Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-06-06

ELECT OFFICERS
LAST DAY OF
LABOR CONVENTION
The Maine Federation of Labor
ended its 22nd annual convention in
this city yesterday morning, about
90 delegates being present.
A. f. Eagles of Portland was re-
elected president of the federation
for the ensuing year and Howard c..
Woodside was the unanimous choice
TO rsecretary and legislative agent.
Other elections in which there were
no contests was Patrick Fitzgerald
of Augusta as treasurer and Floyd
l.. Coons of Woodland, first vice
president.
For the Office of second vice presi-
dent, w. B. Baker of Millinocket won
over c. H. Morrow and for the third
vice presidency c. H. Morrow defeat
ed Harold Reed of Portland. Ed
ward E. Carey of Waterville was
elected fourth vice president, defeat
ing John F. Spaulding of Augusta,
Everett Soule of Augusta and Wal
ter l. Clarke of North Jay. Two bal
lots were required in the election of
fifth vice president, Joseph B. Eaton
of Portland winning over John F.
Spaulding and Everett Soule. In the
election of sixth vice president three
ballots were taken, Lee Hall of Au-
gusta finally defeating John F.
Spaulding and Walter I. Clarke.
Immediately after the election of
officers had been finished the install
lation was conducted by Edgar Wal
lace, legislative representative Of the
American Federation of Labor.
Portland was unanimously chosen
as the place of the convention for
next year, being suggested by E. e.
Carey of this city.
A resolution was passed in which
the thanks of the state federation
were extended the city of Water
vile for the courtesy which had been
extended during the convention.
The election of Mr.. Fitzgerald
marks the seventeen consecutive
time that he has held that office. In
a few words Mr.. Fitzgerald thanked
the delegates for the honor which
had been bestowed upon him. He
said that he had been a member of
the federation for the last 20 years
and that he had always kept the in
terests of labor organization upper
most in his mind. At one time Mr.
Fitzgerald said that he had gone four
months without work with a family
of seven young children at home be-
cause he would not take a non-union
job.
Mr.. Carey, chairman of the gener-
al convention committee, said few
words of farewell to the delegates
and he said that 1t had been with
pleasure to the union men of Water
vile that the convention had been
held here.
During the session, two addresses
were delivered. Arthur F. Higgins of
the International Papermakers' Union
spoke briefly on conditions in his
to make sure that whatever, stationery
they used bore. the union water mark.
Otto Nicols, general organizer Unit
ed Garment Workers of America
spoke in part as follows:
free labor must be protected
against convict labor. Respectable
honest, Industrious and 1aw-abiding
workers must be industrially protected
, against criminals. Manufacturers who
pay heavy taxes in order to operate
their plants, who compensate their
union employees according to unior
scales, and who in all other respects
comply with union standards, must bt
protected against the competition OF
Inscriptions contractors of cheap
| slavish and poisonous productions OF
convict labor.
Commodities made in the prisons
of this country in 1923, according t.
the U. s. Bureau Of Labor Statistics
were valued at $43,462,51s, which
shows to what dangerous extent this
industrial and economic evil has
| grown. The value placed on clothine
and textiles was s19,011,54s, which
fact ought to make some of our cloth
| ing manufacturers and textile proprie
| tors sit up and take notice. Irvine val
| ued at $5,543,160 was also made by
| the convicts, who during the same
year produced furniture valued at So.
| 527,637 and brooms and brushes worth
$1,5l4,739. Some of the other bis
items in the list were as follows
Stoves, s564,17S; harness, s494,S7O
hollow ware, 1909; farm nipple
ments. $322,045; jute bags, $685.
and box shocks, s124,6S5. All these
productions made in the prison were
placed in the open market and sold ir
competition with free labor. Outside
the prisons other convicts were EN-.
ployed in coal mines, their productions
valued at s3,S00,000. Convicts in dairy
and cattle raising establishments pro.
duced $2.1S3,141 while their production
in lumber was valued at $256,S0O.
"A profit of $1,000,00O a year Is
said to be made by a big shirt man
ufacturing company, which operates
IL prison factories in this country
That this concern evidently knows
"a good thing" when it sees it and
intends to work the thing" for all
it is worth before it is put out of
business by the joint efforts of the
employers of free labor and the trade
unions of the United States is shown
in the record it has made.
1t is incorporated, having been
granted a charter by the state of
Illinois. Its authorized capital is
$5,600,000 and in marketing $1,000, 00O
common stock, it permitted it's bank
ers to make the following brazen an
nouncement in their advertisement:
The Blank Manufacturing Co., is
the largest maker of working mems
shirts in the country, doing a BUSH
ness Of between 10 and IL million
dollars year. 1t operates II prison
factories getting building rent free