The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1917-10-26
LOYALTY TO FLAG
The WATCHWORD
Organized Labor Stands For
Freedom and Democracy.
READY TO DEFEND NATION

Principles Of Unionism Must 30 Main
tanned In Order That Workers May
Render Greater service-Valus of
cultivating Friendly Relations With
EmpIoyers-The Shorter Day.
[From report of John f. Tobin. general
president Boot and Shoe Workers union.l
Let loyalty be our watehword, 10y
atty to the country and to the flag, to
the institutions Of freedom and de-
mocracy, to humanity, that the whole
world may be a better place; to the
government and to all duly constituted
authorities.
Some Of us must march with the ar
mics, others must make the guns and
the munitions others must make the
shoes that the armies march Ia, and
still Others must make the food, cloth
ing aud other necessaries both for the
men that march and FOR those that
supply them Let us each and ali
strive to be loyal in every sense.
Let loyalty be our watchword also
in our service 10 the cause Of organ
lied labor Let US be just as patriotic
In our labor work as we are In all
matters Of national service, remember
ing always that the man who avoids
service to his fellow man In the ranks
OF labor, In the ranks of industry or
in the ranks of democracy and liberty
for all people is just as much a Stacker
as the man who attempts to evade mil
itary service IN the national defense.
During the past two years substan-
tal increases In wages have been Sc
cured generally throughout our organ
ization, In some instances being re-
peated several times. Our organiza
ton is getting along very well by cul-
tiyating friendly relations between EN-
ployers and employees under the pro-
visions of our arbitration contract.
1t has been demonstrated that the
practice Of diplomacy and friendly
conferences produces practical results.
while strong arm methods and rev.
olutiouary threats do not frighten EN-
ployers but rather stimulate retalia-
ton and are barren Of results Of any
benefit to the general membership of
such self styled unions
As Indicated Ia our reports to our
last convention two years ago, the
tendency in our craft has been toward
a shorter hour week rather than a
short hour day and we have made
more progress on the short hour week
This result seems to be a natural
development OF the condition that ex-
listed two years ago when 1t was ap-
parent that more OF our local unions
and members were interested In a
short hour week with Saturday half
holiday than they were in any straight
short hour day.
Two years ago we recommended that
the short hour week should he the
slogan and the recent settlement in
Brockton, followed extensively in near
by and other communities carries a
| fifty hour week, with a Saturday half
holiday the year round.
We believe that every effort should
| be made to organize the unorganized
shoe workers and to obtain for them
the benefits Of the short hour week
and Saturday half holiday, so that
those of MS who are working under
these favorable conditions will not be
at competitive disadvantage 1t
seems clear that we must find our
shorter workday in the shorter hour
| week.
The most important factor in bring
ing about the growth Of our organiza-
tion against the obstacles mentioned
and to make that growth stable and
permanent has been our union stamp.
It is and always has been our greatest
organizing factor.
During the past two years we have
endeavored to keep our union stamp
constantly before the public, always
urging the purchases of shoes bearing
the union stamp
We have done this by persistent ad