1
VOL. XVII. NO. 9.
CONTRACT FOR THREE YEARS
Hours of Employment Reduced From
Twelve to Eight Per Day—Wage
8cale Open For Readjustment Annu
ally—Bakers' Union Wine After
Long Contest.
By A. A. MYRUP,
International treasurer Bakery and
The constructive persistency on our
own part and the magnificent support
given us by the trade union move
ment and all other liberty loving men
and women eventually brought about
a condition that resulted in a confer
ence being held during the first week
of April between representatives of
our International union and the Ward
Baking company, which terminated In
an agreement being reached and signed
on April 5.
GREAT VICTORY FOR SHORT DAY
The document constitutes a splendid
trade union agreement and carries
with it conditions of which any part
of our jurisdiction may well be proud.
It provides a complete union shop as
far as the bakery workers are coucern
ed, covers nine factories located in the
cities of Boston, Providence, Bronx
and Brooklyn, N. Y. Baltimore, Pitts
burgh and Cleveland, in all of which
cities the worst of nonunion conditions
exist, so far as the bakery workers are
concerned.
In those cities it will introduce the
eight hour day as compared with the
ten, eleven and twelve hour day gen
erally still prevailing there. It pro
Tides time and one-half overtime, a
wage scale that is fair, which may be
opeu for readjustment yearly during
the three years' life of the agreement.
It provides for a condition that will
eventually place our union label on
nearly all the products of the Ward
Baking company.
BUSINESS CORPORA!ION SIGNS AQREEMKNT WITH WORKERS
Conferences and negotiations that re
sulted in the agreement being reached
were conducted in the most cordial and
friendly spirit, far beyond expectations
Of possible reference to anything simi
lar during the career of the partici
pants. A mutual desire seemed to pre
vail to achieve and establish a perma
nent understanding that would result
In nothing but benefit to all concerned.
The document may well be referred to
as indicating the spirit of the times
and apparently making possible a new
era in the history of the baking in
dustry, in a large measure due to the
foresight of one of the largest and
most progressive baking concerns of
tke country. We are in hopes that
the same spirit may be seen in a simi
lar manner by all other nonunion con
cerns.
Call For Women on Ctrs.
A call for women volunteer* for
Work as street car conductors was re
cently issued by City Traction Commis
gioner Sanders of Cleveland, O. "The
street railway company is 200 men
short right now," said Sanders. "The
war draft will take a few hundred
more. We'll have to have women eon
UNITY
Con
fectionery Workers' International Union
of America, in American Federationist.
Time does not permit me to give an
extensive statement as to the now his
toric undertaking of our International
union that lias been so successfully ter
minated, at least so far as it affects
one of the most progressive if not the
richest baking corporations in the coun
try.
However, I may say that in the lat
ter part of 1010 it dawned upon the
bakery workers that their industry,
which up to then had been fairly free
from extensive labor saving devices
such as generally make possible great
business centralizations, was confront
ed with an evolution along these
lines that #lmost bore the semblance
of a complete revolutionizing of the in
dustry. Foremost among such busi
ness enterprises appeared the Ward
Baking company.
During the months of January, Feb
ruary and March, 1011, the Ward Bak
ing company was building large new
bakery plants in the Bronx and Brook
lyn, N. Y., of the most modern and
sanitary type, carrying with it the
greatest productive capacity far be
yond comparison with any similar
plants in any other part of the country.
Our International union then made a
strenuous effort to, if in any way pos
sible, reach a trade union agreement
with said Ward company, which re
grettably failed.
Thereafter an extensive publicity
campaign was inaugurated and main
tained up to the present time. The
membership of the international union
readily made the tinani ial sacrifices
aecesaary te conduct this campaign, to
the end of interesting the general
bread consuming public, inclusive of
the membership of the trade union
movement of the entire country, to
morairy assist the* bakery workers by
supporting their union label and other
wise, so that the proper and necessary
Influence would be brought to bear
upon the men financially Interested in
the new baking industry that would
bring about the realization that the
workers In that industry are human
and must receive trade union recogni
tion in order to safeguard and assure
the permanent interest of the industry
Itself.
OF
LABOR.
«$
Unity of labor means that ev- &
every orgauized worker shall be
engaged in one common union $
movement, because, whether or- &
ganized by trades or industries,
a question entirely subordinate
to the fundamental necessity of
unity, there should be no divl- «8
sion of labor's ranks.
