Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-07
IN LABOR CIRCLES
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| Advices received by the carpenters of
| Washington state that after three days of
| argument and discussion at Indianapolis
| between leading members of the Amalga
| mated WQodworkers International Union
| and the United Brotherhood of Carpenters
and Joiners, with Mr. Samuel Gompers,
| president of the American Federation of
| Labor, as mediator the breach between
| the two organizations remains as wide
| open as ever. 1t is believed by Luke Grant
| of Chicago that the tnternecine strife
which has seriously retarded the progress
of both for several years past is likely to
| continue.
1t was hoped by many carpenters that
even should ANAL gamation fail, steps
would be taken to bridge over the chasm
| which has, to a commonplace phrase,
| kept the two societies of woodworkers "at
! daggers' points President Gompers ex-
pressed his disappointment at the failure
of the negotiations, but the carpenters
| firmly adhered to the action of their Mil
| Waukec convention two years ago. not to
| enter into any negotiations with the wood
workers that did not provide for amalga-
| nation
| The woodworkers contended that the OBJ
| 1ect or the carpenters was not amalga-
nation, but the absorption of their asso-
| citation; Or. as a leading woodworker ex-
| pressed it: THE. carpenters want to swal-
! low us--body, soul and breeches
The United Brotherhood of Carpenters
was represented at the conference by
| w. G. S2hardt and T. ]. Sullivan, and the
| Amalgamated Woodworkers were repre-
| sented by President d. D. Mulcahy, John
| 6. Meller Thomas I. Kidd and Richard
| Braunschweig.
An incident of the recent visit of Presi-
| dent Samuel Gompers to INDIANAPOLIS is
| thus described by Luke Grant in the Chi
| cago Record-Herald:
Samuel GomperS, who was in the city a
| few days during the last week, is not a
| man to get easily ratified when speaking
| on a public platform. Indeed, he can
| mount platform and deliver an eXtempo-
| raneous speech better than most men in
| the country, but when the socialists begin
| to ask him questions they invariably make
| him lose his temper. At the meeting last
| Monday night in North Side Turner Hall
| Mr.. Gompers was speaking of the aspira-
| tions of the American worker. who, he
| said, wanted more of the fruits of his
| labor, and when he got that he wanted
| still more
How are We to get it, Mr. Gompers?'
asked socialist in the front row in sar-
| castle tone.
| Mr.. Gompers turned on the questioner,
| and if a look would have done 1t the social
| list would have been annihilated on the spot
| go and take it, said Gompers with wave
| of his hand, and kept on with his speech.
| A few minutes later the same man asked,
| We're did you get that damond?' Those in
| the hall who did not hear the question won
| dered at the change in Mr.. Gompers' man
| ner.
The diamond, which is not particularly
| valuable stone, was presented Mr.. Gompers
| twenty-eight years ago by an admirer for
| some work he had done for an organization
| three years before the American Federation
| of Labor was formed. 1t is the only piece
| of jewelry he wears and he wears it be
I cause of the associations connected with it
! rather than for any display.
| Il am not a brawler," said Gompers after
| ward, but IL that insult had been offered
| me under other circumstances | would have
| smashed the fellow on the jaw. AS it was
| l was the guest of honor, and / had to
| swallow the insult. No one but q fool So
cialist would do contemplate thing like
| that
Delegates have been seated in the Wash
| ington Central Labor Union as follows:
| Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmeu-M.
| Hellmuth. Oh. Bowman. George Baker
| smith, Albert Exert and F. Buchert
| Columbia Typographical Union-Sam De-
| Nedry vice II. w. Templar, resigned.
Grocery Clerks-M c. Graves, ]. F. smith,
J. S. Reed l.. D. Marmaduke and c. A.
| Pfau.
| At a recent meeting of the Central Labor
| Union Delegate Milford Spohn of the brick
| layers called attention to the action of the
4
| nate the operation of the eight-hour law
| on the Panama canal, and moved sthe ap-
| pointment of a committee condemning such
| action, said committee to report at the next
| meeting. The chair appointed Delegates
| Spohn. Ring and Colpoys on the COM
| mittee.
Samuel Gompers, president of the Ameri
| can Federation of Labor, today received
/ telegram from Mrs Michael Donnelly, wife
| of the president of the Amalgamated Meat
| Cutters Union and an organizer for the
| American Federation of Labor, whose
| whereabouts gave rise to much concern in
| labor circles, stating that her husband had
| returned to Chicago. The dispatch read:
! My husband has returned, after receiving
| bad treatment from some of our enemies"
| The strike of the printers for the eight
| hour day in book and job offices has been
| in progress a little more than a month";
| and IL is said over 400 unions are now
working under eight-hour contracts. The
/ contract between the Boston Typograph
| cal Union and the employing printers ex-
| pred on the list of February, and in every
| book and job shop inthat city where the
| eight hour day is not in effect the men quit
| work. About 1000 men are out in the ty-
| pothetae offices. In Omaha, Neb., where
| the union men are out, eleven of the larg-
| est printing firms secured most sweeping
| Injunction from Judge Sears against mem
| bers of the Typographical Union. The or
/ der forbids the strikers from trying to in
duce the non-union men to quit their Jobs
| either by ,cenversing or writing to them
| and they are also eniofned from trying to
| divert business from typothetae houses to
| other firms. The matter will come up for
hearing on February 7. The employers say
| that the order is the result of assaults COM
mitted upon non-union men IN their en-
ploy. The union disclaims any knowledge
| of or responsibility for these alleged as
| saults.
There will be an, increase in wages or
/ there will be no agreement This is the
| ultimatum of John Mitchell, president of
| the United Mine Workers of America in
| addressing the joint scale committee of the
| miners and operators of the central com
| petitive district in indianapolis, Ind He
declared that so long as he had any infiu-
| ence with the miners. and SO long as he
| could prevent it, the standard at present
enjoyed by the miners would never be low
| cred Mr. Mitchell has the unanimous
| backing of the miners union. The mini
mum increase asked for is BOO per cent
| which Is the amount of the reduction in
| wages two years ago. when the coal strike
| commission made It's award. He voiced the
sentiments of the other miners delegates
4 In ttS raj n unless the