The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-06-09
LABOR'S GPLIFT YEAR
Chi2c-o Ulio1ists Rejoice In
General Wage Increase.
THE DOWNFALL CT MADDEN.

American Federation supplants For
mer Boss In Control Of the Building
Trades--Railway Employees Receive
Substantial Advance.
Organized labor Of Chicago celebrat-
ed May day as the end Of year Of
general wage advancement and pros
perity for majority Of organized
crafts.
The year has been remarkably free
from strikes OF serious nature in
Chicago, aud the few small conflicts
that have occurred generally have end
ed in a victory for the workers.
The striking feature of the actiyi-
ties of organized labor during the year
Is characterized by labor men as the
"moral uplift" of the labor movement.
BY persistent effort on the part of
the decent element Of the unions, aid
ed by contractors, Martin b. ("Sldnny'D
Madden, former ear Of the building
trades unions, was exposed, indicted
by the grand jury and convicted Of
4 grating.
1 Two r. Madden's henchmen were
} convicted with him They are NJ. J.
Boyle of the Electrical Workers un-
ion and Fr d A. pouchot of the Sheet
Metal Workers union. Each was
convicted of conspiracy in connection
with carig and settling strikes and
was ii 1903. Several additional In
dictm is are pending against them
AS result Of ll, convictions "SlSin-
ny" Nlddra's power over the unions
he Formerly dominated has dwinded
TO almost zero. and the Associated
Building Trades. his once powerful
central body, is dissolved. The dis
solution of the organization was
brought about by gradual defections
and Withdrawals from the Madden
fold
In the place Of the Madden organiza-
tion the Chicago Building Trades coun-
ell Of The American Federation Of La
Dor has been formed. and It's officers
and members have carried on an in
cessant fight against the former labor
car.
The principal strikes during the year
occurred In the building trades and
were traceabe directly to the efforts
OF skinny" MADDEN 10 defeat the
aims Of the new council
One Of the most bitter struggles was
that Of the elevator constructors
against the Otis Elevator company.
BY an agreement with skinny" Mad
den and the officials OF the Otis com
pany machlnists were put TO work as
"strike breakers in the places Of the
striking elevator constructors.
The new council took up the cause
Of the elevator constructors and called
strikes on number Of downtown sky
scrapers In an effort to force the con-
tractors and architects to bring about
a settlement. Nothing came Of the
sympathetic strikes. however, and the
men returned 10 work after few days
OF idleness. lhe dispute still remains
unsettled
Railroad employees In Chicago and
! throughout the country have received
higher wages during the year. In
, Chicago n federal board Of arbitration
granted switchmen an Increase Of
cents an hour over the former rates
Of pay. This will establish the rate
for practically all switchmen through
Il out the country
a strike Of national importance thai
continued throughout the year and +
still IN force Is that OF 10000 scamer
on the great lakes. The strike Of LAX,
seameu Is directed against the Lake
Il Carriers association and the ., y
adopted by the shinowners o. main
tanning "opcn shop 81 .a' We els %
II the inland seas
II Following the sndrg ui mcrensc1
wages TO sw Innu 10 Sic G.. age
district by - T leIrl lard arbi
tration .r~ under 's ....luan law
several r.lroad companies, notably
II the PEI sylvan g tenn. voluntarily
II advanced IA, Wages Of Us employees
about per cent over the former rate
of pay. Railroad tclegraphers on th'
Illinois Central the Baltimore an'
II Ohio and other railroads were given
II raise and substantial reduction Il
II hours amounting TO from . TO 10 pc
II cent over what they formerly received
III aud a number Of railroads nj presen
II are engaged In negotiations with thei
II employees over demands for hlghe
wages
II The most important wage settlemen
II made In Chicago during the year wa
that OF 10000 street car men cmploye
II on the surface lines from Evanston {
III Hammond. Ind. and from the lake
III the western suburbs. The negoti'
II lions continued four months and sex
III eral times threatened 70 plunge III
II city into n strike OF gigantic propo
lions
II When the crisis came. however, Ma!
II or Busse took hand In the sltuatio
II and appointed Attorney Walter
II Fisher MS the city's representative
II the negotiations. Several plans OF sc
II Element were worked out by Mr.. Fisl
II or. and he was given credit for draf
II Ing a scale finally adopted by the me-