davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11
MEN Of DISTINCTION
IN LABOR MOVEMENT
Will Prosecute An Enlightened
and Vigorous Campaign
Against Non-union Shop.

From this time forth organized la
Dor in Duluth will demonstrate it's
ability to uphold a righteous cause
against the most malicious attacks Of
the enemy.
HThe following executive officers are
in the city prepared to do full duty
for their respective organizations, and
for organized labor generally:
w. D. Huber, Of Ind djanapoIis, ma
tional president Of the Brotherhood of
Carpenters and Joiners Of America.
w. G. Soharat, of Chicago, chairman
OF the general executive board of the
same organization
F. J. Kennedy, Of Omaha, national
organizers for the Plumbers Interna-
tional Union Of America.
George B. Howey, Of Minneapolis,
president of the State Federation Of
Labor, who has been here for some
days, Is not relaxing in vigilance a
particle. The presence Of such distin-
guished associates has only increased
his enthusiasm to push the work with
greater energy if possible, than ever
before.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11

ing established, III fact, though per-
haps not always by that name, In
practically every department Of hu-
man endeayor.... What is that cause?
Answer: A; community of interest.
Let this cause be present and you can
no more prevent its producing it's nat
ural effect the union-shop in some
form or other, than you can prevent
water from becoming steam when
heated to the proper temperature.
= -. i Universalfty Of Idea.
The very untversaMty OF the union
shop idea proves the existence Of an
underlying principle. upon which the
assaults of a thousand million manu-
facturers' associations will have as
little permanent effect as the barking
Of as many million ours can have
upon the composition Of the. moon.
The strange thing about it all is
that the very men in Duluth who are
the most savage in their attacks upon
the union-shop Of the wage earners,
themselves everyone Of them have a
union shop Of their own, more CAL
:lously and unfeelingly CLOSED" than
any wage-earners unioh-shop in the
northwest. Consistency is a jewel so
rare in the ranks Of the union SMASH
ing conspirators that the most power
full microscope could not detect it. !
IL Draw Right Lines.
Did they distinguish between meas
ure and methods, and had any sub
stantial> grievances against methods,
there is not a. wage eaners' union
shop in the city but would meet them
more than half ways to correct any
abuses howsoever slight. But, it is
not the redress of, grievances the gen.
tlemen are after, but the reputation
Of solemn contracts and the destruc-
tion of organized labor, in the hope
that they may have a free hand to
reduce wages to a starvation basis,
and generally demoralize wage-earn-
ing conditions. They have not yet
succeeded and they never will. So
say seven thousand men with a re-
serve Of two millions more to back
them.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11

Results Obtained From Oct. 81,
1906, to Oct. 81, 1907, Are
d Most Encouraging. -

In the two years the membership Of
the Brotherhood has grown from less
than $4,000 to over 10000 members in
sood standing, distributed amongst sse
locar unions scattered throughout the
United States and Canada. One mum
dred and twenty-eight unions and a.
e27 members have been added in the
period covered. This makes the high
water mark in our history. 3@,
OF the $40 unions making returns.
1856 have gained increases in wages
which average 5A cents per hour, or
about AZ cents per day for each mem
ber. ~. - - ,Ezsg4-,
The membership Of these locals Is
1896. whose daily gain in wages Is
about $4,000. The gain of each indi-
vidual member during the year Of $50
working days Is. more than 500. The
total gain for the year for all mem,
bers who received the increase, Is In
round numbers $4,000,00O. .zs s:.5
Reductions In hours Of labor. are re-
ported by LAT unions. .,a5.#. i.
OF the $40 unions which have sent
reports, 398 are enjoying the eight hour.
day, the members Of 1913 are working
nine hours and only "a are yet COM
PEELED to workAten hours day.
In addition to these reductions In
the daily hougs of labor, nearly all the
larger cities have established the Sat
urday half holiday
To gain these improved conditions.
many sacrNfces were necessary.
Strike 1occurred in 100 localities, OF
which ~113 We're successful. the ma
jority Of the remainder being COM
promised aor$ yet unsettled.
81 This does not include the many snop
strikes--nn nfformly successful- ul-not re-
ported to- headquarters.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11
LOWER RENT [: WAR
IN new YORK CITY
Movement That Would Be Fully.
Justified By Rent Conditions
in Duluth.

