Wheeling majority. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1907-192?, 1913-03-13
ATWOOD TROUSERS
s. & $50 GRADE
Nc %oe1 81 t tG
Trade Unionists In servia and the war

Descriptions of the conditions in
the Balkans as given by trade union
comrades show what a terrible mis-
fortune the war is for the working
population. When such stories date
from past ages they can be rendered
as tales of heroism and phantastic adj
venture. But one can understand what
war really means from the descrip-
ton of the present campaign by those
who do not write to order or for
their own ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, but who
endeavor to shed light on the posi-
ton as regards civilization and pro-
gress. The following short report of
the Servian Trades Union Centre
should be educative for all workers
in that it describes the effects of the
war in such manner as will dis
miss from mind al 1.-The fine pictures
of national war heroes and such like
The information gives details of the
state of affairs from the mobilization
in September last, which took great
numbers of trades unionists. In a
few days 80 per cent of the organized
workers were under arms. They
ceased to be free persons and became
parts of large military machine the
fate of which was in the hands of a
few, They were torn from the friend
ly educational work in home and
workshop and in the labor move
ment, and pressed into the service of
the sword. Death and destruction are
the means by which the ruling classes
gain fame and booty, while the result
is hunger and misery for the masses.
During the mobilization, as the var
ious regiments began to march out
from Belgrade many comrades visited
the Offices of the unions for the last
handshake, with sad hearts in the
knowledge that they were leaving,
perhaps for ever, their uncared for
families, the party and their unions.
Whoever had a few dinars left them
behind for his family, realizing the
privations and hardships in store for
them. The trials Of these poor fell
lows on the march. in action and even
during the armistice are not to be de-
Iscribed. Sometimes they had to
march 500 and even 800 kilometers
without sleep or food and in intense
cold.
The patriotic employers hurried to
profit by the war. Large numbers of
workers had their wages reduced or
withheld. For many workers, in par
ticular several thousand miners,
wages were withheld for and 3
months. Naturally this created re-
volts, but the police were ever at the
elbows of the employers. A great
company which constructs railways in
East Servia, refused to pay wages. but
the police did not intervene on behalf
tof the neeessitois workers.
Following a decision of the Trades
Unions Centre places were closed after
the mobilization and an inventory
made of all property. 'Valuables and
moneys were handed over to the
cashier of the centre SO that every
thing should be safe in case of extra
ordinary complications. The few com
trades left behind, either very young
or very old persons, were given advice
for their future activity by means OF
circulars. Many strikes had to be
given up at the time war commenced,
in all II, covering 1000 workers, for
which $4,000 (about 500 .pounds) had
been spent.
The war gave the employers the
opportunity to suspend the trades
courts and so deprive the workers OF
the possibility of obtaining theiI
rights. Those few who are still en-
L q