Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-31
IN LABOR CIRCLES

A healthy activity has been in evil
dence in local labor circles during the
past week. The label league contributed
to the campaign of education that has
been inaugurated in the District. Society
women and men in public life have mani
tested a working interest in the affairs
Of the workingman, and President Com
pers of the A. F. l.. has decided to sta
ton an organizer in this field.
All in all the outlook is promising. and
those sturdy Americans who earn their
living by the sweat of their brows are
happy over the prospects. AS Sam De
Nedrey expressed it, There's optimism in
the air and it is as invigorating as a
tonic in prohibition state
The woman workers of the bureau of
engraving and printing have organized
a strong union and will work elbow to ell
bow with the man toilers. Ministers of
the gospel are preaching to congrega-
tons of workhgmen. and steps are being
taken to reduce to minimum the pros
pective discharges at the Washington
navy yard, which appear to be inevitable.
Samuel GOmpers recently expressed him.
self as pleased with the work that is be
ing accomplished among the labor unions
of the District. Other leading men say
an organized labor boom has set in fol-
lowing winter of depression.
Printer politics is noticeable activity
in the ranks of the membership of No 1O1.
The convention of the International Typo
graphical Union will be held at st. Jo-
seph. Mo-. August to IA, and there are
| already several candidates for delega-
torial honors in the field. The election
will be held May 10. One of the latest
candidates to enter the lists is Charles
B. Huse. chairman of the union label
committee of Columbia Typographical
Union. Mr.. Huse is employed in the night
90
printing office, and is said to have many
friends among the downtown prints as
we'll as in the public printery Others
who are making a gallant fight for the
honor and pleasure of representing 10l
at ST. Joe are William Williams. famliarly
known as Dick Williams. of the Post
| chapel: Joseph c. Whyte of The Star
chapel Louis r. Taylor of the proofroom,
government printing office; w. S. Schn-
nerer Of the linotype composing night
| man of the mono section, day chapel. and
Joseph f. Goodkey, both of Uncle Sam S
printery.
1T is proposed by the Trades ITnionist
that free moving-picture shows be en-
ployed in Washington to educate the pub
lie along union label lines. 1t is said
| such exhibitions are meeting with success
| at ST. Louis and other places.
The work of organizing the printers of
Cuba is progressing rapidly Although
Armand B. Rodriguez, the organizer for the
International Typographical Union. has
been only a few weeks on the island, a
goOd-siZed union has been already organ
lied in Havana. and another will soon be
formed in Santiago. The Typographical
Union Of Havana has 100 members and
promises to be the largest local union in
Cuba by the end of the year. There are
about 500 printers in Havana and 200 in
Santiago.
ARRANGEMENTS are being made by the
organization committee of the St Paul
Trades Assembly for the formation of q
building trades council in that city. The
proposed new organization will he formed
along the lines laid down by the building
trades department of the American Fed
Grafton of Labor. under whose banner
the new central body will enlist.
Word comes from Albany, n. Y. that
two bills, designed to regulate the loan
Ing of money on,wages to he earned in the
future and to curtail the operations of So
called loan sharks are pending in the
assembly.
An industrial innovation that is going
to attract worldwide attention has Just
been introduced in Belgium. In the prov
ince of Brabant which numbers consid-
erably more than million popula ton
the legislature has enacted law not only
designating the minimum salaries that
must be paid certain classes of workers,
but also providing for the penalizing of
employers who disregard the wage
statute.
last week reiterated their opposition to
the efforts to have the present state
boiler rules and laws changed. They are
not half stfh enough now," the engi-