Evening star., 1905-05-10
IN LABOR CIRCLES
O.

ANEW phase was added to the unsettled
labdr conditions In Washington by the
declaration OF the master horseshoers at a
meeting last night that they would not
1 arbitrate or treat with the strikers under
any circumstances. special meeting OF
the journeymen will be called to take ac-
| tion in the matter. When the statement
| was made at meeting of the journeymen
horseshoers' local, No. II, Saturday night
| that their International organization had
| announced it's willingness to give the
Washington strikers financial backing
there was considerable curiosity in local la
| Dor circles to know more about their gen.
eral organization.
| That the quid nuncs may be satisfied on
that score The Star will state that the In
| ternational Union Of Journeymen Horse
shoers Of the United States and Canada
was organized at Philadelphia in 1874. II
| was only national in its scope, however.
until 1892 when 1t chartered the first local
| in Canada and changed the title. Unlike
1 most labor organizations it is Incorporated,
| of Incorporation, which were secured In
| 1893, 1t stipulates that only one charter
| shall be issued to any one city, except New
York, which has two charters. For years
after the organization was formed its
growth was slow. In 1900 1t had twenty
| local unions. In June. 1901, ii had 132 To-
| Gals, with membership of 6,8oO. but since
| that time it has fallen off. Being low
| dues organization when strikes are called
! they have to be supported by assessments.
| This has had serious effect on the organ
| ization in the past two years. as $4,000 has
| been expended in strike benefits in that
| period. and several unions have been sus-
| pended for failure to pay the assessments.
| On March 81 last year the membership
| had dropped to 1852 paying per capita
tax. the falling off being due largely to the
| strike assessments. The union has estab-
| lished a nine-hour day for its members in
| practically every large city where locals
| exist. Hubert S. Marshall is president and
Roady Kenehan secretary. The headquar-
| ters are In Denver.
The recent death of Ebenezer w. Patton,
| who was one of the editors and proprietors
| of the Trades Unionist of this city, caused
genuine sorrow and regret not only among
| the workingmen Of Washington, but among
| those in commercial and professional life
| as well. Mr.. Patton was quiet. unas-
Stunning gentleman of the old school, He
| possessed Chesterfieldian courtesy and was
| a deep thinker and safe leader to follow.
His popularity among the men of his own
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES great. This was at
| tested by the prompt action of the various
| chapeIs in Washington in passing resolu-
| tions of sorrow upon his taking of. The
| Trades Unionist Company was oft1cered as
| follows: E. w. Patton, president; A. ]. L.
Hubbard, vice president. and I. M Ring.
secretary. AS Mr. Patton is more and
| Mr. Hubbard is in Colorado for his health.
| the management of the company for the
present will devolve upon Mr.. Ring. who
| is capable and popular In labor circles
In connection with the report that there
| is soon to be a new public printer appoint
| ed Chicago labor writer says:
oscar ]. Ricketts,, superintendent OF the
government printing office in Washington
| is one of the leading young men of the ma
ticnal administration. He Is being talked
of for the position of public printer on the
Of Tray
| tive Illinoisan, having been born on farm
| in Coles county thirty-five years ago:
When a boy he attended the district school
and later received instruction at a private
academy He entered country printing
Office at the age of fourteen as an appren-
| tice. After the completion OF his appren-
ticeship he took charge of country news
paper and job office and successfully man.
a ped it for some time. He gained some ex-
perience in a metropolitan newspaper ofnce
and was called to Washington In 1883 TO
take an appointment as compositor In the
government printing office. By hard work
and strict attention to his duties he gradu-
ally won recognition in the government
office, and was promoted from time to time
by reason of meritoriouS services.
when F. w. Palmer was made public
printer in 1897 he at once made Mr.. RICK
etts his private secretary. This position Is
regarded as one of the most exactfng IN
the federal service. but MT Rlcketts nlieo
1t with such great satisfaction to his chief.
to the public and to public men that ne
won the unstinted praise of all, and 1t IS
safe to say he is today better known to
more senator's and members of Congress
than any man In official life in Washington.
1t soon developed that he possessed execu-
tive ability of remarkable character. SO
that when the public printer was cast1ng
about last January for suitable man Tor
the responsible post of superintendent or
printing he could not get away from the
proposition that in the young man who
few years before he had made his private
in1 oil fbn oil
requisite for the more responsible position
$50 Mr.. Ricketts, was advanced, and he
has measured up to every requirement. lie
is the executive officer of the largest print
ing establishment in the world. having un-
der his supervision over 1900 workmen tnd
nearly seventeen acres of floor space He
superintends the printing for Congress ana
the departments, including all public docu'
ments the Congressional Record, the Presl-
dents messages, treaties and all conhden-
tial work.
The public service corporation of New
Jersey has posted notices prohibiting all
employees of it's car lines from gambling or
betting in any form. Investigation hau
shown that a large number of employees
were gambling away their earnings on pay
days.
At a recent meeting of the Central Labor
Union of Washington a communication was
received from Secretary Tindall of the
board of District Commissioners In response
to an inquiry of Central Labor Union of al
legged violation of the eight-hour law at
the Public Library, stating that work Is
being done by local firm of bookbinders
as a matter Of convenience at the library,
the shop the men employed in being gov
erned by a nine-hour day. The secretary
of the central body was directed to notify
the Commissioners that the Central Labor
Union considers the working of the book
binders nine hours per day at the library
is a violation of the eight-hour law.
Some surprise has been expressed because
of the alleged tendency of the Tailors'
Union of this city to join forces with the
so-called industrial movement by sending
delegates to the convention Of the Ameri-
can Labor Union to be held in Chicago
June 27.
manifesto recently promulgated by So
cialist leaders of the American Labor Union
denounceS the present system of organza-
tion among wage earners as futile and inef-
fective. The document was prepared by the
executive board of that organization, but
was kept a secret for a number of days,
it is said, until the signature and indorse-
ment of Eugene v. Debs was attached. The
central idea is to unite the workers of the
ptry in nj w