The San Francisco call., 1906-12-29

declarations Of some of the delegates
We're followed organized labor in San
ranclsco would be rent asunder
Deiegate Tracy wanted the Labor
Couhcll to stand behind the steamit-
0ers with all the bower at it's COM
lnand Delegate Gallagher placed the
plane of all the trouble upon the
shoulders of the American Federation
OF Labor. He thought that if the
american Federation of Labor should
order the term 'steamdtter" removed
1ron the plumbers c,arter the knotty
question could easily be solved
after Macarthur did not believe in
making a scapegoat of the American
Federation Of Labor. There are, he re-
marked, two steamhtters' unions at
present in this city, and he thought
mat the members of each should be
recognized by organized labor in this
CITY The Building Trades Council
inight as well refuse work TO carpen-
tefs because there are more than two
organizations Of that craft" said Mac
arthur He believeA that the council
would be justified in going out and or
ganizing building trades crafts TO act
IN harmony with the council.
II any set Of men so far forget their
onlonlsm that they are willing to strike
against men who hold union cards
from an organization chartered by the
American Federation of Labor, it is
time TO organize" said Macarthur. The
only other solution is absorption of the
steamftters by the plumbers union
This would be an absolute surrender
For my part, would prefer the former
instead of the latter method of settle
ment"
Delegate Schilling moved that the
plumbers-steamftter trouble be taken
Up by the organizing committee in con-
junction with the executive committee,
and that report be brought in at the
next meeting The motion prevailed
George B. Benham was chosen as the
representative of the council at the
coming Legislature, TO look after labor
legislation.
The council declared its intention of
levying boycott on Fergusons bakery,
TWenty-fourth and Guerrero streets,
because the proprietor was unwilling
10 give union conditions.
The declaration of intention to levy
boycott on the photo-engraving firm of
Bolton & Strong was laid over for a
week.
State Labor Commissioner w v
Stafford in his biennial report to the
Governor, just issued, furnishes in
formation worthy OF the careful con-
sideration of all interested in labor
matters whether that interest be from
the standpoint Of employer or employee.
The report contains a complete record
Of all strikes and lockOuts which took
place in California between January
/. 1901, and January 1. 1906. The causes
of all strikes, the number Of establish
ments affected their duration, together
with the number Of persons involved
and the result Of the struggle, are
given in each instance.
The feature Of the report upon which
Commissioner Stafford lays the most
stress lies in the fact that labor dis
turbances in this State are rapidly de-
creaSing IN number. This is true par
ticUlarly OF San Francisco, where the
decrease in the number and size of
labor troubles is faster than in any
other section Of California. The para
graph dealing with this phase of the
subject is worth quoting.
1T is a notable fact" says the re-
port, that where most strikes and
loclxouts have taken place, there the
tendencies are toward saner action. In
San Francisco. where 37-2 per cent of the
strikes and z2.l per cent of the lockouts
tOOh place, we find the proportion TO
the number in the State as whole
rapidly decreasing, Notwithstanding
the fact that the number of disturb
ances, especially Of strikes, is on the
wane in the entire State In other
words, the number of industrial dis
turbances in the city of San Fran
cisco is rapidly decreasing, even more
condition prevails despite the fact that
the contrary impression is abroad"
During the FIVE years under con-
sideration there were 29S strikes and
nineteen lockouts. Forty-four of the
strikes took place in 1901, involving
21.11e persons. In 1902 there were
ffty-seven strikes, involving 1887 per-
sons; in 1903 l04 strikes, affecting
1871; in 1904 sixty-four strikes, af-
fecting 1924 persons. In the last year
covered by the report 1905, there were
only twenty-nine strikes, in which
22S7 men and women were involved.
It is a significant fact that as the
number of strikes ordered by labor
unions increases in proportion to the
total number OF strikes, the total num-
Der decreases with great rapidity. In
other words, since labor bodies have
become more powerful and more di-
rectly responsible for the calling of
strikes. the number Of strikes has de-
creased
San Francisco ranks first in the
number of strikes, having Ill Of the
total for the State, or 37-2 per cent OF
these twenty-three occurred in 1901,
nineteen in 1902, thirty-four In 1903,
twenty-four in 1904 and eleven in 1905.
OF these III strikes eighty-dve were
ordered by labor organizations and
fwenty-sfx were not Fifty Of San
Francisco's strikes were entirely sue
cessful, twelve were partly so and
forty-nine unsuccessful. The percent I
age of successful strikes In San Fran
francisco was As, or 13 per cent higher
than the percentage for the entire
State.
Los Angeles is second in the number
of labor disturbances. having had
ffty-one. The percentage Of the sue
cessfuI strikes in Los Angeles is less
than and is under the average for
the state by more than "a per cent. |
In other words, while for the State as
q whole one strike in three has been
successful, in the southern city less
than one strike in twelve has resulted |
favorabIy TO the strikers.
The causes leading to the strikes
in California have been varied. In
nfnety-seven instances the desire for
en- Increased wage was the cause. An /
eeort to compel employers to maintain |
= unfon shop was the cause in forty 1
civ cases. Twenty-eight Of the dis
furbances were brought about pri-
roariIv by a desire for shorter hours. |
T.rUenty-three were for increased |
-vares and shorter hours together, |
-n~ora 1fSrrfes over apprentices. |