The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1916-02-25
FOR UPLIFT OF
ALL MANKIND
Trade Union Movement Not
Based on Selfish Motives.
BROAD IN ITS ACTIVITIES.
Organized Labor Has Not Only I'M
proved Working Conditions of Its
Own Membership, but of All Who
Toil-What 1t Has Done For the Ad-
vancement of Education


In his speech at the laying Of the
cornerstone of the American Fedora
ton of Labor Office building at Wash
ington Secretary Of Labor William B.
Wilson said in part:
AS | stand here beside this corner
stone where the hopes OF the trade un-
ion movement that it might have
temple dedicated to human welfare are
about to be realized my memory goes
back over the formative period of the
trade union movement of our country,
and | can see passing before It a host
of men in various parts of the country
and in divergent trades who are max
ing sacrifices i'm order that the great
masses may be benefited Strewn along
the pathway Of that formative period
are the dead bodies Of heroes Of the
labor movement who have been driven
adrift; who have Travelled from place
to place, ragged, hungry and worn,
preaching the gospel Of the brother
hood of man, though eXiled from their
own homes by the merciess blacklist;
who have undergone all of the hard
ships that it IS possible for men to un-
dergo in their desire to promote the
welfare of mankind. And that picture
clearly demonstrates to me the falsity
of the statement that the trade union
movement is Il selfish movement.
There is great difference today in
the conditions under which the work
ers toll in various trades from that
which existed a number Of years ago
In most instances the hours of labor
per day have been reduced. in many
instances the conditions surrounding
the workmen relative to the protection
Of their health, their ife and their
limbs have been improved In nearly
all instances the wages, the actual
wages, have been increased.
Those things have not been brought
about as result of the voluntary ac-
tion on the part of employers. No mat
ter how generous the employers may
be, no matter how kindly their dispo-
sitions no matter how much they may
desire to be beneficial to their fellow
men. there has been point beyond
which tboy oonld mn on ,rnlos, tboir
1oss ,onorous co,,notifor ,ro,+ rritb
+bnn, mo no,.o,. With bo, i,,a,oncod
tho nova,. which has connellod tho loss
generous employer to move forward,
has been the collective action of the
workmen. and in compelling them to
roovo ro,,v.ord no ,,.o,I.o,s ,,rono,I+
hona6oioI .o,,litio,,. ,,o+ o,1,. 80 +hoso
wbo woro n,on,Io,,. or tho t,.ado nrion
roorar,npt hut "a an ,,.n,l,a,, v,ha+bar
or,ro,i1od ~. nnorna.i1od IIonca +bo
o1looo+ions tbot ,I,o tr,do ,,ion p,oro.
mont i salfsb movo,nant 4. vitbor+
q nor+iolo ,f foundation ia Fact
Tho n,,ostion or mo u.ooa, tho ouas
+ion oP tl,o ho,,,s op l.to,. tbo cnas+;or
ne eo,itotio, ond e,rotr ~ tho rIooas
op rro.l. ba.vo nor bao, tbo o,,I,, o,,os-
t;o,,s ,t,on which ~, a., n,,i,,,, ,,io,,o
noant bos ovnonaod h. octi,i+ios u
hoe hoon os hrood in ite ,.n+ivi+ios
broad i, ~ effort. b,r,o,, activity
i+so1f Onr oroo+ ,,I,lic sohool srs+o,,,
o,,+o,,,I;,,,, f,,r, o,,o .,,7 of tbo no,,,,+,,,
IN tho o+bor Inv With tho childror, of
oil ol,s.,, ,,f an. ,.,,,,.I., ,ro ,,;,.o,, o.,
or,no.t,,,,f+,. of ~ lo., III o1a,,o,,+o,,,
o5ncotion c,r,o INTO .ovista,oo outside
of +bo Zow FnoIand st,tas nc tho AZ.
root ro.pl+ If 40 o,,or,ia. If tbo troda
union movement
rba oo,,n,1sor,. od,.o+;on ~ obil.
dror ,rotn.tino ,yoal- rooo oor,,ors
o,roi,st +boi,. ot.,, ,,a.oysi+ios. tha f,r-
nisbing Of +ovtbool,s "a that tbo nhild
of tho noor Nam n,iobt NOT ba aobar-
rossoa - tbo snhoolroo,, o1o,,gsilo of
tLo ohi1dro,, of +boso ,,bo oro hot+ar
ofp. +bo i,,,.,oosi,,,, ,f +b, ooo 81 Witch
40 obird ,no,, 10 nlanod ~ ,rorl, i'm
croinf,,I ooo,,,,otions thoso oro COMO
o,,d M sn,ou nar+ of Tho ros,,lte of
tho ooti,-i+ioe 10 ia t,.,do nnion ,noro
rnop+ Tbov oro ,oo,,tionod morolv os
indicative of tba limos ,Iong which
their aneroios are ovartad ANA whv9
pooorso co for os tba voli - 10 ara
oonoor,,od 90 CO.. ~ ,hoso WHO ara al.
roodv fnrnishod vim la,.gn an,ount
ne +bie r,orId,s GOOD. are concerned
tbo,, hox.o hoon :, no,itio,, 70 +ol,o
ooro of tbo s.,i+otion of tbair own
t,o,,,oa - r,.o,.i1o fo,. tbo od,ootio, of