Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-12-04

fellow workers.
The difference in wages paid the
workers is entirely the difference in
Organization. Consider the locomotive
engineer. Their wages are high, their
conditions of work are good solely be-
cause they are organized. A high de-
gree of education is not necessary TO.
them. Consider, ON the other hand
the clerk. His work requires consider
able education, and education means
long preparation. And yet his wages
are low. Why? 1t is because he is
not organized
According. to Congressman Kelley,
| Of Pennsylvania, the cost Of living has
1nceased 56 per cent while the increase
in wages has been but 36 per cent. The
increase in wages is kept down by the
unorganized mass. In cities where the
building trades are well organized
their wages are better. The whole
thing is that the labor union is no
charity institution. Nothing car
come out of 1t except that which the
workers get into it. 1t is simply that
the worker has his labor power to sell,
andby combining with his fellow work
ers he can raise the price at which he
sells it. But to combine successfully
he must forget about every thing else
but his labor power, he must forget
about politics and religion
1--WE have had in New York go
day campaign, something like you are
contemplating here. AS result of
this, and other campaigng which have
been successfully carried on recently
| would suggest that You get in touch
with your national and international
organizations, that you visit the
churches and interest the preachers.
You can talk to laborers in churches
and school buildings can be used for
the same purpose. Committees can
arrange to visit the unorganized work
ers and talk to them. Any > iIlterna-
tional will send aid If they see that
you can obtain results. We must
realize that nothing is unimportant
enough to miss. We are about TO forge
a chain and we must not overlook any
link. The entire campaign should be
systematiZed and written reports
should be made to the chairman from
all districts. Special deputies can be
put to work. If you put steam and
ginger into the campaign and bring
your own personal friends into the
movement it will be one grand success
u Recess.
At the conclusion of MI. Greena-
waits address a recess was taken un-
til 1870 p. nj. It was then a few
minutes after IL, and dinner time for
most all those present, but they filed
out reluctantly, thus showing their
keen interest in the entire proceed
ings and their appreciation of the elo-
quent and forceful talks.
Afternoon Session
The afternoon session opened short
Iy after the appointed time, and the
first speaker introduced by Chairman
LaFlam was the president of the In
ternational Typographical Union.
James T. Duncan, whose talk proved
him exceptional as a student and
thinker. He said, among other things,
that "The Typographical Union is
perhaps the oldest labor organization
in continuous existence in the United
States. There have been other organ
izations formed before ours, but none
have continued in existence without
an essential change in policy.
"Our organization is the result of
conditions that do not exist in any
other industry. The nucleus of our
organization is the printing office.
There, where q number of men work
together. they have learned that by
joining in demand they can get re-
cognition In a way that would be de-
MED them as individuals This shop
group, or Chapel has grown into
local unions, and these local unions
have grown into an International. The
shop organization has naturally grown
into a state wide, and finally, into a
nation wide organization.
"Of course, there have been innum-
cradle difficulties surmounted. The
struggle has been a long and hard
fought one. We have been forced to
realize that our employer must be
given consideration. from the very sell
fish motive Of looking after our own
welfare II we, by the power we have
over one employer. abuse it by rails
ing our wages above the amount that
he can pay and continue to compete
with other employers, then we have
but hurt ourselves. And so our effort
has been more toward standardizing
q wage over q larger field and over
greater length Of time rather than in
one shop or in one locality.
Every union in evrey industry has
its own problems. and must deal with
them in the way best suited to them
selves, and our methods might not
prove suited for other crafts. but l Il
feel that l can best add to>the meeting
here today by giving these outlines Of
our own work rather than in suggest
ing lines that you should follow.
Certain It Isl however. that every
union must always have behind it the
power OF. the strike. After all. the
argument, all the pursuasion, all the
Involvement to employers, the strength
81 the union inst ultimately rest IN
force, nnd the strike y the force