Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1916-08-10
Visiting Labor Leader Who
Knows Suspects Scouts Idea
of Unions Entering Plot

Some timely and interesting state
ments pertaining to organized labor
have been made to the Star-Bulletin
by j. E. Dillon, an active union man
of San Francisco, who is on his first
trip TO Honolulu, visiting relatives.
In answer to questions Dillon spoke
freely on the San Francisco bomb out
rage, on the threatened railway
strike and to certain extent on Ia:
Dor conditions here, although he says
his visit here is chiefly for pleasure.
Tersely his opinions on these three
subjects are that San Francisco un.
ions positively had nothing to do with
the preparedness parade tragedy;
that he hopes and believes the rail.
way differences win be settled by ar
litration. and that members OF his
own union, International Moulders,
who are employed in Honolulu are on
the best of terms with their employ
ers.
Talks Of Parade Tragedy.
Inasmuch as Dillon knows Mooney
and Nolan, two labor men held
for investigation in the bomb affair,
and was only few blocks from the
scene Of the catastrophe, he Is espe-
ciaIly informed on many details sur
rounding the explosion and the actiV-
tiles of the police afterwards.
In the first place Dillon says that
although San Francisco unions would
not indorse the preparedness parade,
they did nothing to hinder its prog
ress.
'Our unions voted against the pa
rade, not through lack of loyalty to
the United States, but because they
believed the procession was fostered
by men who were more interested in
the manufacture of munitions than in
the defense of their country, Dillon
explains.
Although the unions refused to of
ficiaIly Endorse the parade 1t was
by no means 'tabued. for thousands
of union, men marched in the col
umns and Andrew ]. Gallagher,
one of the most active union leaders
and past president and secretary OF
the labor council of San Francisco,
assisted materially in arranging and
conducting the parade.
Money and Nolan in no way repre-
sented the unions, although they are
both union men, according to Dillon.
Billings, third man arrested, he does
not know The two first named were
known by their associates as radl-
Gals and would-be strike agftators,
only men would not follow them.
Dillon tells of Mooney being repu-
dated in the labor council when he
attempted to bring about a streetcar
strike in San Francisco several weeks
ago, of his attempt to take operators
from the cars without the unions
backing and his ignominious failure
when his agitators we're arrested by
the police for disturbing the peace
after trying to stop streetears by
force.
Police Embitter Mooney.
'eThe action of the police in his at
tempted strike embittered him
against them and when enemies of
the police among the striking long
shoremen circulated petition to re-
duce policemen's salaries, Mooney
helped them" continued Dillon's ex-
PLANTATION.
In justice to the longshoremen he
says, however, that leaders Of that
strike tore up the petitions as rapidly
as they we're found
at never was the Intention of Ia
Dor organizations to lower any work
ing mans wage" remarked Dillon, re-
( ferring to this action.
Dillon would not express an opinion
as to whether the three union men
are guilty.
The courts will decide that, he
said, but if they are it will be no
reflection on the San Francisco un.