Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-30
ALEXANDRIA AFFAIRS
Addresses in the Interest Of
Organized Labor
AT THE OPERA HOUSE
MEN PROMINENT IN POLITICAL
AND BUSINESS CIRCLES ATTEND.
Fires in the Early Morning-Discussion
of Increased Electric Train
Service-Briefs.
Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.

Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va, January so. 1905.
Several hundred people assembled in the
Opera House Saturday evening and listened
for two hours to stirring addresses in the
interest of organized labor. The meeting
was held under the auspices of the Alexan-
dria Trades Council, officers of which or
ganiZation occupied the platform with sew
eral guests, among whom were well-known
labor leaders as well as persons prominent
in state and national affairs M. s. Belk,
president of the local council, occupied the
chair. Among others on the platform were
Mr.. H. w. Sherman, international secre-
tary of the Electrical Workers Associa-
ton; Mr.. J. p Conlon, vice president of the
International Association of Mechanics;
Representative Robert Baker of New York,
Representative Claude A. Swanson of Vir-
ginia, Mr.. James r. Cation, candidate for
lieutenant governor of Virginia; State Sen
ator Lewis H. Machen. Mayor F. ]. Paff,
former Mayor George L. Simpson, Judge L.
C. Barley. Rev. William ]. Morton, Rev.
Edgar Carpenter. Rev. J. H. s. Ewell Col.
X. Kemper, Mr.. Charles Bendheim and
many others
Prayer was offered by Rev. s. 8. Stokeley,
who was the first presiding officer of the
made a brief address. in which he outlined
the growth Of organized labor in Alexan-
dria. He introduced Mr.. Conlin, who de-
| livered an instructive address on the rela-
ton of employer and employe. He declared
that the desire to educate the people to a
knowledge of their rights was at the foun-
dation of unionism. The speech of Mr..
Sherman, who followed was characterized
by wit and anecdote. and was frequently
cheered. He made the statement in closing
that trades unionism stands for arbitra-
ton all the time Representative Baker
handled the labor question. in a manner
well pleasing to the audience. The fight of
the labor people, he said, was not with the
capitalists, but with the monopolists. He
was followed by Representative Swanson,
who took occasion in his brief address to
define his position in reference to the fell
low-servants' liability bill. In that con-
Hection- he said: There is now pending be-
fore the Congress of which am a member
bill known as the employers liability BILL
which imposes upon the railroads and other
employers of labor the same amount of
liability which is carried by the bill that is
now law in the state of Virginia, and /
want to tell you tonight that when the
bill comes up on it's passage I shall be one
to vote for it, Mr.. Swanson was followed
by Mr.. Cation. who made a short address in
response to repeated calls from the audi
ence.
Two Morning Fires.
Fire broke out yesterday morning in a
IL" VI frame muses. on the west side
of Pitt street between Queen and Princess
streets and completely destroyed one Of the
buildings, damaging three others The
houses were occupied by colored families,
who succeeded in saving most of their
clothing and furniture The explosion of an
OIL lamp In the building Occupied by the
family of Charles Keys is said TO nave
started the blaze. The department respond
ed quickly to the alarm. After an hours
work the flames were Subdued
The Young Mems Sodality Lyceum on
Duke street. was endangered yesterday
morning by blaze which started in one of
the rooms of the building from an over
heated stove. Smoke was seen Issuing
from the windows and the department was
called out, but the services of the engines
were not required, as the fire was soon
extinguished. The damage will probably
amount to about 500.
Additional Train Service.
Mr.. NJ. B. Harlow, president of the Bust
ness Mems League, has received a letter
from General Manager Duke of the Wash
ington Southern Railroad Company In
which the following statement is made:
"At our meeting with the citizens of
Alexandria Monday mention was made
of the fact that stopping train No. 403 at
1lth street would be an accommodation to
Alexandria passengers. I have arranged to
stop this train at 18th street on signal, as
you will note by the inclosed order. 1 do
not recall the name of the gentleman who
mentioned the matter to me, but probably
you know. would thank you to advise
him and others interested"
The letter was In response to a petition
presented by Mr.. o. P. Angelo to Major
Meyers, president of the road and Mr..
Duke, at the conference in this city last
week with the citizens committee which
was interested in securing better passenger
facilities between Alexandria and Washing
ton.
Redemption of Lecture Tickets.
Arrangements have been made for the
redemption of the tickets which were
| purchased for the lecture of Mr. William
j. Bryan last Thursday, which was not
delivered, owing to the inability of Mr.
Bryan to reach this city in time. Several
| who purchased tickets have announced
| that they Will not redeem them, as the
lecture was arranged for as a means of
assisting the 18th Virginia Regiment
Chapter, United Daughters of the Con-
| federacy, in the effort to raise money for
the building fund of the Confederate
Veterans Hail.
Traffic Interrupted.
Traffic on the electric line between here
| and Washington was interrupted late
yesterday afternoon by an accident to a
steam engine and tender at-the foot of
18th street in Washington. The tender
jumped the rails and blocked the south
bound electric track Arrangements were
made for the transfer of passengers at
the scene of the accident, but the DELAYS
were such that in one instance it required
an hour and fifteen minutes to make the
trip from Washington to Alexandria
Movement for Wider Bridge.
movement in which several citizens of
Alexandria county are interested has been
started with view of securing widening
of the roadway on the county highway
bridge, which the Washington Southern
Railroad Company will construct, connect
| ing Poor House lane with St. Asaph Ac-
cording to the plans adopted at a meeting
of railroad officials and the county SUPER
visors, the structure will be a steel viaduct
| $40 feet long with twenty four-foot road.
way and a four-foot sidewalk. 1t is stated
| that those in favor of more spacious