Newark leader. ([Newark, Ohio]) 1917-1946, 1941-04-17
Brief History
Of Newark
Central Body

t h e n w k Trades
Union and Labor Council
was organized May 3, 1892,
and the motto For Equal
Rights" adopted.
The year 1896 found
members meeting in the
hall over the old Sparta
cafe, now occupied by Ser
geant's. Officers were:
President, John Duly, mold
er; Vice President, Joseph
Spittel, barber; Correspond
ing and Recording Secre-
tary, E. E. Moore, machin-
ist; Financial Secretary and
Treasurer, Herman Elsner,
green glass bottle blower.
The Newark Trades Union and
Labor assembly at that time did
not dictate any action or assumed
power over local unions, and the
same is true today of the New
ark Federation of Labor.
President of the American
Federation of Labor with whom
the Newark organization affil-
lated, was Samuel Gompers, now
deceased, one of Labor's greatest
leaders.
In 1896 the Newark Express
Co., book and commercial print
ers, located at IL South Fourth
street, printed a booklet, ''The
Trade Unions of Newark, Ohio,
their history and biographical
sketches of leading union Off
GERS and public men,"
Fred Kochendorfer and Julius
Juch, were proprietors of the
shop and the type in the 50-page
booklet was all set by hand,
a tedious and painstaking job in
deed, in those days. The book
bore the Allied Printing Trades
Council label of Columbus, with
whom Mr.. Juch had his member
ship.
Among the early unions be-
longing to the council were the
cigar makers, iron moulders,
American Flint glass, bottle
glass blowers, machinists, rail-
way conductors, trainmen, loco
motive engineers, firemen, Fed
eral Labor union, retail clerks.
A notation in the book reveals
that a Typographical union was
then in the process of organiza-
tion.
The next move of the Trades
Union and Labor Council found
delegates from the affiliated or
ganizations meeting in the En-
erson building on West Main
street, formerly the Masonic
temple. About fifteen years
ago the present site was leased
from the Advocate Printing COM
pany.
For number of years it has
been the desire of the Federation
to have a Labor hall of their
own, according to E. E. Baker,
full time secretary.
After serious thought and de-
bate it was finally decided to
lease and remodel the second
and third floors of the Scott
building over the Rugg Electric
company and the George Pfeffer
Clothing store, corner of Third
and Church streets.
1t is these new, modern and
spacious quarters that will be
dedicated Sunday, April 20, with
fitting ceremony.
On the second floor is ladies'
lounge and powder room, two
committee rooms, the secretary's
office, two lavatories, kitchen
and club rooms, all modern and
nicely furnished.
On the third floor will be
found the large assembly hall,
two smaller meeting halls, kit
chens, and two lavatories.
Modern gas automatic heating
units are installed, and beauti-
full Holophane illumination is
used. All new floors were laid
and every part of the two floors
'emodeled and redecorated. Num-
erous walls had to be torn out
md steel reinforcing used in the
building process.
The entrance on Church street
las been completely remodeled.
club rooms and office
lave inlaid linoleum on the floors
md walls are all painted with
pleasing two-tone color COM
,ination.