The general industrial distress has
preoipitated a low rent war in the
tenement house districts Of New York.
It appears to have been under way for.
month, but reports Of it first got into
circulation on the oath. According to
New York dispatches Of the 25th &c.,
900 families on the lower East Side
will refuse tomorrow to pay their rent
II their demands for a. reduction ara
not met. Wholesale evictions will fol-.
low. It is claimed the present indus
trial conditions do not warrant the
Same rentals the tenants were able to
pay year ago. Four hundred women
have been organized by Miss Pauline
Newman, 1717 Madison avenue, to-
make a house to house canvass and
obtain written pledges that a reduc-
ton OF from 20 to 80 per cent in rent
will be demanded. II this is refused,
no rent will be paid. A mass meeting
will be held next Tuesday night, and
Jacob Parker, a lawyer, will instruct
the tenants how their resistance to
payment Of rent at the present rate
may be made successful. The opening
gun will be fired tomorrow by 4S
families who live in the double decker
tenement 6S and 20 Stanton street,
who will ask for reduction off, a.
month, and by 50 families in ZIG and
21S Cherry street, who want s. a
month Topped off from the monthly
rental of $21 to $25 for front fats Of
four and five rooms, and 81 from the
$1S rate for rear rooms" The war ac-=
cordingly began on the 26th. But the
striking tenants did not wait for evic-
tions. They proceeded before the
Board Of Health to compel landlords
to go to the expense of making extern
sive repairs in compliance with the
health regulations. An eviction on the
9th from 1877 Allen street OF the fam
lily Of a man VINO is out OF work
brought on a general rent-lowering
strike in that entire house. Arrange
ments Of the rent-strikers to hold pub
lie meetings in Rutgers square were
forbidden by the police, and on the
28th the police broke up street meet.
ings, for which police permits had
been previously given. Meetings Of
striking tenants are being held on the
roofs Of tenement houses.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11
BUILDING TRADES !.
:. !. J. /. LOCAL MuAhcE
TO Safeguard Interest Of Trades
: men Employed on Structural
!: Building Work.
Certain Local Unions Have Unit
ed Under Name Of Structural
Building Trades Alliance.

This association was organized
March ~, 1905, and is in affiliation
with the Structural Building Trades
Alliance of America, and working
under a constitution as amended May
"a, 1907.
':-.~ Locals Affiliated.
The alliance is composed Of the fol-
lowing locals: Carpenters, Plasterers,
Electric Workers, Sheet Metal Work
ers, Lathers, Building Aaborers.
Plumbers, ,Steamf1tters and Steamf1t.
ters'' Helpers, Painters, Tile Layers
and Helpers Hsisting Engineers, Ship
and Dock Carpenters, Roofers. Struc-
tural Iron Workers -.
The basis of representation is e. five
delegates from each local, and their
powers and privileges are neither in.
creased nor diminished by the number
Of members in the local they. re-
spectively represent. Constitutional
changes can only be effected by a ref
erendum vote Of the unions affiliated.
Jurisdiction and Powers.
Briefly stated the questi0ns to which
the alliance directs it's endeavors may
he enumerated as follows: ~ r.
i. Protection to the autonomy OF
tradesmen employed on structural
building work. -; &ssz = E.,r.-. v
!. 2. practical and equitable ADJUST
ment of disputes and differences aris-
ing between affiliated unions, or be-
tween union membership and employ
ers. 1--& -
3. Creation and maintenance of a
feeling Of harmony, and tranquility be-
tween employers and employees.
To the attainment of these laudable
purposes by all Reasonable and just ef-
forts each member pledges his sacred
word Of honor 2: 4
Present Officers. /
An election Of officers was held on
the evening Of Jan.5 s.. 1908, to serve
for a term Of SIX months. The fol-
lowing were elected: -
President, Edward Lowe: vice presi-
dent, J. H. Powers; financial secre-
tary- treasurer, George r. Walters; re-
cording secretary, william Harbour.
Following the elections Of Officers an
Instructive and interesting address
was delivered by ! A. cambridge,
business agent Of the Painters Union,
Minneapolis, and first vice president
Of the Internal tional Building and
Trades Alliance. 3s
George w. Howley, president OF the
Minnesota State Federation Of Labor.
also spoke and congratulated the
membership on their steadfastness
and unsWerving devotion to honor
and duty, during 50 trying an expert
Ience as the: present, an experiences
brought about by contractors wiIfully
violating 'ta their most 1ei ismn ensase-..
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11
UNION STATISTICS.

