Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-07
METAL WORKERS HERE
Annual Convention in Typo
graphical Temple.
SESSION BEGAN TODAY
MR.. MCFARLAND MAKES AN
ADDRESS.
Welcomes Delegates to the District of
Columbia-Committee
Appointed.


AN honest days wages for an honest
days work"
With this declaration It's shibboleth the
Amalgamated Sheet Metal Workers In
ternational Alliance opened the first ses-
sion OF its convention at IL o'clock this
forenoon in Typographical Temple. 40 q
street northwest. After the meeting had
been called to order by Richard Pattison
Of New York, the general president OF the
association, the secretary read the roll of
officers. and the following responded: Hugh
Frayne of Scranton. Pa, first general vice
president; John II. Kennedy of Toronto.
Canada, second general vice president; John
T. McTigue of Nashville. Tenn, third gen.
eral vice president; f. j. Kelly of Balti-
more, Md, fourth general vice president;
]. s. Shillaber of San Francisco. Cal. fifth
general vice president; Col. John II. Wing
field of SomerviIle Mass. sixth general vice
president; NJ OSullvan of Kansas City,
Mo-. general organizer: John r. Bray OF
Kansas City, Mo, general secretary-treas-
urer.
President Pattison then presented to the
convention Mr. Henry B. +. Mcfarland
president of the Board of Commissioners
Of the District of Columbia, VINO In ms
usual happy vein welcomed the representa-
tive sheet metal workers to Washington
He said:
You are welcome personally and as rep
resentatives of your brethren throughout
the United States and Canada You are 10
be congratulated upon all that you nave
done for yourselves and your trade which
has resulted for the general good. Nothing
but what helps US all will permanently help
your organization or any other. Now that
Industrial peace and consequent prosperity
prevails is the time for you to prepare TO
prevent Industrial war with all its mutual
wrong and common injury. Nations, under
- nj cd
coming to see the folly of international
wars, the wisdom of settling disputes by
international tribunals.
Consultation and Compromise.
individuals in all civilized nations have
abandoned private wars and resort to the
courts, or, better STILL settle their differ
ences by Cancellation and compromise. Wars
between classes of employers and classes
of employees over questions of business like
wages and hours of labor are even more
senseless than the duel or the battle. They
are enormously wasteful and destructive.
Civilized, not to say Christian, men ought
to do everything In their power to put an
end to them. The community, the common
wealth, the whole body of citizens, have
right to insist that the industrial peace shall
not be broken, since they must all Suner
the dreadful evils of industrial war. We do
not need to be told by the Book of Wisdom
that we are one body, members one of an
Otn6r, ana tndl the eye tdiltiot pe Will
out injury to the foot or the foot without
injury to the eye. To do justly and to act
courteously, with mutual consideration and
forbearance, insisting upon our duties rath-
er than our rights, though standing hrmiy
for our due, is part of what we owe the
state as well as our fellow citizens fndivid-
ualy.
Mr.. Frank Morrison, general secretary of
the American Federation of Labor bade the
delegates welcome on behalf of the great
labor organizatio he represents. which has
Its headquarters in Typographical Temple.
He explained the absence of President Com
pers by saying that he had been called
away from the city on important business.
Organized Labor.
The next speaker was Mr.. Harry w.
Sherman. general secretary of the electri-
cal workers He spoke of the great prin-
ciples of organized labor and urged har
mony and unity of action. closing by bid
ding the sheet-metal workers thrice well
come to the capital city.
Mr.. James NJ Cumming of New York.
general organizer for the international AS
ISOLATION of Steam, Hot-water and Power
Pipe Filters and Helpers next addressed
the convention. He said the past two years
had been 1.-The hardest siege" the building
trades ever had, as determined efforts had
been made to crush them.
with the exception of a few defeats
said the speaker, I'VE have had many vic
tories. All members should be loyal to
their unions when the time of strife comes.
A great deal of missionary work can be ac-
complished by teaching our men to be true
blue When you are in the wrong you
have no ground to fight on, but when you
are right stick until you win
Mr.. Cummin said the workingman's first
duty next to his family is to his union be-
cause it is the union that is fighting to get
him more pay and better hours.
THE fundamental principle of the union,
he concluded, is to get sufficient pay to en-
able us to send our children to school; to
clothe them nicely and to give them nice
home and good food. / regret to say that
organized labor is weaker today than it was
two years ago, and We must work to up
build our organization.
Mr.. James Kirby of Chicago. general
president of the Structural Building Trades
Alliance, said his organization formed
at Boston two years ago. Affiliated with it
now are the carpenters, painters, plumbers.
building laborers and hosting engineers
He believed the weaker trades would be
able through the instrumentality of the al
lance to secure contracts with employers
just as the stronger building trades are
doing.
Question Of Alliance.
1t was stated that the question of affiliat-
ing internationally with the alliance will he
taken up by the Sheet Metal Workers dur
ing the sessions of the present convention
Local Union No. 1G2 of Washington is al
ready affiliated with the District alliance
and desires the general body to follow suit
internationally.
Delegate Redding of Chicago created a
stir by remarking that the delegates pres
ent were wearing non-union society but
tons and badges.
Il don't like to see so-called union man
wearing nOn-union button on his coat
lapel and scab clothing" exclaimed the
Chicago delegate.
May 1 ask" exclaimed another dele
gate. "if all the clothes you are wearing
have union labels on them?"
Delegate Redding replied that to the best
of his knowledge they had. He then en-
tered a protest against the wearing of the
button and badge provided by the Wash
ington committee because they do not bear
the union label