United labor bulletin., 1910-03-11

H. j. Skefington, who appeared at
meeting of the Trades Assembly We'd
nesday evening, was. for many years, a
| leader of the shoemakers of this country.
He organized the Boot and Shoemakers
| into the National Trades Assembly, No.
PIG under the knights of Labor, and
subsequently took them out of the
knights of Labor and organized the Boot
and Shoemakers' international Union, of
which he was secretary and treasurer
for a number of years, always elected by
unanimous vote.
Mr.. Skefington was one of the pioneers
of the trade union movement, and be-
longs to that class of old veterans who
saw the most active service, and, with
out means, travelled from city to city on
the charity of thte members to get a ma
tional organization together He was a
delegate to the American Federation OF
Labor for a number of years and is IA
vorably and intimately known to every
trade union leader of note in the United
States and Canada.
When the w. L. Douglas Shoe COM
pany of Brockton, Mass, made the first
arbitration agreement with the Shoe
makers Union, Mr.. Skef1ington entered
the employ of the company to promote
the sale of union stamped Shoes and as
| a label agent for the Boot and Shoemak-
ers Union, and he Travelled in every
state and territory of the Union, address
ing national conventions, state branches
and central bodies in the interest of both
the union and Mr.. Douglas.
When Mr. Skeffington speaks of the
things that w. l. Douglas did to promote
the interest of the Boot and Shoemakers'
Union he knows whereof he speaks, as
this work was done by Mr.. Skeffington
himself.
We are pleased to meet Mr.. Skefing-
ton, and to know that he is well and Wig
orous and also that he is still as enthusi-
Eastic in the promotion of unionism as
anyone we know. Mr.. Skefington came
to Syracuse as secretary of the national
organization of shoemekers when our
own Jim Lynch was just budding into
manhood in the trades union movement.
At the meeting of the Trades Assem-
bly, Wednesday night, after Louis M.
Scates, organizer of the Boot and Shoe
Workers Union, had spoken of the set
Element of the controversy between his
union and the w. L. Douglas Shoe COM
pany, and had warned members that an
independent union of the shoemakers in
Lynn, Mass, was engaged in an attempt
to disrupt the Boot and Shoe Workers
Union and Mr.. Skeffington, being intro
duced by the Chair, among other things
| said:
| 81 was surprised that Brother Scates
did not tell you of some of the good
things that the w. l.. Douglas company
has been doing for many years to pro-
mote the interests of the shoe workers
of every union. AS an employee of Mr..
Douglas for some years past, I will I'M
dertake to supply the omission. I have
no hesitancy. whatsoever, in saying that
W. L. Douglas has been for more than
30 years, and is today, the best friend
that the shoe workers of this country
ever had. He made the first arbitration
agreement with the union and did more
than all other shoe manufacturers put to-
gether to promote the sale of union
made shoes, and to defend and perpetu-
ate the union when it sorely needed
friends. He conducts the best and most
completely organized union shop of any
trade in the country. Besides the shoe
makers in his factory, all the machinists
electricians, fremen, engineers, carpen-
tiers, plumbers, teamsters, etc, are mem
bers, IN good standing, of their respective
unions. The Printers Union label has,
for many years, been used on 95 per
cent. of the firms printed matter Every
contract for alterations and repairs in all
their stores has a strictly enforced union
labor provision. The clerks in their
stores are members of the Retail Clerks
Union, wherever a union exists.
1.-THE W. l.. Douglas Shoe company
paid the highest average wages to it's
employees in the shoe trade in the world,
and the best conditions of labor exists
in its factories. first-class physician
and trained nurse have for many years,
had completely fitted Offices, resting and
operating rooms set aside in the factory
with services and medicines absolutely
free. Important operat 'ons on the Doug
las factory employees were performed by
the most skilled specialists from Boston
without expense to the employe.
"The American Federation of Labor,
at its convention at Norfolk. Va, Novem-
Der, 1907, gave unanimous vote of
thanks to w. L. Douglas for unfolding
the contract with the union, and when
a rebellious faction set up an independ-
ent union and being refused recognition
by the w. L. Douglas Shoe company, de-
clared strike, threatening the very life
of the Boot and Shoe Workers Union in
Brockton.
Ten years ago all The local unions in
Brockton, except the Lasters' Union. re-
pudiated the national union and its new
constitution, and but for the trade union
,Nr;,, ot,114 80
backed by the Executive Council of the
American Federation of Labor, through
"a committee, of which Vice-President
James Duncan was chairman, the union
would have been crushed out of exist
ence in Brockton.
This is the man and this is the work
he has been doing to nrOmote the infer