There should be only one la
bor movement in a nation, and «8
in the United States and Canada
that movement is the American
Federation of Labor, and in ev
ery trade or industry that move- *t»
meat is the union affiliated with
the American Federation of La
bor. «g»
3 3* Z
EXEMPTION FOR LABOR.
Men Needed For War Work Should Not
Be Subject to Conscription.
Exemption from army conscription
for workers necessary for munitions
manufacture and for production of ar
ticles needed to maintain the civilian
population wis urged by Samuel Gom
pers, president of the American Fed
eration of Labor, in a statement point
ing to Ci'c.it juitaiu's mistake in
taking ii.t-i sn• li/hting forces thou
sands of -men who afterward had to
be returned In the manufacturing in
dustries.
"The fundamental demand which la
bor makes in connection with the con
scription act," said Mr. Gompers, "is
that representatives of wage earners
tnust be upon every board, national,
State and local, which has to do with
the administration of the law. This
demand is in accord with the methods
found necessary in Great Britain and
is founded upon justice and democra
cy. The wage earners will be vitally
affected by selective conscription, and
they ought to have representatives in
such strite'-ric positions.
"The spirit of labor in the nation's
emergency has been generous and pa
triotic. They )i willing to do their
part and to give that which is a part
of their very lives. Tliey must be met
in the same spirit of fairness and co
ojeration by both the government and
the employers, that the ideals of our
republic may be maintained in the con
test in which we are engaged."
Mr. Gompers called attention to
Great Britain's exemption of labor lead
ers from military service.
"All full time labor officials have been
exempt." his statement continues. "This
provision is based upon the recognition
which the British government gives to
the importance of maintaining the work
of the oigauized labor movement and
thus enabling it to perform its function
as an essential clement, in organization
for production. Fraction I all war
agreements affecting wa: earners in
Great Britain have been the result of
conferences between the representatives
of trade unions and the government.
"When in Great Britain the question
of the exemption of individuals in a
particular trade arises, due to the
change in the working arrangements in
the establishment, the last person em
ployed is the one to be released for mil
itary service. This simple regulation
has prevented what otherwise might,
work a great hardship upon the labor
organization, for all workers are fa
miliar with the ingenuity with which
employers can find reasons for discharg
ing those who are active in the labor
movement. If there were no such pro
vision all 'undesirable' labor leaders
would be drafted at once into the mili
tary service."
First Labor Strike.
The first labor sirike in America oc
curred in Philadelphia 120 years ago,
when 300 shoemakers quit work and
refused to return until their employers
had granted their demand for increased
wages. After this successful struggle
there were no further iin|ortant demon
strations of the solidarity of labor until
1848, when a great strike of weavers
was declared in Fall River, marking
the beginning of the long series of labor
troubles in industrial New England.
Wages of Girls Low.
Hundreds of girls with widowed
mothers dependent on them are at
work in New York city at $4 to $8 a
week, said H. L. Ilopkins, executive
secretary of the board of child «vel.fare,
at the opening session of the New York
city conference of charities and correc
tion. "These are "disgracefully low
wages," he said. The board, he add
ed, is trying, with only moderate suc
cess, to induce employers to increase
the pay of women and children.
The Island of Hongkong.
Hongkong is an island about eleven
miles long, with a width of from one
to three miles, and consists almost en
tirely of a series of hills. There is a
good road around a portion of the is
land on the sea front, but the grades
up the mountains are too steep for
practical autonwbiling, and the streets
generally are not wide enough and not
strongly enough constructed to permit
tb* iuw of heavy cars upon them.
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Union Officers
Read.
It is cheaper for the members of
some local unions to pay the month
ly fine for ron-aUendance than to
attend the meetings and contribute
to the weekly hat collections taken
for some reason or other: Cut out
ail the hat collertions and the at
tendance at your meetings will in
crease. You will also notice a sub
stantial increase at your meetings
if you will start your meeting
promptly on titn i.n-.i conduct the
business in a ousiuess like manner,
cutting out ail raj* chewing foreign
to the question before jou Get
ting home from a meeting :it one
or two in the morning is not a all
desirable to married ni.
