Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1922-01-13
NJ. FL. PRESIDENT
TALKS ON UNIONS
FAIR CROWD HEARS e, G., HALL
DISCUSS LABOR
QUESTIONS

sofa Federation of Labor, gave an in
teresting talk on trades unions and re-
lated matters at mass meeting at the
Elks hall in this city. Monday evening
About seventy persons, mostly local
union men, were present. John J.
Manning, secretary Of the Union Label
Trades department. Of the American
Federation of Labor, was to have been
one Of the speakers but he was unable
to come on account of death in the
family. Adam Patyk presided at the
meeting and introduced Mr. Hail.,
Explaining the object of this meet
ing, Mr.. Hall said that the state feder-
alton of labor had decided to hold a
series Of meetings in thirtyseven cities
in this state having unions, for the
purpose Of making the union members
of those cities better acquainted with
matters of interest to them and the
public generally which are now going
on. There are many more things affect
ing the country than one would realize,
he said, and the aim, therefore, of the
meetings, is to bring more forcib1y to
the public the conditions fhat-hav to
be met. This is necessary Because we
find that those who should be best in
formed on these matters pay little or
no attention to what is going on in the
nation g. capitol.
There is not enough knowledge Of
the trade union movement, even among
the members themselves; Mr.. Hall said.
Many of them believe that the only
reason they are paying dues is from
the standpoint of a possible raise in
their wages. In fact, the activities of
the union reach to every interest and
it is net only for the man and woman
terment generally.
The speaker touched on the late war
its consequences and cost and he said
that labor should become so interested
that there, will not be a repetition of
the last war. He also mentioned the
service that labor rendered during the
war; that labor had done it's proper
part in the war work. The labor class
is not one Of pacifsts, he said, but
they are humanitarian-they are fol
less armament and for disarmament if
possible. -:
A vivid picture was drawn by Mr.
Hall Of the terrible toll that industrial
accidents exact each year and in this
connection he remarked that instead OF
building implements Of destruction, the
government had better consider the in
dustrial army of killed and manned
he said that in 1919, $4,000 people
were killed in industrial accidents il
this country. Three million accident
laid up the victims for periods Of from
one to four days that year and 575,00t
were laid up from injuries over fou
weeks. This, when compared with thu
| loss Of. American soldiers, would shov
what was meant in loss of life and in
juries in the industrial world.
| Mr.. Hall spoke on the open shop an<
! the "union busting employer VIII,
says that the union is load ston.
about any community. He said tha:
the employer is probably justified il
his fight, which may be termed "gooi
business' from his standpoint. Trad
unionism does interfere with the EN-
ployer's business, MIR. Hall said, bu
the interference all lies in the fact tina
the employe should have something t.
say about his own business. The TO
called open shop is actually a close
shop, as union labor is excluded, h
pointed out. He went on to say tina
labor is less organized than any othe
group, but they should take the advic
Of their employers in the matter of OF
! ganization, the employers being organ
lied III practically every line. He dc
Tended the right Of labor to bargai
collectively. He called attention t
the government guarantee Of adt
qnate returns to railroads and aske
how long the public would stand fo
such proposition, should the loca
government grant this to some Of tn
citizens. Here he mentioned that 9
railroads and 22 railroad equipmen
concerns are controlled by IL Wa.
street. fnanciers.
In conclusion, Mr.. Hall called after
tion to the manufactured articles beal
ing the union label and he urged tn
union members to buy these in pre-
ference to others and thus aid tn
cause. He announced that at the mex
monthly meeting here Secretary Law
son of the Minnesota Federation o
Labor would speak, also a speake
from the American Federation G
Labor:
Major Schoos of the Canadian Mount
ed Police will give lecture for tn
children at the Central school this a:
ternoon at 3 o'clock. The Centre