St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-04-02
LABOR men MEET
Addresses by American Federation
of Labor and Local Men-Organ-
izatiOn Urged


the Red Mems Hall last Wednesday
evening with addresses by two
members Of the American Fedora
ton of Labor and several local men.
The meeting was called to order by
c. E. Cummings, chairman of the
local committee who presided over
the meeting and he stated that the
purpose of the meeting was to or
ganize the unorganized labor OF
st. Johnsbury.
Pres. F. I'll. BeaI
He first introduced Fred H. Beal
of Bethel, president of the Vermont
Branch of the American FEEDER
alton of Labor. Mr.. Beal stated
that he came here as common
worker and that the movement was
started for the benefit of the work
ing man of st. Johnsbury and also
for the benefit of the whole
village of st. Johnsbury, be-
cause when you uplift the
working man it is a benefit to the
whole community. He said he want
ed to impress upon all the employ
ees the value of organization. A
number of the larger employers OF
labor are now requesting their men
to organize so that they can treat
with them as mass and not as in
dividuals. He said that he under
stood the management of the scale
shops in this place was not oppos-
ed to organized labor because they
found that the lack of the union la
bel on their goods affected their
sales to some extent.
The organization of trade unions
is not all there is to it. The mem
bers must put their shoulder to
the wheel, there is work to be done
and someone must continue to do
it even after an organization is
started. He then spoke of the ben
efits that unorganiZed labor receiv-
ed as the result of organization.
After showing the advantages that
had been secured by labor he said
that it was the trade unions that
have brought about present day
conditions. The difference between
a wage that would allow a bare ex-
istence and a wage that allows the
comforts the working men are en-
joying at the present time was all
brought about through trade
unions. The union did not promise
an immediate raise in the pay of
the laboring man, but simply asks
anyone to look at what has already
been accomplished by organization.
Frank MCGEE
Frank MCGEE of Worcester,
Mass, a member of the American
Federation of Labor, was next in
PRODUCED. He said that he did not
know much about the conditions in
st. Johnsbury or much about
whether the laboring men were we'll
paid, but from what he had heard
he should say they were a pretty
poorly paid lot of men. There has
been no recent increase in wages in
this place but the laboring men
were paying the increased expense
of living. This increased cost of
living is brought about by the spec
ulators who manipulate bonds and
stocks to their own advantage and
it is time now for the laboring man
to manipulate his stock to his own
advantage. He said that in Massa-
chusetts they have to pay a car.
penter $3.50 for a day of eight
hours, but here you can get two
carpenters for that price He then
told of conditions that formerly ex-
listed in Worcester where the car
penters were as badly off as they
are here, but now the hod-carriers
in Worcester get more pay than the
carpenters in st. Johnsbury Labor
is cheap in st. Johnsbury but is no
lower than in other places where
labor is unorganized. He then re-
ferred to the prosperity of Brock
ton, Mass, where labor is organized
and told how he took in $25 a night
in small restaurant because the
men there were we'll paid and had
money to spend. He then spoke
about the lack of attention that
was given to labor in the state
house of Massachusetts % years
ago, but now it is a bee hive in the
interests Of labor. Thirty years ago
the American Federation of Labor
had 10000 members, now they have
100000, and every laboring man
should be hustling to get into it. 1t
is as profitable investment as Stan
dard oil.
Organized labor is the best friend
of the laboring man in the coun-
try. 1t has raised a great n:0nu-
ment to itself in the statute books
of the country He then told how |
the changes had been brought |
about; the ten hour law, later the !
eight hour law and the "a hours a |
week for women and children. This |
was not done by the capitalists but |
was done by the efforts of organ
lied labor. He spoke of the exper-
fences of Lawrence and Fall River,
Mass, where organized labor had |
brought about an increase in the
wages. We should look to the prob
lem of the good fellow. 1t is COM
petition amongst yourselves that is !
killing you. What had been accom- /
plished in improving the sanitary /
conditions in shops and the problem |
of child labor were shown He /
said that trade unions have driven /
the children out of the factory and |
put the father in to it; they had put |
the mother into the home to look |
after the welfare of the children |
which is her proper place. An or
ganizatiOn that has done so much /
good work as this is worthy of the