If our single brothers would but
realize how unpleasant it is to be
caught red handed trying to sneak
info oui beddy after a late meeting
without waking u our letter
halve* to i-e accu^ eiug out
on a pleasure .nui of other
thiugs that would u iouk well in
print, despite ou explanation,
which is not considered or even
listened to—in fact, we are not al
lowed to get a word in edgeways
and are placed on the Unfair List
immediately, r.v.re to remain at
least until »Si following pay day
—they would have lit le sytu
patiiy for us and insist i nestings
starting on time and fi i' i )g early.
Of course, there are chains on
u: we can leave whenever we de
si-c, ut if we leave before adjourn
nv ni we are accused dtick:in
some important question ti nt i, .y
come up after we do leave.
The complaint ?f poorly attended
meetings that we hear of so gen
erally would not prev lil if we would
eliminate the cause therefor. Good
attendance at meetings is necessary
for the succes of onr local unions
and we should do everything pos
sible to make the meeting att^ac
tive. The president, by the appli
cation of fair parliamentary proce
dure, can cut the time of the aver
age meeting -re half and he should
not hesitate to cut out the irrele
vant matters that are usually in
jected into a question during de bate
which consumes mere time in the
average meeting than anything
else.
He 1 3 on Id ope u the meetings
promptly at the appointed time, no
matter who else may be absent,
and fill the vacancies by temporary
appointments and go on with busi
ness. This procedure will have the
necessary effect on the other ofB
cets, who will either be on time or
resign their offices, and sora** other
member will be selected to fill their
position who will attend to the
duties thereof and be on hand in
time to open the Parting at the set
time.
Good attended meetings mean
good local unions, so make it pas
sible for good attendance by mak
ing the meetings attractive and
adopt a system that will" enable
your local to finish iti business at
not later than ten-thirty, so we
married men can get home before
the forbidden hour—midnight.
-Danville Labor Leader.
Our New "Brother."
The "United Action" published
by the Ohio State Metal Trades
Council, mads its first appearance
this week. It is published in the
interest of all the Metal Trades Un
iors in the state affiliated with the
state council and will be issued
monthly. If its first issue is to be
accepted as a criterion of what we
may expect in the furure there is
no douot whatever of the success
of the "Action."
It is one of the brightest, new
siest little publications ever issued
in the state. It announces John
M. Cahalaneof this city as its editor
and manager this alone guarantee
ing its success. "Johnny" is at the
present time the secretary-treasurer
of the Ohio State IVtetal Trades
Council and one of its livest and
hustling members. Welcome John,
into the field, the PRESS wishes
you unbounded success.
v v -.vr^ ,v' v-
':?4-
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rilE COUNTY PRESS
HAMILTON, OHIO,
Excerpt From Editorial By
Samuel Gompors, Presi=
dent of ihe A. F. of L,
As Appeared In The American
Federations For April 1914.
Recent discussion of the proceed
ings brought Pgainst the Associated
Press again direct public attention
to the influences that prevent the
working people from securing a fair
hearing for the wroogs against
which they s-ruggle and for that
justice they sc k to establish. Un
der a democratic government pub
licity is necessary'for any cause.
Labor must depend upon the labor
press to secur?* a hsaring. Let
each member of organized labor
give his moral and fiiu "cml support
to the labor press.
Sub.scrih.i for yosu local labor
paper.
Picnic Commit
tee Met.
The 25th Annual Labor Day pic
nic committee met Tuesday even
ing at 7 o'clock "t Trades Council
hall. There was a large attendance
and Chair or. u A. I',. Kgk!est.n
presided.
There was much iv .re
played bv the men pu.:
ami :-v, 1-. augu11 for tu
tu Hen ever given
by the Trao .md or Council
this city.
This ber 'he i -hr'h u
uiversar_ speci a ..1'! emg
made .ts suc be a
sort a silver jubi] -lebraiion.
And n is bound i successful
and the biggest ever. never was
labor so closely uni i. md never
was there so much harmony and a
getting together spirit as exists in
the ranks o» oigani/trd labor of this
city today
All the committees repo o i pro
gress in their department!:.
The amusement committees, of
which there are trvo, reported iLey
ate working up -o met
hi new,
something differ for tue cr'er
tainmeut of the p. lie this yea
These committees are a ^tod
bunch to watch as they is re trying
to out do each other in their pre
parations and that means there will
be something doing.
The tickets were stamped ard
made ready for distribution among
tbe members of the\arious locals
International Typographi
cal Union Buys $51,000
Of Liberty Bonds.
