Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-04-05
MORRISON URGES PERSISTENCY
SAYS SLOW, QUIET STEADY
WORK is WHAT COUNTS.
Addresses Women of the Engraving
Bureau on the Subject of
Increase in Their Pay.

The women Of the bureau OF engraving
and printing who recently organized a
labor union and adopted the methods of
the male workers In the fight of the
unions for the Improvement of their con-
ditions. held their first meeting in Typo
graphical Temple yesterday afternoon,
when they were addressed by Frank Nor
rison, secretary OF the American Fedora
tion of Labor and Charles 7. Smith and
other union men,
At the opening a petition. which was
sent to Director Ralph recently asking for
higher pay for the women. was read. This
was a purely formal action, as II is
known that the director would gladly
grant The higher pay if the appropriations
at his command would permit of such &C
ton.
Later Mrs. Eva Macdonald ValeSh of
1he American Federation of Labor report
ed the director as saying that II any girl
in the bureau of engraving and printing
thinks that she is jeopardizing her posi-
ton by joining the new union she is mis-
taken. She also announced that Director
Ralph stated that he is old union man
and that the women should organize If
they desired to do
Advantage of Steady Effort.
The organization of this union. said
Secretary Morrison in his address,
means that you will now undertake ear
nestly what you have hitherto undertaken
sporadically. That is the principle
upon which unionism is based 1t
isn't the spasmodic. emotional campaign
which counts, but the slow, quiet. per-
sstent work. the wearing away of the
stone, which brings results Labor today
realizes this, and is pursuing It's fight
along these lines.
1T is the history of unionism that no
sooner is one advantage gained than
work is begun to procure another. If
You gained 81 day wage. which you de-
serve. it will merely mean that you will
shortly afterward begin work to obtain
s2.2o and $50 day. There is no ques-
ton in my mind that work of the char
acter which you girls are performing is
worth $3.50 day. But that is another
question The immediate problem is to
obtain what you are after. If you do
that by dint of years work you will
have vindicated the organization of the
union. All that is needed is faithful at
tendance at monthly meetings and pay
ment OF dues. amounting to at least 81
a year. If you procure hundred and
ffty-six-dollar per annum increase at a
six-dollar outlay YOU are obtaining a
rather heavy rate of interest on your in
veStment.'
Welcomed by Union Leader.
In closing he said that all union labor
welcomes the new union and that all of
the officials of the American Federation
of Labor will heartily espouse it's cause,
together with the National Civic Fedora
ton
A letter was read from President Sam
uel Gompers of the American Federation
OF Labor. after which addresses were
made by r. {. Roberts of the Typograph-
zeal Union and Y. D. Harbaugh of the
bureau of engraving and printing.
The colored woman employees of the
bureau also formed "a union yesterday
afternoon at meeting held in the Met
Topoiitan A. NJ. Il. Church, in NJ street
northwest About 100 women joined the
or9aniZation