Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-05
IN LABOR CIRCLES
c.

The approaching convention of the social
istic element of organized labor at Chicago
Is attracting widespread attention and de-
velopments are being carefully watched.
Mr. Samuel Gompers, president Of the
American Federation of Labor, has issued
a warning proclamation to the numerous
organizations affiliated with the federation.
While Mr.. Gompers does not fear the So
cialists viii smash the federation, as
some of them have threatened to, he feels
that the forces under him should be made
aware of the purposes of the men who are
heading the opposition movement in order
that the federationsts may be fore
warned and thereby forearmed.
All the scattered labor elements that have
hitherto combated the American Fedora
ton Of Labor have, 1t is said, combined in
the socialist movement, and it is believed
the combina ton will make it's mightest eff
fort to smash the federation
Mr.. Frank Morrison, secretary OF the
American Federation of Labor, agrees with
President Gompers that this effort will
prove to be fiat failure. He said to a
Star reporter that the socialists intended
to organize along lines similar to those of
the knights of Labor, which were weighed
in the balance and found wanting"
The carpenters of Washington claim that
they are being treated unfairly on certain
government work here That in one in
stance men are required to work at 20
cents an hour and that representatives of
the government are importing from ada
cent country districts what are known as
ma tchet and saw carpenters to take the
places of union workmen. The organized
woodworkers declare that unless these con-
ditons are changed they will form a COM
mittee to call on President Roosevelt and
set forth their grievances.
tn1 70 {1,a
Central Labor Union by the following del
egates: From the Transfers Union. No.
372-Silas Sherwood, j. L. Smith, George
Fellow, G. T. Berry and A. ]. Davis. From
Drouin, Philip Guillimi, Charles Milowich,
Martin Semperle and E. M. StaebIer.
There was slim attendance at the last
meeting of the Washington Allied Label
League and no business was transacted. 1t
is announced that the next meeting of the
league will be held Friday evening April
IA. when it is stated important business
will be transacted.
The EX-Delegates Association of Column
bia Typographical Union held meeting
last Sunday afternoon at the temple on
G street. There were some good short
talks, it is said. and "reminiscences of
former I. I. L. trips.
At the next regular meeting of Columbia
the third Sunday of this month candidate
for delegates to the next Information
Union meeting to be held in Toronto, Can
ada, will be nominated. There are already
a number of candidates in the field and
strenuous campaign is in progress for dele
gatorial honorS.
1t is stated that the Washington plaster
ers are preparing to follow the lead taken
by the bricklayers and carpenters and de-
mand higher wages.
Paul ]. Mas, a western labor advocate
describing the recent ending of the long
standing fractional fight in the knights of
Labor organization, says:
THE faction of the Knights of Labor
headed by John w. Hayes, for many years
secretary treasurer. and for three years
grand master workman of the general as
sembly of the organization, has won the
suit in the Court of Appeals of the Dis
trict of Columbia instituted by Simon
Burns, who asserted he represented the
only faction of the knights of Labor en-
titled to have that name blown in the
bottle"
At the session of the general assembly of
the organization held in Indianapolis three
years ago Simon Burns was elected grand
master workman. His election was de-
clared void the next day and John w.
Hayes was elevated to the Office. Law
suits over the affair have been in court
since that time, and last summer the Burns
faction won its first battle in the Supreme
Court of the District of Columbia, which
ousted Hayes. The decision handed down
this week, which is not subject to appeal
holds that the District Supreme Court is
without jurisdiction in the case, as the or
der is chartered by Congress-,
The headquarters of the knights of Labor
in Washington have been closed for months
and no business has been transacted, under
an agreement which was made to hold until
the court of last resort handed down it's
decision. A few years ago Burns held a
,;.,s-t I,
property of the organization. The Hayes
faction fioated bonds to the amount of S15.-
co., paid Burns and locked him out. The
decision ends the agreement and Grand
Master Hayes and his followers again took
possession on Thursday. "The order is in
better shape than ever" telegraphs Mr..
Hayes.
The call was issued this week for the an
nual convention of the Amalgamated Asso-
citation of Iron and Steel Workers, to begin
in Detroit May 2. All the resolutions for
changes in the constitution and bylaws.
the wage scale, ETC., are being prepared by
the national lodge for submission to local
lodges for discussion and Endorsement or
amendment.
the central Pennsylvania district are threat
ened with starvation, 1t is reported, as a
result of the inability of the soft coal oper-
ators to meet competition. which has COM
PEELED them to sell much of their stock be-
low the cost of production. The counties
affected are Clearield, Cambria, Bedford
and part of Indiana. Merchants through
out the district have strained their credit
to the utmost and a number are said to be
on the verge of bankruptcy The operators
declare the situation is due to unfair dis
elimination by the railroads between CEN
trail Pennsylvania and other soft coal re-
gions.
Homesteads for railroad employees. pat
termed after the system that has been tried