The printers hem a largei} a
tended meeting Wednesday ew
ing. One new application was
-ived, and one candidate was
ted to membership. Word wa
ceived from the International t!
it had "done its bit" by our "Uncle
Sam" by the purchase of $50,000
worth of Liberty Bonds.
Textile Workers (irowiug
The Textile Workers me\
day evening with the hall jammed
full. More members were added to
the roll and there is n© doubt but
that the Textile Workers' union of
this city will he a hundred per
cent organization. They will gi'-re
a dance in Eagles' Temple Friday
eveni- June 23d and from the
number of requests for invitations
the hall won't be big enough to
hold the crowd.
Womens* Union Label
League Lawn Fete And
Dance A Success.
The Lawn Fete and Dance given
by the Womens' Union Label
Leaguelast Saturday evening at the
Champion Park was a successful af
fair in everyway. There was a large
crowd present, dancing was indulg
ed in until a late hour. Everyone
present upon leaving voted it the
best ever.
v
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FXVXJl/Ay1
UTn A
JU*T^
I JLH 111
THE
Money
SAFEST
to
P^id
Out is Returned
Greatest and Safest of AH
Did you ever own a bond?
It is the greatest and
to
You in Fuil at End of
Stated Period
Ev i! •••:. woman or v who
ibuys a Ibond will 1 ven a
$jutt 1 t-- wear. T:.ht Luit .: ••-, u. .i
cate 'hings
1.— iutt' Itr v -iTvJ b.-..eve» iU iiw
lnvestmen. v in.' of government
bonds
2.—That the wearer has done some
thing to help the United States win
the war. That button will be a badge
lof honor in all the days to com*.
Why Tint buy least one Liberty
'bone :i.ber of your fam
ily? i tbscriptions close
June 15 at the latest, but the govern
ment reserves the right to close ear
lier if "refers.
MiE ALiGHTY COLLAR
WORK FOB LIBERTY
Germany, Europe, the world, la
watching the United States right now
—more than ever before awaiting
news on the sale of Liberty bonds Un
less this bond issue is greatly over
subscribed by American men and
women before June 15, Germany will
sneer at all our high-sounding words
about freedom, justice and the rights
of mankind. In her eye* the almighty
dollar will be our idol, and all our
patriotism will be branded as hollow
talk.
For nearly three years our news
papers, statesmen, preachers and edu
cators have constantly declared that
America has high ideala, that we
stand for liberty, that we lor*j man
kind, that we hate tyranny, that we
are slow to wrath, but mighty when
aroused. Well, the time has come to
prove whether these fine sayings are
true.
Our government now puts us to the
test. We are In the war. War takes
money, and the government proposes
fc raise money by selling Liberty
bonds to the American people. The
question is now up to vou. You can
buy one bond for $50, or as many more
as you desire. Liberty bonds are a
perfectly safe investment.
The hcur for American manhood
and womanhood to act has come. It la
here now. Subscribe at once for you?
liberty bonds.
Make good tor the baby's
sake. Duy a United States Lib
erty bond for the littlest one,
God bless him—or her.
United States Liberty BondB pay 3ft
per cent intorest in money and a mil
lion per cent interest
la
and patriotism.
Th
Haiest
of all
torestnaents. The shrewdest money
maker* are bond buyers. The most
careful invwetors are bond buyers.
When you buy stock, the ruoiiey you
pay for It is gone forever. WLat you
buy is only a right to share In divl"
deads, pro
Tiding there should be any.
But a bond is different. The mon«y
you pay for a bond is returned to you
In full at fltae end of a stated period.
You know by reading the bond itself on
precisely what date you will get back
your principal. Then, Instead of won
dering whether you will get interest
or dividends on your money, you also
know by reading your bond exactly
what rate of interest you will be paid
and on what dates the payments will
be made to you.
Insurance companies, colleges, trust
funds aad conservative Individual in
vestors buy bonds because they are
the safest kind of investment. 13 on da
issued by the United States govern
ment are the most valuable of all
bonds. Our government never fails to
pay: usually its bonds sell above par
because they are always "as good as
gold." The man or woman who holds
United States bonds is free from
worry: the money they coat will come
back in full, and every cent of interest
will be paid on the appointed days.
