Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-03-06
IN LABOR CIRCLES
CD

Some of the local labor leaders are much
interested in forming women's trades unions
and in establishing auxiliaries to their
locals which are to be composed of mem
bers Of the fair sex. The recent visit to
this city Of Mrs. Alice Harmer Of Milwau-
kee, woman organizer, Is said to have
given an impetus to the movement here.
Mrs. Harmer's principal purpose In coming
mere, she said, was to assist in the move
ment to have Congress restore the army
canteen. She has two brothers in the reg
ular army, while two others are active
tain in Wisconsin regiment in the civil
war. She believes every union Of working
men should have ladies' auxiliary.
In this connection it ID stated that the or
sanizing of women into trades unions has
always been a, difficult task, and the re-
suits attained have never been anywhere
In proportion to the money, time and effort
expended. But of later years new factors
have arisen to indirectly enlist the interest
OF the women in the trades union move
ment through the male members of their
families by means of ladies' auxiliaries to
existing trades unions and by women's
label leagues.
In Pittsburg two ladies' auxiiaries are in
process of forma ton by the machinfsts and
the printers. But there is in Pittsburg an
older movement than either of these for
enllstlng both women trades unionists and
tnose IN the domestic circle, the house
wives and the young women who are for
tunate enough not to be obliged to go out
into the world to earn their living 1t is
the P1ttsburg Women's Label League. or
canned by women members of the Gar
ment Workers and Shirt Waist and Laun-
dry Workers unions over a year ago. as an
outcome of agitation during the sessions
OF the convention of the American Fedora
tlon OF Labor in that city in November, 1905.
by, an amendment to it's constitution 1t
has recently enlarged it's scope SO as to
admit men as honorary members 1t is
oIncered by the brightest and ablest trades
qnionlsts In the Pittsburg district. Miss
Lottie Williamson. a member of the Car
men Workers Union, is president and Miss
Rose B. Solvitz of the Shirt Waist and
Laundry Workers Union is secretary
treasurer Other officials are: Mrs. ]. ].
Mckee, wife of j. ]. Mckee, business agent
of the Plumbers Union, and Mrs. o. w.
Janke, whose husband is business agent for
the stationary engineers.
The Women's Label League movement is
national in character. 1t is established in
all OF the leading cities of the Union Miss
Anna Fitzgerald of Chicago is national
president, and Miss Anna B. Field of ELL
wood, Ind, secretary. The national execu-
tive board is made up Of Miss Field, Miss
Rose Schneider, Massillon, Ohia; Mrs. Isa-
belle j. Grant. Marion, Ind; Mrs Henry A.
Holborn. Galesburg, ILL.,, and Mrs. W. B.
Macfarlane. Buffalo. N. Y. A big list of Or
ganizers is kept in the field going from place
to place establishing branch leagues in To-
cahties where they do not at present exist.
Miss Solvitz of the Pittsburg organization
is an enthusiast on the subject of the union
label. Speaking recently on the subject she
said The union label is by far the most
eHectiVe weapon in the hands Of the trade
unlonlsts today. 1t Is an argument from
"nich no business man can turn away. AS
a force in the industrial world to compel
1alr treatment of the laborer and to insure
him the rights which he deserves, the con-
slant silent strike of the men and women
goods Is certain to be a thousand-yes, a
mlliion-times more effective than the most
violent of employees strikes could ever hope
to be-
Notice of cancellation by the Boot and
Shoe workers Union, sent to eight lead
ing shoe manufacturers of Brockton Mass
Is threatening to disturb the harmony that
mas hltherto prevailed, and may lead to a
big strike when the present agreement ex-
pres. According to the terms of the latter
each side had the privilege of filing notice
or change three months in advance. The
new contract provides that no reduction in
wages Snail be made during it's contin-
uahce. This point Is Objectionable to the
manufacturers who declare that they will
run open shops rather than agree to it.
Inc union conceded one point, by agree
ing to leave the settlement of disputes
with the manufacturers to the state board
OF arDitratlon, instead of by a local board
as formerly.
The friends of Mr.. Joseph E. Goodkey. a
popular typo of the fourth Monotype diyi-
sion or the government printing office, are
booming him for election as a delegate from
Columbia Typographical Union to the Inter-
national Union convention, to be held at
hot Springs, Ark, beginning August II The
election will take place May 10, the~balIot-
ing occurring at the various printing office
chapeis and at Typographical Temple. A
history In a nutshell of Mr.. Goodkev's
printer career is as follows:
Twenty years member of the l. T. u
Served Chicago, No. is, in 1929 as dele
gate to trades assembly. Served Louis
vile, No. 10, in 1861 as delegate to Cen
trai LABOR Union. Ex-chairman old second
and new third divisions st. Louis No 8,
1SS1-S7. Chicago, No. 16, 1SS7-95. Louis
vile, No. 10, 1s9o-1sOO. Columbia, No. 1O1,
19OO-O7.
President Samuel Gompers of the A. F. of
L. was an unexpected visitor at the meet
ing of the Central Federated Union of New
York city Sunday. Albert Abrahams. a
socialist delegate, who has criticised Comp
pers as being 'lukewarm' in his attitude
toward the coming trial Of Haywood, Meyer
and Pettibone,. three officers of the West
ern Miners Federation, indicted-C. F. u
men say unjustly-for the murder Of Gov
ernor Steunenberg, asked Gompers point
blank how he stood in the affair. Gompers
said:
Il have no hesitancy in saying that these
three men have been outrageously treated
thus far in having been unlaWfully- kid
mapped from the state in which the crime
was committed and taken to another state
Tor trial. 1t Is my honest conviction that
there Is a conspiracy of the mine owners to
murder these men. The whole proceeding
st1nks in the nostrils of decent and right
thinking men,