A competition Of trades union statis-
tics in the principal countries of the
world places the number of members
in good standing at 100000, or 1,ooo,-
900 more than last year.. Germany
contributes a gain of 100000, which
outstrips Great Britain and nearly
oyertakes the United States At this
time the United States and Canada
have about 100000 members, whereas
last year Germany had 2,215,O00. The
unions of Great Britain were credited
with a membership Of 1888, 200 last
year. Five European countries have
more trades union members than the
state Of New York, but New York out
ranks Russia, Hungary and Spain, as
we'll as the smaller countries.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11
AMERICAN. !. .uNl9|AIsM| !||||| ] :
!. VERSUS THE BRITISH


John Hodge, M. p. one OF. the ira.
ternal delegates from the British trade
union congress. to the convention Of
the American Federation of Labor, ad-.
dressed they New York Central Fed
Grated Union recently. Mr.. Hodge
said in part: -. ..s
$50 far as I can see, you are up
against the same kind Of fight that
we are wag1ng in the old country.
When We ask for concessions in Eng
land the manufacturers say that they
have American competitions to contend
with. found after came here that
when you. ask for concessions you arc
confronted with the plea OF British
competition You have two dominant
parties in politics in this country, as
we have In England, but in England
the labor unions have nnade.good pro-
Gress in getting members into parlia-5
ment, and now in the eyes Of the law
trade unionism In England is stronger
than 1t ever was before. In England.
as in this country, labor saving ma.
chinery is driving out of work thou
sands OF persons In many trades, and
do not believe that labor gets its
fair share Of the fruits Of its toll.
""The problem Of destitution and lack
Of work in the old country is a much
bigger one than it is here. There Is
no such destitution in this country as
in England and no such army Of un-
employed. In this country you do not
know the, extreme poverty that exists
in England. In London alone statis-
tics showed that 100000 children went
to school every day
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11
SLAYER OF LIE CLAIRE @
WEEPS WHEN SENTENCED

o.B43sn BBE3MBIMA ia SoaaS .e1fanc.s Jan 'es
imprisonment for the murder of Ar
thur 3 La Claire at Neche on Dec. %.
An appeal for clenency was made by
full prisoner wept. Young O'Brien and
Le Claire were chlnas. On the day OF
the murder they went together to
and becams main %intoaieated e .e rhe9neSs le seas te:
tgether at night. and one eyawitness
saw O'Brien strike LIE Claire. on the
head with q hammer. O'Brien, IN an
effort to conceal the crime, dragged
the body to the river near BY and
thrust It through a hole IN the Y Ice.
Robbery was shown to be the motive
of the crime. Le Claire'e money. $70,,
.tt from the dead body and hid 4.
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11
Carpenters Great Prouress.

The great body of Carpenters and
Joiners was never in better condition
than at present. During the last year
it mas added over $4,000 to its men1-
bership, and forces are now in motion
for the erection of fine building in
Indianapolis to- be used as the head
quarters Of the Brotherhood, plans for
which will probably be presented at
the next meeting Of the executiv0
board, to be held on January 13, 1905.
1t is stated that at It's last meeting
the executive board was invited to at
tend a meeting Of the Civic Federation
at Chicago, and four or five Of them
had done SO. They found some 500
delegates present SO Of whom were
unionists. 81 ss.E .5 f,5s .$s{5
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11

