The New York herald., 1921-11-10
Their Pulpits Are Offered
in Exchange to Indus
trial Leaders.
PAID 55 CENTS AN HOUR
Surprised to See No Rugs or
Mahogany Furniture at
Union Headquarters.

Spcccl Despatch to THE NEW YORK HERALD
Boston, Nov. 9.-"There's no ma
hoeany furniture or nice rugs here;
Just. plain furniture that has been
used long time"
That was the first impression" of
one Of the seven ministers who ac-
cepted the invitation of the Boston
Central Labor Union to-day and
donned overalls and then carried
bricks, sawed wood swept floors and
did the work of er unsklled laborer
on various construction jobs.
Next Sunday in many churches the
subject religious ideals in industrial
relations" will he discussed, in some
cases by representatives of organized
labor. The public is invited to attend
meeting in Fanueil Hall Sunday
afternoon.
Receive Union Permits.
Since the clergymen invited the labor
leaders to fill their pulpits. labor de-
cided to reciprocate and give to the
ministers an opportunity to get
'close up OF labor by actual working
with labor.
The clergymen went to the building
trades headquarters prepared for work,
With overalls under their arms. E. L.
Johnson, secretary of the council, was
on hand to greet them. And there were
scores Of other men in the building.
who were out Of work and waiting for
something to turn up.
The ministers who were on the job
were: The Rev. Arthur r. Stephenson
of Australia, attending the Congrega-
tonal International Conference here;
the Rev. Newton C. Fetter. First Bap-
tist Church, the Rev Clarence A.
Young, Roxbury Presbyterian Church
the Rev. Fletcher D. Parker, secretary
of the City Missionary Society: the Rev.
w. Harry Freda, Clarendon Street Bap-
tist Church; the Rev. Frank Kingdom,
fremont Street Methodist Church, and
the Rev. A. NJ. Smith.
Each received a special permit card
by Secretary Johnson. which allowed
them as non-union men to work with
union men. They signed the cards.
Then they We're assigned to various
jobs and taken to them in automobiles
by agents of various unions.
Fetter and Young were taken by j. III.
Fitzpatrick, agent OF the Hosting and
Portable Engineers local. to the new
Latin school on Longwood avenue. On
the way fltLpatTlCk ana tnc Iiiiiistei .
exchanged views on bringing about
better understanding of labor.
People condemn labor unions when
they don't know anything about them
or the conditions under which men
work." said Fitzpatrick. II am glad
10 see the ministers actually look into
the labor conditions by taking off their
coats and working with labor"
Miss Mahogany Furniture.
"I was surprised TO see that there
was no mahogany furniture or rugs on
the floors at union headquarters" came
from Mr.. Fetter with Pastor Young
noddng assent. 1T was the second
time I had ever been in the headquar-
ters of a labor union" Mr.. Fetter added.
Seems to me II would be n good plan
If the ministers were allowed to attend
some of the labor meetings and hear the
men talk over the terrible conditions
under which they have to work." de-
clared Fitzpatrick. There are many
men in town who have not worked for
ten months. The other day had to go
twenty-five miles to get one man a
job"
When the two ministers reached the
building they asked the superintendent
for any kind OF work he thought they
could do. They were put to work car
rying hod and pushing a wheelbarrow
incidentally the hod carried by Mr..
Young weighed seventy-two pounds in
al and IL was his work to take 1t up
three flights of stairs.
Pastors Parker and Kingdom were as
signed to a new building in Winter street.
They were put to work sweeping, fol-
lowed by other work
The Rev. Mr.. Smith was put on a con-
struction job in Cornhill. Pastor Freda
was assigned to similar work on State
street and the Rev. Mr.. Stephenson
hauled cement for q firm on Windsor
street.
The clergymen worked for few hours
and then collected fifty-ive cents for
every hour they were on the job. The
money will be turned over to the fund
for defraying expenses OF the conference.