The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1912-05-25
STRONG MEN. PLEAD !.
UNION LABOR CAUSE
Largest of Series of Mass Meet
ing at Moose Hall stirs
Men of Labor.

Lie LLIIu OIL the series OIL meetings
conducted under the auspices of the
Union Labor Forward movement of
this city was held Tuesday evening at
Moose hall. 1t was by far the larg-
est and most enthusiastic meeting
that has thus far been held. The
Carpenters and Painters unions
which We're in session on that even
Ing, adjourned early and attended
the meeting in a body.
w. E. McEwen acted as chairman.
He introduced as the first speaker
John Walquist of Minneapolis,
members of the executive board Of
the United Brotherhood Of Carpenters
and Joiners. Mr.. Walquist made sew
eral telling points and clinched them
in a manner typical of a carpenter.
Labor's Only Hope.
He referred to- the steel trust in
vestigation being conducted at WASH
ington and told of labor conditions
which prevailed in the steel plants Of
Pennsylvania in which men are
obliged to labor IL hours each day
for seven days a%week for a pittance.
He declared that labor's only hope
Tor obtaining greater measure Of in
dustrial freedom, higher wages, short
or hours Of labor and better working
conditions was in organization.
Mr.. Walquist was followed by E..
G. Hall, also of Minneapolis and
president Of the Minnesota State Fed
Grafton of Labor. Mr.. Hall was fresh
from the Union Labor Forward Move
ment which recently successfully ter
minated in the Flour City. He car
ried message to the Duluth work.
1ngmen and urged them to get to-
gether for self advancement.
Kennedy Makes Plea.
Frank Kennedy, of Chicago, gen.
eral organizer of the United Associa-
/ ton of Plumbers, Gas and Steamfit-
tiers, was the next speaker. Mr.. Ken
! nedy was suffering from a severe cold
and spoke but briefly. He pointed
out that the fair wages and the short
| er hours of labor which now pre-
| vailed In most of the trades were
due to organization. He could see no
| relief for the unorganiZed working
men until they followed the example
set by their organized fellow work
| men.
Daniel Harris of New York city,
president of the New York State
Federation Of Labor and one of the
founders of the American Labor
movement. gave happy, interesting
and entertaining reminiscent speech
In which he reviewed conditions
which prevailed in the world Of labor
SO years ago. He told story of the
12-hour work day and Of conditions
of human slavery that prevailed be-
fore trade unions came into existence,
Trade Unions Did It,
| He argued that every advancement
made from that day to this by the
working classes of America was
through the efforts of the working.
men themselves in their trade unions
! The last speaker was c.. M. Fielder
! OF Los Angeles, organizer for the
Journeymen BARRIERS International
union. Mr.. Fielder is typical west
ern platform speaker He lost little
time in choice rhetoric but landed in
to his subject and discussed the prob
lens Of labor in style of language
that is best understood by working
men. He said:
| Fielder Is Forceful.
while we all want shorter hours
and more pay, that is not the prin-
( C1ple IOT winch we are working. III
is something more vital. We are
working to alleviate conditions; t.
make it impossible for children, from
6to years old, to get out and toll
from early morn to late at night fol
a mere pitance; to make it possible
for these boys and girls to obtain an
education and the recreation out in
the open air that is so necessary tc
the preservation of health.
| 'Unionism stands for conditions
where the employees receive a living
wage where they are not driven like
cattle. If you want to see the unions
flourish, purchase union-m made goods
| demand them. Refuse all others. ,
! At the close Of the meeting a sci
of resolutions was presented callins
upon the manager of the Duluth
Street Railway company to meet with
a committee of it's employees for the
purpose of adjusting differences ex-
listing between them and the COM
pany. The resolutions were con-
sentative but strong and were adopted
by unanimous vote of the immense