Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-04
IN LABOR CIRCLES
Co.

| marked, and endeavor to have passed by
| the Senate ant House certain measures
| that have a direct bearing on the veal of
| the workingmen. 1t is also said that the
| disappointment that was felt by certain
| labor leaders because the attack of the
American Federation of Labor against
| Speaker Cannon fell fat was conpen-
| stated for in the Presidents message.
Some of the leaders openly praised GER
tain Of President Roosevelt's utterances.
There were others who looked wise and
said nothing.
The policy of organized labor from this
| time until the presidential campaign opens
| in earnest will be non-committal. it is ex-
| planned, but the legislative committees
will be on hand in the big white building
on the hill. and while endeavoring to in
| luence legislation favorable to the toiling
| masses they will also be taking notes.
The foregoing is the statement in nut
shell of labor leader whose followers
| declare The counts" in more senses than
| one.
| In the meantime Samuel Gompers,
| president of the American Federation or
| Labor. and the spokesman of the organ
| lied workingmen of America, is saying
! things at labor meetings, and some poll
ticians are eagerly reading between the
| lines. Over in Baltimore the other even
| ing President Gompers was the principal
| speaker at a mass meeting held under the
| auspices of the United Brotherhood of
Carpenters. In his address Mr.. Gompers
commented upon the fight that Is being
made for and against the open shop, add
ing:
1.-THE unions Of labor have done much
| to advance the interest of the toiling
| masses. They have taken the yoke off
| their shoulders and the letters from their
| limbs. They have transformed the toiling
| man, who, with bent back and receding
| brow, was called the man with the hoe.
| They have made him stand erect and look
cial and political results have been
achieved in spite of antagonism and Bit
terness. Against ignorance and prejudic
| the organization of labor has stood as
watch tower"
He then said that since the eight-hour
rule was put in effect and wages and con-
ditions had been bettered the workingman
has been more sober and temperate in all
things. Speaking of the antagonism to
organized labor, he said
They who oppose US take the worst
that any of our fellow-unionists have
done and say that these things are our
methods. They take an example Of the
dishonest man who has fallen by the
wayside and call him a type of labor
leader. We demand a square DEAL"
Rev. Charles StelZle of the Presbyterian
Church. who Is known as stanch friend
of organized labor. in the course of his
address said that labor unionism was
fundamentally a moral and religious ques-
ton and that>it should be developed and
not abolished. The whole solution of the
problem. he said. was the application of
the golden rule.
Both President Gompers and Secretary
Frank Morrison continue to receive hearty
congratulations upon their reelection by
the A. F. l.. at the recent Norfolk con-
vention. The fluctuations came from the
golden gate at Frisco. from away up in
frigid Maine and from as far. down in
sunny Dixie as Florida.
There are thousands of stomach
savers in Chicago according to Elias
lobe nkin. a labor writer in the Workers
Magazine. "They are recruited from the
ranks of the newly arrived foreigners. and
remain in that class at least during the
first year of their stay in America.
1.-The chief aim, one might say gospel. of
these stomach money savers is to reduce
their expenses to point where they pare
ly hold body and soul together, and send
the rest of the money they earn to their
families over yonder.
thousands of these immigrants will
seek to board themselves on IL, 10 and
even as low as 10 cents a day. at least
during the first six months of their stay
in this city. This they keep up until their
European strength as they express 1t,
lasts. Then they go from to cents
day higher.
You may think it is impossible to live
on 10 cents. but there are hundreds who
have done so. who started In business
with their stomach money and now are
successful American merchants, regular
Yankees or have returned to their homes
in the old world and are numbered among
the well-to-do there.
"The immigrant will tell you that 10
cents is 40 German pfenngs, and on this
sum a German peasant gets along. III
YOU point out to him that he is earning
here more than he did in his nome In
Austria, Germany or Russian Poland, or
in Hungaria or Rumania, he Will tell you
that this is exactly what he came here
for. He came to earn and save.
what at last overcomes this mad de-
sire on the part of the IMMIGRANT TO unit
his board. room and laundry expenses to
s1JO or 81 a week is the taunt of his
fellow immigrant, who is longer In TINS
country than himself. that the money ne
saved is Stomach money the lmml-
grant, who has by this time lost many
of his old-world notions. in spite of him
self, usually gets tired Of this taunt.
Sometimes too, he grows tired OF the
meager food and crowded lodging house
and raises his expenses to S2oo Week.
and sometimes even a little higher.
THE life of these immigrants during
the period of saving is pathetic. Ihey
always are looking for bargains and Will
buy their food in lob lots one Will puy
a dozen rolls when he does not neeo tIle,
MANY because they are cheap. he VIII
not waste them, however. and Will make
good use Of them for the next Two OF
three days at his evening or morning
meal -,
"When one of these savers en1rs store
he has no idea of what he wants 10 puy.
He will look around until he fnds some
thing which will be cheap and plenty.
.'On the Sabbath only this procedure is
changed The saver arranges with some
family of a fellow shop worker, or the
landlady where he rooms, 10 take the
Friday evening and Saturday noon meal
with them If he be less orthodox he Will
go into a restaurant for these meals.
But the restaurant is usually TOO eX-
pensive' for an immigrant In the nrst
year of his stay here even for me meal.
1.-THE same principle of saving applles
to his clothing and all his outer necessl-
ties No article of dress is ever new. N
execution is made in the case OF shlrts
and underwear. These are bought on
| Jefferson street SO cheap that it hardly
paws to buy them second hand
1.-THE result of this saving is 1ouna IN
the frequent complaints on the part OF
hundreds Of immigrants, after they mad
| lived about five years In thls country.
| that they have no more their OLD Worio
| strength. 1t is seen in the emaclateo ng-
| ures which one meets on the streets. II is
| seen in the thousands Of livid faces which
| pour out from the sweatshops every even
| ing at 6 o'clock. 1t perhaps is most hor-
Q onn M