Liberty bonds, issued by the United
States government in order to win the
war and re-establish peace on earth,
will soon be ready for sale. You can
subscribe now. Thf»se bonds are in de
nominations of $50, *100, *500, $1,000,
$10,000, $50,000 and $100,000. You can
buy one or several. Interest Is at 3V&
per cent, payable June 15 and Djc. 15
evf-ry year. If at a later date the -r»
ernment should issue bonds at 4, 4%,
5 or any other higher per cent of in
terest, you can at once exchange your
3% per cent bonds for thosn of the
highest rate. Thus you rt-o nrotact
ed as to the future. Further. these
Liberty bonds are tax fr hence
your inoorne from them
subrct to any deduction I i
county, stato or nation.
r-igp
peaee of
15, 1917. $1.00 PEE YEAR
e
In
vestments Be a Shrewj
&oney Maker
LAB
alien
.u.» 1 nn
strike. A
union lal
••1:1 1
•hi
'. S to i
1
m,Ch
Thorp i-
1 •fi.l. in
iniad
The Kaiser Is waiting to hear from
-the ule of United States Liberty
Bo rule. Make your share of that loud
Bt': day.
Square is fits name. Spare is our aim
All Suits and Pants made to your
individual order in a
Union Shop
Sq
ti a
106 HIGH STREET
itoitorod*
tfeliabie Dealers in
Dry Goods, Carpets, Cloaks, Queecswari
Millinery. House Furnishings
V oss-Holbroek Stamps with
all Cash Purchases.
eet him at
*niirriP
& it 4
Cor. Front and Hieh Sts.
Merchants' Dinner Lunch
Served every Day
Lunch Counter Connected
been
In the
labor.
law.
.ranized
wage
-ters.
the a^
world
of pre
••onquer
1 State*
Father's Peaceful Role.
Then- Is nothing in the theory, ad
vanced by tin- l'unny papers, to the ef
fect that indignant fathers kick objec
tionable suitors down the front steps.
All a father does when his daughter
entertains a young man who Is objec
tionable to him 1s to .ml to his wife.
—Topeka Capital.
So He Rose.
An IrisL P. on-e declared with
due solemnity. "Mr. Speaker. I cannot
sit still here and keep silent without
rising and sayinqr a f»w words!"*—Loa
ion Telegraph
He who conceals a useful truth Is
iqually guilty with the propagator of
tn Injurious fnlsoliood. -Augustine.
Swing Your Arms.
"Don't keep your hands In your pock
ets," says Dr. C. E. Page of Boston.
"Keep swinging them as you walk.
This Is necessary to obtain needed and
essential exercise when walking. Don't
simply walk on your bind legs, but
keep all four in some sort of motion, as
nature intended you should do."
rees.
Trees being associated with the best
side of human life, none but the short
sighted and stupid will descend to es
timate their worth upon a cord wood
valuation.
Fight and Think.
Thi$e things to fight for—lienor,
country, borne.
Three things to think »boot—Bf«,
(toatli. eternity.
V
re Ta i!
o s
51
.*..«• vi
jaa-16-tf
liffis.
c..
i
y yy
Where It Goes.
Many inquiries having been made
as to what will be done with the
money contributed to the Red
Cross by the people of Hamilton,
I desire to state that fifty cents
out of every one-dollar subscription
will remain in Hamilton for relief
work in this city. Out of the
fifty cents of each dollar sent to the
national headquarters in Washing
ton, only 82 per cent goes for ad
ministrative expenses, the remain
der being used in actual relief work
of the American Red Cross.
lien Strauss,
Chairman
Hamilton Red Cross
The Prayer Of A Man.
Teach me that sixty minutes
make one hour, sixteen ounces one
pound, and one hundred cents one
dollar. Help me to live so that I
can lay down at night with a clear
conscience, without a gun under
my pillow and unhaunted by the
faces of those to whom I have
brought pain.
Grant, I beseech thee, that I may
earn my meal ticket on the square,
and in doing this that I may not
stick the gaff where it does net be
long. Deafen me to the jingle of
tainted money and the rustle of un
holy skirts.
Blind me to the faults of the
other fellow, bnt reveal to me mine
own.
Guide me so that each night
when I look across the dinner table
at my wife who has been a blessing
to me, I will have nothing to con
ceal.
Keep me young enough to laugh
with my children and to lose my
self in play.
And when cames the smell of
flowers and the tread of soft steps,
and the crushing of the hearse's
wheels in the gravel in front of my
place, m?ke the ceremony short
and the epitaph simple:
"Here I4e* A Man/9