Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-01
LOCAL LABOR CIRCLES
EVENTS OF YEAR AMONG SuRoR-
DINATE ORGANIZATIONS.

Inc year just ended has been an active
and suspicious one in labor circles, and in
one instance at least it has witnessed an
innovation-the entry of the American Fed
GRAFTON of Labor into the field of politics.
Smartfng under the alleged failure of Con-
gress to enact into law several pending
measures in the interest of the working
men, and the alleged lukewarmness of the
President of the United States toward
matters affecting the working classes, the
executive council of the federation, by and
with the consent of President Gompers. de-
cided to send speakers and literature into
certain congressional districts. A hot fight
was made against Representative Little
field Of Maine. but he was reelected by a
reduced majority. Reduced majorities also
resulted in other districts in which the fed
Grafton workers engaged In the contest but
1T was not recorded that any of their al
legged enemies were defeated
The great eight hour strike tnaup-urated
by the International Typographical Union
was another big event in labor circles in
1906 1t went into effect early in January
and found the weil-organized printers
At the close Of the year the managers Of
the national walkout claim that the typos
have practically won. and thereby made
the eight-hour day probability for the
the printers remained firm and were paid
weekly strike salaries. and the big typoth-
etae offices yielded to the demands OF the
union one by one until at the beginning of
Typographical Union declares that, with
one or two exceptions, all the important
printeries In the District have been won
over to the shorter workday.
During the course of the printers strike
here the typothetae Of WASHINGTON secured
from the courts an Injunction to prevent
the union members from "picketfng' their
places Of business or interfering with the
non union strike breakers who had taken
the places Of the unionists.
Another local event OF some moment was
the lockout of the journeymen plumbers by
their employers, members of the Master
Plumbers Association. March 4. The en-
ployers charged the jeurneymen plumbers
union had violated certain clauses of its
contract, notably that pertaining to ap-
prentices and helpers. Recently the for
mer employees were taken back to work
pending a decision OF the board of arbitra-
ton. which Is still considering the matter
in dispute. During the summer months q
general tie-up of building operations was
threatened by the building trades, the mem
bers OF which declared their intention to
strike In sympathy with the locked-out
plumbers. The master builders took a hand
in the trouble and the appointment of the
present board Of arbitration was the result
The carriage and wagon makers also en-
tered upon strike for an increase of pay
and a reduction in the number Of the work
ing hours. and the strike is still in progress
The journeymen BARRIERS brought about an
increase in the price of a shave to 10 cents
with cents for each extra such as had
been previously included with a shave. The
boos BARRIERS declared for a 15-cent
shave. the extras to be included. The con-
test is said to still be ON at the close of
the year 1905.
Milford Spohn. known as the father of
the Central Labor Union.' died. and Sam
uel Gompers was reelected president OF
the American Federation OF Labor during
the year. The machinists OF the Southern
railway system were notified December q
that they would receive an advance in pay.
The labor board at the navy yard is said
to have recommended an increase in the
pay of the employees Of that establishment.