The San Francisco call., 1906-10-07
EDITED BY o. M. BOYLE

Locomotive Firemen. recent1v had a
conference with President Winter and
General Manager CaiderwOOd OF the
brooklyn Rapid Transit Company The
labor representatives. IL is said. desired
10 get better terms for members of the
brotherheods employed ON the elevated
roads They stated that in reducing
the wages Of the engineers from $3.50
day to 50. after the electrihcation
OF the road. and prOportionately re-
dueing the wages of the old fremen.
the company had broken a promise
made TO the men. They We're also
anxious about a report that men were
being recruited from the trolley ears
for motorTnen on the elevated roads at
$40 a day. In speaking OF the con-
ference Mr.. Burgess said: The wage
question came up. hut / am not at lib-
erty to say what the demands were.
l think We may come to a satisfactory
settlement"
Secretary Treasurer Shamp OF the
International Brotherhood of Stationary
Firemen. in speaking OF the growth
of his partielar craft says. our craft
was one of the most imposed upon in
existence before organization, the fire.
men. oilers and helpers working in
most cases from twelve to fourteen
hours and SS5 days in the year. Many
OF our members are now working eight
got for the longer workday. The union
was organized in Kansas City. De-
cember 1S. 1898. during the eighteenth
annual convention OF the American
Federation Os Labor. and received an
international charter from that body.
The combined membership Of all unions
then was about 500 The second an
nual convention was held in st. Louis.
September II to Is, 1899. and the re-
port OF the secretary showed that the
organization then had membership
OF 1868 and $50 locals. The third an
nual convention was held In Peoria ILL.,.
and showed that the union had a mem
bership of 1855. The fourth an
nuaf convention was held IN To-
ledo Ohio, September . to a. and
showed that the organization then had
4i4s members. The fifth annual con-
vsDtion was held in Fort Wayne. Ind.
October S TO IL and the membership
had risen TO 57s5. The sixth annual
convention was held in Rochester. n. Y.
August 10 to Is. and the secretary
treasurer's report showed that the
membership had doubled during the
/ year and that 11,S72 members were on
the roll"
The Pittsburg District Executive
Board of the international Association
OF Machinists has decided to call mass
meeting for next Sunday afternoon TO
consider the refusal OF the Man0fae-
turers' Association to grant the request
for a conference to discuss the demands
for an eight-hour day with a minimum
rate of 80 cents an hour. The speakers
will be Frank l. MulhOlland, general
counsel OF the International Associa-
tion of Machinists: James Wilson, gen
eral president OF the Patternmakers'
League: James Clark. vice president
/ OF the Pittsburg district OF United
/ Mine Workers; Arthur FL Ireland. spe-
( cial organizer for the machinists, and
several others
J. A. SehwaIm. secrstary of Window
i1sIass workers No. 5O0 Knights OF
Labor. who has been critically III with
typhoid fever, Is reported to be on
the way to recovery
The manufacturers say that the gold
beating industry OF this country -
threatened with extinction II the strike
for an advance in wages which 10 now
going into it's third month continues,
because of the competition with the
foreign trade in geld-leaf where low
wages are paid. 1t is said that already
the principal houses have begun 70 I'm
port large quantities OF the leaf. The
officers OF the Gold BeaterS' Union ad-
nit that unless one side OF the other
Yields the effect Will be to make their
employers importers