The San Francisco call., 1908-05-08
.
GOMPfRS DISCUSSES
WORK ON SUNDAYS
Central Labor Council Receives
Reply Sent Christian En-
deavor Association
Resolution OF American Fedora
ton Expresses Opposition
to Toll on Sabbath

MMyrr, The local central
ezSzsZa l9ss2 [GaEsD labor council has
>~sSN FaSiIryf51 received "a copy of a
letter sent by Sam
ucl Gonpers, president of the Amer
lean federation Of labor. in reply to one
sent him ~by the association of Chris
tian Endeavor on the subject of labor
on Sunday, also a copy of resolutions
adopted by the federation on that sub
ject. In the letter Gompers says:
The labor organizations generally are in earnest
In their effort To reduce the amount OF labor on
SUNDAY, but particularly you are right when you
add that they have not had the support they
should have had from the Christian people.
In many of the cities throughout the country
there are large plants In full operation on Sun
day. Business houses often have their establish
ments open on that day as on any other day Of
In my Judgment it is only to the progress
OF our people. the perpetuation OF our race, lib
erty OF our country, the moral, material and In.
rest should be the universal rule
Seven day workers are positively poor ones,
lacking the vigor stamina and character so
necessary to the maintenance OF sterling man
hood and womanhood. AS seven days labor and
long hours mean low wages and consequent
deprivation of most Of the interests OF life-it
steals from the workers the opportunities for the
cultivation of higher, better and nobler spirit,
which gradually but surely takes from the male
worker all appreciation of his rights and renders
him incapahie OF performing his duty rs a man.
as father and citizen so regard 1t as
absolutely dangerous to all our interests and TO
our progress that the workers should be required
to toll more than six days in week.
The organized workers arc constantly engaged
in the movement reduce the hours OF labor
and that also implies the movement to limit the
Sunday rest
We have sought this by legislative enactment
and by private agreement with employers In
from the church. aud, secondly our movement
has Invariably encountered its opposition.
The Christian Endca rorers can be of assistance
In reducing the amount OF labor performed
Sabbath day.
The resolutions alluded to are:
That in the opinion OF the American fcderatio
OF labor there is no necessity for Sunday work
Tie laDor people demand. not privilege. but
as right. that they SHOULD have the Saba th
! for their own use. 1t was made for man.
That urge members to continue their
warfare against Sunday work. remembering that
i IL six nen work seven days they do the work of
men work Sunday they are taking the bread out
OF the mouth of one fellow workman.
Now that the producers of Sonoma
county have broken the ice" that sep
arated them from the labor organiza-
I tions of the city of San Francisco and
for a time kept them aloof from one
another, they have discovered that or
ganized labor is ready to assist the
producers in their efforts to get rid of
the middlemen. A movement has been
started in that county to have all pro-
ducerS form an organization for the
protection of mutual interests. This
NOV ement, which is under the direction
of President Wilson of the Poultry
Raisers' association and j. w. Janas-
sen. John Mott and Henry David of
the Producers society, has for its pur-
pose the, securing. of a place In San
Francisco where. all products can be
shipped direct and be disposed OF with
out having TO pay commission to the
middlemen for handling the goods.
The producers also want to be sure
that the labor organizations will assist
to the extent of becoming consumers
of the products. If this can be brought
about 1t is asserted that the consum-
ers will secure products at a lower
rate than they must pay under pres
ent conditions, and that the producer
will receive. better prices, the two di-
vidfng what is now paid to the middle
man.
Representative of the mixers
union. Secretary Gallagher OF the labor
council and the manager OF the Stan
dard dairy had conference last
Wednesday. on the subject OF the re-
quest. for a BOYCOTT against the dairy
on the ground that it is handling the
pFOQuCl Ol diOllttI ueCldTeQl un-
fair. The matter was fully discussed
and the Standard. people offered to pro-
duce evidence to prove that they are
not handling the product complained
of. The matter, will come up in the
labor council tonight.
John /. Nolan, one of the executive
board of the molders' international
union. will leave today for Cincinnati
to attend meeting OF the board to
be held May 20. On his way there he
will visit Los Angeles, Houston. Fort
Worth and Dallas. Texas, New Orleans
and Birmingham, Ala. to address the
unions in those cities.
Furniture handlers union No. hav-
ing vacated it's quarters in Improve
ment hall will hold Its initial meeting
in the building trades temple this
evening.
street laborers will be organized be-
fore the end of the month and affli-
ated with the San Francisco labor
council.
The building trades council author
lied its general attorney, c. L. Dam,
last night to take steps to test the va
l1Q1tY OF the OTQlndnCe OIL the super
visors prohibiting smoking in street
cars.
The council declared itself as op-
posed to the proposed bond issue on
the ground that the call for such Is
not certain as to what is to be done
with the money to be realized should
the election favor the issuance of the
bonds. The executive committee was
authorized to prepare statement set
ting forth the objections and to have
the same distributed at the various
polling places.
The delegates were requested to
notify their. respective unions to pat
ronize an entertainment TO be given by
Falkenberg camp of the Woodmen of
the World in aid of one of it's members.
also a member of the plasterers' union.
who was SO unfortunate as to have one
of his legs cut off by streetcar dur
ing an accident.
The council was addressed by NJ.
coiT1nerford. international president of
steam and stationary engineers union
also by William Ruf, president of the
b,,ilding trades council of Reno, New
The former spoke along trade lines and
the latter told of the strike in Reno
which after nine weeks duration, will
be settled this week.