The seh-styled civic committee
caused to be published statement Of
principles embodied in eight negative
declarations. which they say, contains
the sum and substance Of their con-
tentiQn. We shall consider these dec
larations seriatum, and endeaYor to
ascertain wherein organized labor diff
fers from the committee. The COM
mittee say they want:
"No Closed Shop" Neither do we.
Organized labor never had it neither
in name nor in fact, until the enemy
coined the name, and tnen juggled
with it as a term of reproach to Or
ganized labor. BY all means let~it go.
to be used again no more forever.
See editorial columns. -,
"No restriction as to the use Of
tools, machinery or material. except
such as are unsafe" Those are our
sentiments exactly. We take 1t OF
dinal virtues of honesty and justice
are implied in your declaration though
not expressed.
"No limitation of output" Precise
ly our sentiments. Everyone having
the least familiarity with the indus
trial and commercial history of our
nation, knows very we'll that organized
labor is neither the inventor nor prac-
titioner Of the "limitation- Of output
business. We are willing to be" fair,
however, and say that although 1t Is
in itself not commendajble. the manu-
facturer may under extraordinary cir
cumstances be justified in resorting to
it to avoid evils worse than those re-
sulting from 1t. -
"No restrictions as to the number of
apprentices and helpers Of proper
age" Your statement is too sweep
ing. You surely don't intend to per-
petrate such an Outrage upon your
customers and patrons as your state
ment would imply. If you put the
adjective improper before the noun
restrictions" then we will subscribe
to the doctrine enunciated in your
statement.
"No boycott, We are opposed to
'hoycott' as we are opposed to war,
and always lament the injustice that
forces either conditions upon US: zUns
fortunately however, so. bng aa h1i@
man nature remains as it's, i1atoler-
able wrongs otherwise irre1nediable
will be the occasion Of boycott and
war so long as the world stands.
There is not one Of you gentlemen
but practices the principle Of the boy
colt to a degree in your private at
fairs. If in your great wisdom you
can suggest some means of eradicat-
ing the cause ORGANIZED labor will
cheerfully cooperate with you; but it
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11
COMMENTS ON PUBLIC DECLARATION !
OF CIVIC And ADVISORY C0MMITTE
The Movement For the Shop Duluth Has Not an
Strength the Days Have Passed; Contrary
Public Sentiment Favors the Union Shop More
and More. '*
Because the Non Union Shop Means in Duluth Just What
Everywhere Else Where It's False Ideas Prevai:
Starvation Wages, Moral Degradation and Bus
mess Depression.

ds idle to talk Of suppressing effects
while working to give full rein to the
cause as you are now doing.o
"No sympathetic strike" We go
YOU one better and say. no kind of a
strike sympathetic or otherwise. At
the risk of threading on your toes" we
even say no lockout either. A strike
Of any kind Is to be deplored and
every means that human ingenuity
can devise should be used to avoid it.
It is; only when wrongs become, so in
tolerable and insufferable they can be
no longer endured, and the oppressor
says there is nothing to arbitrate.' -
that organized labor assumes the
militant aspect. What would you
have it do pray? Cheerfully submit
to being robbed while wives and chill
dren are crying for bread? Not on
your life.
"No. sacrifice Of Independent work.
men to the labor union" This sounds
like the wolf requesting the eve to
consign the lamb to his keeping. You
borrowed the expression from the
printed circulars of the most unrelent-
ing, unscrupulous, and hypocritical
enemy, the worlcmen Of every class
has had in our day. Whatsoever i'm
provement has been made in the con-
dition of Independent or dependent
workinen, is directly due to the labor
unions" Do you think you are going
to deceive any one by such hypocriti-
cal concern for the welfare Of the
workmen? No, you are not. You
only show your tutelage in the school
Of Van Cleave.
"No compulsory use Of the union
label" What business is that OF
yours? Have not the members of the
unions right to decline to buy the
filthy products OF the sweat shop
Have they not a. right to express their
moral disapproval: of and withhold
their patronage from manufacturers
conclusively and notoriously known to
[be iniquitous in their methods of pro-
duction? Should not all good citizens
do so? LAS matter of fact the use
OF the label was never made connpul-
sorry by organized labor.-merely ad-
Yisory. The trouble with: you, gentle
rnenGof the eon1rnittee;ais that the Van
ECleave aggregatfen is making fools Of
you. You got Your: :" "conipllsory'' idea
either from Van Cleave's' lying circu-
lars or from his paid hirelings. You
better get wise and realize that -; Or
ganized' labor is one Of, Gods instru-
mentalities of progress and reform in
the world. The part ofrwisdom, would
be to cooperate with it, and help give
true direction to It's efforts to acquire
and. maintain a riehteo11s. STA nda r6- ri
living: =
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11

Long Community Of Int crest as Factor
Human Society the Union Shop il Some Form Name
Will Follow Therefrom Logical Sequence. ~
Whatever justification There May Be For Taking Exception
Any METHODS Employed in Maintaining The Union
Shop There Can Be None Whatever to the MEAS
-. URE ITSELF "@:+@::t r~@#

