The San Francisco call., 1907-02-14
EDITED BY O. M. BOYLE

Business was reported In better con-
dition since the weather had settled.
The announcement is made that Her
man May has been appointed general
organizer and representative for the
Pacific Coast by the International I'm
ion of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters
and Butcher Workmen of North Amer
lea, with headquarters at 851 Capp
street telephone Market 1926. The In
ternational Butchers Union is reported
to be building up rapidly. forty-two
charters having been issued last year,
some of them on the Pacific Coast At
the last meeting of Butchers Union
No. lis May was presented with
framed set of engrossed resolutions for
valuable services rendered while sec
retary of that local. Joseph M. Lyons
made the presentation speech.
It is said that the conferences be-
tween the telegraph operators of the
Southern Pacific and the management,
which have been going on for some
time have all been Of harmonious
character. The men are asking for an
eight-hour day, a monthly wage of SIS
and extra pay for Sunday and overtime.
The principal hitch seems to be in
granting the eight-hour day. The oper-
ators claim that 1t has been several
years since an agreement with the road
has been signed. Conditions in living
have Increased and tho men feel that
they must receive more remuneration
It is more than probable that new
agreement will be signed In a day or
so, and while the operators may not
get all they ask their pay will be in
creased.
San Francisco is not the only city
where the steamftters and plumbers
are warning. In New Orleans the
trouble has assumed a more acute stage
than in this city. James NJ. Cummings
the general organizer for the steam
filters. has organized a union which
has so struck terror into the hearts of
the plumbers that 1t was necessary to
send the international president, John
Alpine, to the Crescent City. Each Of
these organizations claims Jurisdiction
over the steamftters, and each is deter
mined to have them. Mr.. Cummings
will endeavor to build up a strong
union, but he will not ask any one to
sever his connection with the plumbers.
Where the steam1tters are already in
the plumbers union they cannot be
forced to leave. 1t is optional with
them while they are in the plumbers
organization. The whole tangle Is
caused by the rulings of the American
Federation of Labor.
The Coast Seamen's Journal has this
to say of the new headquarters of the
| Sailors Union of the Pacific:
/ The Sailors Union OF the Pacific has estab-
| lished at headquarters in San Francisco a meet
! ing hall, reading-ro0m and Offices that any Or
/ anizatton-labor, fraternal or commercial
might well be proud of. In the matter of
necessary business convenenees the premises at
headquarters are up to date in every particular.
In all other respects, in provisions for the com
fort. amusement AND instruction. of the members.
the union quarters not surpassed, and we
J doubt If they are equaled. by those of any slmi-
lar institution in the country. The paintings
sentative of the highest art in that line and,
above all, the splendid library of standard works
make the sailors union headquarters a place
of which every seaman has good to be
proud.