The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-05
HIGH PLANE REA CHED
By ORGANIZED LABOR
IN NORTH AMERICA

able TO give serious thought to the sub
I Ject, however, he was deeply and actively
interested in the subject of union labor
and indeed took hand, as early as his
IlTteenth year, in the movement to or
ganIze the working people. Mr.. Gompers
was one OF the founders Of the American
edeIauOn or Labor and with the exCeD-
ton OF one year has been its president
continuously since 1882 He is the editor
OF the american FederatiOnIst, the month
~ magazine issued from the national Ia
Lor headquarters, and also carries on a
continual campaign of education by
means Of public addresses delivered in ali
parts OF the country This stump speak
ING on belalf OF the cause Of organized
labor involves more than 10000 miles Of
railroad travel every year.
another man who devOtes his entire
tne TO the business side Of the union
labor movement IS Frank Morrison the
secretary OF the American Federation of
LABOR. Secretary Morrison greatest task
IS the conduct Of the correspondence rela-
tive to the thousands of local, CITY. ma
to1al and international trade unions af-
Inflated directly or indirectly with this
! parent body Some idea of the immensitv
I OF detail involved may be formed from
! the faCt that as high as 200 applications
a month are received for charters for
new unions. Frank Morrison was born
/ in FranktOwn, Ontario, Canada in 1879
and received common school education
with one year in the high school in that
town. Later he graduated from the Lake
Forest university law school at Chicago
he began work at his trade as a printer
IN 1913, In 1897 he was elected to the re-
spOnSlble position of secretary of - A
+. OF L., which post he has since held
The third member Of the trio of active
managers OF American Federation of Ia
Dor affairs is Mr.. John B. Lennon, the
treasurer who handles more than one
third OF million dollars a year. The rev
enue OF the federation is derived mainly
from taxes of various kinds The princi-
pal tax is that levied on each union on
IA = n . rarr rs-4f It'd
month for each mem Der in good standing.
In the case OF national and interna tiOnal
unions this per capita tax was originally
4 cent but was advanced in 1897 to 1-3
cent and in 1901 to y cent per member
per month. The federation can also assess
all its affiliated unions TO sustain unions
engaged in industrial conflicts, but such
levy must not exceed cent Der member
per week, and such leYies must not be
made more than ten weeks a year
Mr. Lennon, VINO handles the federation
income OF Sz0JgS a year, in addition TO
the surplus on hand including a big de-
Tense fund, has held the position of treas
urer for eighteen years. However. he is
not in quite the same class as President
Gompers and Secretary Morrison mas
much as both of these men devote their
entire time to the federation, whereas Mr.
Lennon combines with his duties as fed
Grafton treasurer those of seCre tarv-t treas
ureT OF the JOurneymen TailOrs Union OF
America, a position he has held for mora
than twenty years. The full name Of the
treasurer is John Brown Lennon and he
takes pride in the fact that John Brown
of Ossawottamie after whom he was
named, was his great uncle.
A striking example of what the business
acumen of the best class of present day
labor leaders is accomplishing is afforded
by the career of James Duncan, general
seCretary-Jreasur of the Granite Cutters
International Association Of America. Mr.
Duncan was born in Kincardine, Scot
land about fifty-tw0 years ago, and was
educated in Aberdeen. He had qualified
as a monumental granite cutter as early
as 1873, and later became a granite statue
cutter. Becoming Identified with the Gran
lite Cutters union in America. he was
made secretary Of the New York branch
Z in 1881; secretary of the Baltimore branch
IT. 1884 and national secretary treasurer
since 1880. His most conspicuous service
was when he led the great strike in the
granite cutting industry for the eight
hour day in 1900. Mr.. Duncan's. business
ability has, however, been proven in most
! impressive manner almost from the outset
Of his occupancy Of his present position in
the international association. --sn he
took charge the body had a debt Of more
than $4,000 incurred during the New Eng
land lockout Under his administration
this debt has been paid and the thoroughly
organized granite cutters now have in
their treasury a surplus Of more than
quarter Of a million dollars
A similar record Of upbuilding has been
made by James O'COnnen, president OF
the International Association Of Machin-
lists. When he was elected to that posi-
ton in 1893 the organization had only
about 5000 members; was almost unknown
in a national or International sense, and
was financially embarrassed BY ener-
getic work he has built up one Of ahe
strongest of trade organizations and has
secured shorter hours and increased wages
for the great mass Of organized machin-
lists Another leader who has striven for
better conditions and has been particularly
active in the eight-hour movement is VII
liam D. Huber of indianapolis, Ind, the
general president Of the United Brother
hood Of Carpenters and Joiners of Amer
lea.
OF the vast organizations of railroad |