In discussing the ssubjective merits
of any real reforn1a.to measure, we
should always distinguish between the
intrinsic worth, Of the measure itself,
and the methods used by its adherents
in giving expression to it in adjusting
and regulating the affairs of human
society.
Measure And Method.
. If the line Of demarkation between
the two-1neasure and n1etllod--be not
kept clearly in view, confusion Of
thought will be the inevitable result
and the individual is rendered incap-
able Of Judging righteous judgment.
=. We are persuaded that many Of the
attacks upon the wage-earner's union
shop as an institution, have been oc-
casioned by a confounding Of measure
with method Any local departue by
"a wage e-earners' union-shop anywhere
from wise methods Of procedure is
charged up by our enemies against
the wage-earners' undon-shop every
where. So you see as loyal trade
unionists we have a double duty to
perform-educate those who come to
us and enlighten those who are not of
us.
Occasion Not Creation.
Let it. be understood once for all,
that while union men are the occasion
of the union-shop in their respective
crafts they are not the creators OF
it. The principle which in Gods pro-
cess of evolution materializes in the
union-shop was projected by the cre-
ator into nature with the first dawn of
its existence. -
The instinct of self preservation ex-
lists in a. more or less degree in all
animate creation from the lowest to
the highest forms; and it is singular
fact, that the cause which constrains
the fowls of the air to form .focks,
and the fishes in the sea to form
shoals, and animals on land to con-
gregate in herds, is the very same
cause which generates in men of sim
liar vocations feeling Of brotherhood,
that eliminates in the union-shop be-
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11
WIDOWS AND ORPHANS
CRYING FOR BREAD.
Entire Burden of Every Industrial
Disaster Falls Upon the Poor
Wage-earners' Family.
Bread Winners Killed BY Wilful
Negligence of Their Employ
ers, the Union Smashers.

In the appeal issued by the Monon-
gah Relief Committee it is stated that
of the 5000 inhabitants of Monongah
the mine disaster destroyed one-half
of the hreadwinners. Two hundred
and fifty wives, 1000 children and
many unborn children are left without
means Of support. The company has
declared that the families occupying
these houses may remain in them
until other provision is made for them
and in other ways mas been generous
In its attitude, but it states that oper-
atoms cannot be resumed at the dam
aged mines unil hese houses are avail
able for the new force. 100000 is
asked for by the Relief Committee to
meet these needs. Commenting on the
situation Paul U. Kellogg, special rep
resentative Of Charities and The Com
mons, says:
The statement Of the case made in
the appeal is not too strong. Putting
the average wage at $50 a month
(Which was given me as fair), an in
come of $4,000 month has been cut
off FROM this working population
$240, 900 a year. There will not be so
many mouths to feed by one-fourth;
but in the face of this loss, the real
significance of where the burden Of in
dustrial disaster falls, stands out. And
the character of the town stands out.
This is not a community. 1t is not
paying its way. 1t uses the we'll and
strong. It is part Of the working plant
Of the coal industry. Sympathetic and
kindly as may be their sufferance for
frl ox1-ir,c
broken families must move away, as
surely as the bodies of the men who
supported them had to be removed
from the mine offings, so that the
work could go on.
"My God, there are not enough
washings in this town to care for a
hundred Widows" said an old Irish
woman to me, nor boardin houses -
For those, in the fair days of the
town, had been the wages of a work.
ingman's death. The explosion, the
punching of the loss in a single valley,
only serve to cast into stronger relief
this antithesis Of the coal pits and
the community. The woman who has
motherhood enough in her to cling to
her children must start life fresh at a
deficit, to herself and whatever COM
munity 9arbors her. It makes RIO es-
sential difference whether she is one
widow, or one Of a hundred. After
all, then, Is 1t such far cry to MAIN
tain that the mines shall pay their
way-that through some adequate
form of tonnage tax Or workingmen's
compensa tiqn, and liability group in
surance among the operators, the bur-
den shall be borne by the industry
and hence the unpreventable part Of
it, in the long run, by the consumer.
For there is not always this fierce
claim on the public's sympathy. There
is not always this thunder of a hun
- dred trains. There is not the "all cry
Of the towns women together. The
grave diggers do not make a crowd on
the corner, nor the coffins barricade
in the street. But singly and in twos
and threes the brass tags come down
from the check board and they stand
for lost men,
The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-01-11

1nents; but. the outlook is suspicious,
right will triumph, and the :t4ture his
tory Of or1zanized labor in D11luth
shah be. even more sllorf rfous than ever
Mr.: HpWley's remarks were received
with great enthusiasm "a SMOKER
followed whtoh. but for the absence
OF Dr. Jennings and Chancellor Day,
might be classed as veritajble ,''1ove
feast All repairedxrto their homes
feeling that the occasion. was a most
enjoyable one. ,-: