Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1910-06-10

| Will tneIn as Hien 10 remain at thei
work and accept the reduction.
Under the system in vogue in mos
industries today the first the mel
know Of contemplated reduction I.
the notice posted in the shop readin,
that on and after such day theil
wages will be cut certain per cent
and the men knowing nothing Of ths
reason for such q cut decline TO stani
| for it. and the result is a shop meetinf
and then a strike.
| Every man feels. if he is man
that no matter how much money g
man may have he has no more right
to say to his help you must, then the
poorest of them in his poverty has the
right to say to the man with millions
| you must.
| To my mind the ones who are most
| responsible for the position in which
| the three officials of the American
Federation of Labor are in, under SEN
tence for contempt of court, are the
thousands of men who carry union
cards in their pockets and never think
of whether their purchases bear the
union label or not
There would be no need of issuing n
|
union man would use that right which
Is ms TO refuse goods of any kind
unless the union label appears on
thefn. NO manufacturers would
continue to manufacture goods which
did not sell, and refusing to purchase
and stating the reason for not pur-
CHASING is not punishable and will
cause the manufacturer to use the
label quicker than boycott or strike.
What can be more deserving of the
patronage of union men and all men
than the union label which signifies
that human life has been more highly
valued in the productions of COM
modities than the mere profit sought
for by greed.
The union label is an emblem of
justice Of fraternity and of humanity,
and when you find a union label on a
garment or box of cigars you can
be sure that neither was made in
sweat shop or tenement house. That
no children's fingers We're compelled
to sew or strip tobacco in the hours
intended for healthful childish sleep
OF recreation.
Gentlemen. l ask you as union men
to think more of the label and what it
means.
During the last session of the State
legislature Il resolve was introduced
and received a passage. which created
committee to investigate the advis-
ability OF establishing an industrial
branch in our schools.
am we'll aware that trades unions
have been and always will be opposed
I ~ TyL al oh
ted for private gain. Such schools are
a menace to all skilled labor, and to
the communities in which they exist.
These schools agree for a certain
compensation to teach a man a trade,
but the student finds after he has TAX
en- his course that he cannot command
journeyman's pay and it can be read
lily seen what becomes Of him. He
must join the ranks of those who are
willing or through necessity must work
for any wage that will give them sus-
tenance, thereby becoming a menace to
every man working at that particular
trade.
Such institutions as these organized
LABOR always has and / hope always
will be opposed to. | believe however,
that We must not let these facts preju-
dice us against all industrial educa-
ton, and that We must approach this
question with open minds, realizing
that industrial education properly ap-
pied must work 10 the benefit of the
working masses.
1 believe that if way can be devised
whereby a boy during his last years in
the grammar school can be interested
in the Industries or vocatiOns OF the
vicinity In which his life is to be
spent, and he and his instructors can
ascertain to which of these he takes
the most Readily a great saving may
ne made in that boys lie.
You have all seen many cases of
where q boy Of fifteen or sixteen IL
forced TO leave school and seek en-
plOyment and it seems that he is only
looking for Il job and it matters not to
him what job it may be. He finds en-
plovmcnt and after working for year
finds that the work is utterly diStaste-
full to him, and he changes, perhaps
with the same results, and the out
come is that when he reaches the age
of 90 or p he has had four or five years
of eyDeri,nce that will be OF no use TO
him in after life.
Now. ! believe that if this boy had
had a chance 10 look over. as l might
saw, Ihe different trades. he might
have selected one that would suit him.
ard while vet in school prepare hlmself
so that when he leaves school he can
start on an apprenticeship at that
trade, with enough understanding OF
il to command better wages as an APP
prentice and develop into a thoroughly
competent workman at an age Wheh
ment2lly and physically he is still far
from reaching his prime. instead OF as
we sec today too many who reach TINS
stage of competency just as their Gays
Of usefulness are passing
] hope the convention will give thlS
matter eerions attention FOR as q mem
Der of this investigating committee
should like to get the concensuS OF
oninion OF the working men OF the
State on this subject
There was n bill introduced at the last
7 .aoisIot,re known as the Viewers Par
ticiliar Act. This bill undertakes to rem
edy a condition which all the weavers or
the state are working under and which
they claim is an unjust condition. The
hill was introduced too late for the com
mittee on labor to advertise ana hoin a