The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-01-17
TRADE UNTONISM
WAS HIS SUBJECT
THE PRESIDENT OF MACHlNlSTS'
UNION DELIVERS STIRRING ADJ
DRESS IN TURN VERElN HALL.
GIVES SOME GOOD ADVICE.

James O'Connell. international presi-
| dent of the Machinists union, accom-
panied by International Attorney Null
holland, attended a meeting of Lodge No.
| 7 of the Machinsts union In Turn Verein
hall last night. The hall was we'll filed
| by an attentive and enthusiastic audience,
several ladies being present. and ON the
platform were many prominent business
men.
Joseph Cantrel introduced the speak
ers in a few well chosen and appropriate
| words.
The first speaker was Ben Davis, a local
attorney, who delivered the address Of
welcome.
Mr. Mulholand was the next speaker
He said this was his first visit to Birmng
ham, and that he was greatly pleased
| and impressed to see such prosperous
city and such a prosperous local union
oil machinists. His speech was a stirring
appeal in favor of unonism, which, he
said, was a matter of as much Importance
to women as to men. He illustrated his
idea of the perfect trades unions by COM
pairing 1t to a great wagon wheel that
| the hub was the American Federation,
the spokes the International unions and
rim the locals. "fhe day of Individual
| every union man has 100000 union men
behind him to support his demands"
The speaker disayowed any purpose to
create disturbance in the labor world.
I'VE are not here to organize a strike,
we don't want a strike. A strike is not
the purpose of trade union, although it
| sometimes becomes a necessity" He said
| that unionism worked for the betterment
| and uplifting of men and women.
The speakers remarks were received
| with great applause.
! James O'Connell, the international presi-
| dent of the Machinists' union, said Bir-
| mingham was a most progressive city. He
| said this is an age of combinations, trusts,
| syndicates and corporations that people
who deal in any one special article, such
| as coal or oil or soap or meat, combine
! and fix the prices of the commodity, and
| that the machinists' commodity was his
| skill, which he was also entitled to sell
at a fixed price.
The speaker asked who it was that took
the children out of the factories; that
| shortened the hours of labor for men and
increased the wages for women. "Who is
it," said he, that has brought labor to
| its present condition of good wages and
short hours? Trades unions
Long hours of labor" said he, lis
the cause of intemperance and immortality
among working people. The worn-out and
/ WEARY illdll StthS the SdiDOn iOl Tic SAiiii'
ulent his exhausted condition Graves; the
poorly paid half-fed woman is driven tc
vice to make up the deficiency between
her wages and living expenses" He sale
the purpose of trades unionsm was tC
/ secure for man and woman a condition OF
life in which they could enjoy some of the
pleasures of life.
The speaker drew two pictures of home
life, one of the well paid trades unionist
I whose home is home. whose happy wife
and healthy children are a source OF
pride to him and to the nation, and witt
this he contrasted the home of the under
paid, over-labored man, whose home is d
hell hole: who throws himself down or
the bed without a kind word to wife oil
child, and goes TO work next day dis
! spirited and tired.
Mr.. O'Connell gave some sound advice
to men who refuse to join unions fol
| trivial causes. and said that the man who
introduced the question of religion among
union men was a danger to the society
and was paid to split up the union. The
speaker congratulated the local union OF
its condition, and told them to add tc
their numbers now in times of peace.