
the Structural Building Trades Alliance
The action Of the bricklayers. 1t is said. is
not regarded kindly by~the membership of
those trades composing the alliance. A re-
quest recently made by the alliance that
| the brickiayers be called from the work of
| q firm of extensive builders in the event OF
/ the firm refusing to employ union carpen-
| tiers Is said to have been the cause of the
withdrawal of the delegates of the union
| from that body. While the bricklayers are
| being somewhat harshly criticised by those
| of other building trades for severing their
! relations with the alliance, the brickiayers
| state that the action of the union was the
only consistent course to pursue to avoid
the responsibility of inaugurating a series
Of sympathetic strikes which would have
seriously affected the local building indus
Try. 1t Is said that the policy of the brick
layers. Tor years. has been, II possible, TO
avoid strikes or troubles and to maintain
friendly and harmonious relations with en-
pioyers. Consistent with this policy, It Is
stated. the bricklayers became affiIiated
with the Structural Building Trades ALI
aDce which declares against strikes ana
iockouts, and proposes arbitration and con-
ciifation as the means to accomplish desir-
| ed ends. As this is a cardinal principle OF
the nrickiayers national organization ana
| Is enjoined by the general law of their ma
tfonai union, 1t was concluded to sever all
relations with the alliance when that body
departed from that principle and promoted
| the sympathetic strike
1t is said that within short time active
steps will be taken by local organized labor
to increase the demand for union-madc
fy,d IT,
and their friends to purchase only the
goods bearing the union label. The matter,
from time to time, has been considered by
the Central Labor Union when brought to
the attention OF that body by the local rep
resentatives of the various label trades. 1t
is the general opinion of the labor people
that the label is the most effective means
to successfully defeat those who favor and
are promoting the open shop, the label
Is only attached to the closed shop product,
and it is argued that il the organized wage
workers should purchase label goods. ex-
clusively, that quite large per cent OF the
stock of the retail dealer would be union
made. bearing the label and would d.splace,
to that extent, the non-union made product.
Several plans to increase the local de-
| mand for union-made goods are being con-
sfdered by the label committee of the Cen
trail Labor Union; one, which has been ap-
proved by that body, is the extensive pub
LEGATION of those firms having union label
goods in stock. 1t is also proposed to in
terest the local workmen by bringing the
matter to the immediate attention OF the
various organizations.
1t is said that the label product includes.
| to a very large extent. the staple supplies
of the household, comprising bread and
CONNECTIONS, boots and shoes, cloth hats
and caps, flour and cereals. mems clothing,
| gloves hats, leather goods, rubber goods,
Shirts waists, collars, cuffs, neckties and
suspenders, textile goods, furniture, general
| upholster supplies, meats, baking powder.
coffee and Spices oysters. salt, soap, starch
Secretary Frank Morrison of the Amert-
can Federation of Labor reports that there
are now so labels and 10 cards issued by or
ganizations which have been Endorsed by
| that body, and that p crafts and callings
are using the label of the federation
Mr.. c. w. Pfau business agent of Retail
Grocery Clerks Union, No. 53S, states that
| local conditions are very favorable to the
organiza ton, and that within the last sew
| eral months there has been a gratifying in
crease in membership. During this period,
| he states a large number of retail grocers
| have signed the union agreement, which
| requires the employment of union clerks
| and entities the firm to the display OF the
| union card. 1t is said that to date IS per
| cent of the grocers of the city have signed
with the clerks organization, and that it
| there will be but few grocers not having
| contract relations with the union.
| Mr. P. H. Scullen, secretary of the Ma
1 t1OnaI lnQuStr1ai FedCS ASSOcldl1Oll, WHO,
during the last ten days, has endeavored to
awaken local interest in proposed plan
which will eliminate strikes and lockouts
| in the future, has secured the cooperation
Of several prominent business and trade or
CARNATIONS in the holding of a public
meeting at Typographical Temple on next
| Friday evening. At the meeting Mr.. Soul
| len will explain in detail the plan of the
| Peace Association, and probably endeavor
! to form local organization. Beside Mr..
| Scullen. the meeting will be addressed by
gentlemen who are prominently connected
with the local business and labor organiza-
lions. Mr.. Jere Mccarthy. president of the
Central Labor Union, has been chosen as
speaker for that body.
The lecture committee Of the Central
Labor Union, through Secretary R. G. NJ.
Ross 1t Is said, Is endeayoring to engage
speakers for the course OF lectures which
will be held under the auspices of the cen
trail body during the coming winter. Mr..
Ross is now in communication with gen.
tleman of national reputation to arrange
for the initial lecture of the series.
Taking the cue from the Rechabites sew
eral washington labor leaders are consid-
ering the proposition of requesting the pas
tors of the different religious denomina-
tions in the District Of Columbia to deliver
on a certain Sunday sermons bearing on
the labor movement A prominent officer
of the Federation of Labor who fayors the
proposition said yesterday
"a Sunday in the washington churcheS
with sermons on the topic of labor seems
to me to be good suggestion. Some peo-
pie may say that the subject Is not
proper one for discussion in churches on
the Sabbath day as 1t refers to worldly mat
ters To such persons I would say they
are wrong, for In my opinion both the
Christians and the labor reformers are
working along the same lines-for the bet
terment of humanity. Let them take for
the subjects for. the labor Sunday sermons.
for instance, Christ. the Carpenter" or
kindred topics bearing on the dignity Of
labor and the Christian spirit of giving the
workingmen a square DEAL
In this connection there appeared in the
current issue of the Trades Unionist q
statement by Chas. Stelzle, who says:
THAT nearly seven thousand Presby-
terian ministers should discuss some phase
of the labor question on the Sunday before
Labor day indicates the Importance Of the
problem. 1t also proves that these minis
tiers are wide-awake to this great world
movement.
TT is safe to say that more labor SER
mons were preached on September 3 than
any other day In the history of the Christian
church. It Is just true that more union
men attended church than on any other dav