New-York tribune., 1908-12-13
n LABORER" TO COrnSSIONER GENERAL.

- rl,. ,.,.,r,,z or little less than pIuuder Most
of the boss shoveIlers were saIoohkeepeFs- 4--es
kent tally on the earnings OF the men III l-elF re-
xyecttve gangs and they also kept tally On the Da
ntns .f tie men The two things did not 50 We'll
+oae,her fer the men The pay was handed 10
them oy i man who SAT at table IN the OaFA7sp-
er-ooss's saloon, ana at the same taole was d nc
With the bar tally which buTly individual was aIso
p bouncer. There was chance for an afsli'Silt-
LCAafe saw 10 this thing. II a long hgnt and
II was a hard fight keefe stratesically enlisted
an even more powerful Organization tAsh ms o"t4
the lake carriers. The result was that -FIngey
Ccrners's boss system went out OF vcgue' lheFe
was superintendent over the men. and the snow
eIlers were paid where they worked, and not II 4
saloon where toll levied IN connecuo. Win
The yulaster system under the ooSs
grain shovellers Of William J. Conners IN BuIfaio-
which incident Keefe dismsses with succlnct
1T ygas merely case Of eliminating Mr.. Conners.
II NAV be said that Keefe is a great preacher OF
temperance.
He has seen the rough side OF the world He has
sAen drunkenness. and Of his most necessarily
preached doctrines has been that of temperance
The motto Of his organization IS Sobr1ety' Iruth'
I1stice Morality II will be seen that this in
plies no obligation the part OF the employer.
II is solely obligation of the man to himself and
to his fellows This is Keefe's power He has lifted
up the men for whom and with whom he has
worked The dock IaboreTs no longer the hght-
ing carousing lot OF men they once were "here
once they slept in 1o-ceut lodging houses many OF
them now enjoy pleasant little homes and the satis
faction Of decent citizenship. In his address at the
annual convention Of the IougshOremen at Erie
Penn last June. Keefe said OF Temperance;
."Ths greatest foe the toiler has 10 combat is
Hquor Low wages and long hours furnish the
greatest number of victims OF internperance. II IS
this enemy of progress that has kept many a man
at the foot of the ladder who would otherwise have
made a mark in the world No man who works for
wages can afford TO drink IL he hopes to better
hts condition, or viii allow the demon or drink
w.crrIT Tlar~ r~fv7 in
a prev 20 disease want and poverty 1t is the
duty Of the strong men counsel and advise their
weaker brothers and set example Of sooriety
for them discouraging that character OF soclaOit-
ity which leads 70 the ruin OF many OF our young
men"
pan, Keefe the dock Iaborer. with his squat.
thick muscular body who went through physical
ordeaIs from time he was eight years old, who
never had any schooling Ito speak of'-that heefe
who fought and thought. II you please. his way
p, his noverfiI positton in the marine world With
whom the also powerful lake carriers had dnally
10 consult-is a dreamer who works.
You wouldn't think it to look at him His squat
ness and squareness and his general makeup
dispe the idea. His stubby nose dispes f. as does
the shock OF coarse hair that mops his brow. His
eyes are small and wide apart. with level country
between His ruustache Is short and brtstly. and
his Lips are thick His face is SO wide that some
how his central features appear punched And his
neck sets close into his collar Meet him in the
street and you might spot him for the superin-
tendent OF the moulding department at the car
shops.
But when he taIks-Keefe. the dock Iaborer. is
seen in a new light
'I started as a common laborer." be declares.
and have never been anything but a common
lAborer.'
In the broad light of day no is Just little
ashamed Of his muscular methods of two decades
back but II easy to surrntss that IN the twi-
axht he might chuckIs himself Of lighting for
p@sos." Aa Ecsss os The esttsr means Co attain
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