The labor advocate. [volume], August 28, 1915, Page 2, Image 2

About The labor advocate. [volume] (Cincinnati, Ohio) 1912-1937

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THE LABOR ADVOCATE
FOREIGN ILLITERATES
COMMON PREY IN U. S.
Aliens I Co turn to Their Native IjjiikI
on Call.
1'OSITIOX OK UNIONS UIMIHM).
(oreriiineiit Itepoit Shatters Claim
of Those Who Oppose linnilgiitlon
Restriction anil Mteraey Test Urg
ed by A. h of I,.
Washington. The federal bureau of
naturalization, department of labor,
makes public much interesting informa
tion in a report on its work of "mak
ing citizens out of the raw material
of the resident foreigner."
The figures refute clainjs made by
opponents of immigration restriction and
a literary test, urged by the American
Federation of Labor. These opponents
have pictured immigrants from certain
sections of Europe as imbued with the
lofty purpose of coming to America to
establish a home and assist in the work
of developing freedom and democracy
ior all men.
These oratorical effusions are not sup
ported by the bureau's cold declaration
that foreign illiterates maintain their
allegiance to European potentates and
that these illiterates are an easy prey to
exploiters.
It is stated that in I'.JIO there were
nearly 14,000,000 foreigners in this
country, that of this number 0,000,000
were not citizens, and that the foreign
body has been increased nearly 1,000,
Ono annually since that time.
The report shows that during the
past nine years upwards of 85,000 for
eigners have been refused citizenship
papers. One-half of these have been
declared to be either morally or mciit
aly unfit.
The bureau makes this comment on
the large number of non-citizens in this
country:
"J!y far the larger portion of the for
eign residents of this country have re
tained their allegiance to tlie sovereignty
of their birth. Recently, reports in the
public press have shown many of these
are ready to respond to the behest of
these sovereignties. It is well known that
large numbers returned immediately up
on a the call of the country of their na
tivity, leaving the ties, personal, family,
industrial and others which have grown
up in this country, for the, stronger
cull of nUegiancu to the foreign sov
ereignty. Tliis was the case prior to
the great war of Europe, in the lesser
wars among the Ilalkan States."
The following statement by the bureau
is an unqualified indorsement of the
position taken by organized labor in its
advocacy of a literary test for immi
grants: "Among the approximately 1 1,000,000
foreign alien residents, UlAlVllil art
classed as illiterate. These illiterates are
the natural prey of the designing and
scheming foreigners and natives, as well,
at every turn. They compel them to
pay tribute, both in cash and blood, for
every service both real anil imagined,
and in the gratification of their desires,
however unscrupulous or unnatural."
PEOPLE SHOULD CONTROL
THE LABOR EXCHANGE
San Francisco. The people should
control labor exchanges, declares Sec
retary ot Labor Wilson in a speech be
fore the labor exchange conference
which included federal, State and muni
cipal officials.
The cabinet official said:
"The need of labor exchanges has
been clearly demonstrated. Private la
Jior exchanges came into existence be
cause there was a need for clearing
houses for labor. There never would
have been a need for municipal labor
exchanges had it not been for the fact
that the private exchanges had been
abused.
"The suspicion which exists on the
part of labor organizations is due to t lie
fact that in many instances these private
labor exchanges have lleeced the work
ingmen and furnished strikebreakers,
wagebreakers and hour-iiicreasers to
private concerns. It is within the power
of the people to control municipal labor
exchanges, and thus controlled, thev can
never be used for any other purposes
than those for which they are de
signed." I'KIXTKItK KIXKOT ISAIl'IMOItK.
Los Angeles, Cal. Baltimore was se
lected as the 1(110 meeting place bv the
International Typographical Union
convention, in session here recently. A
proposal to increase salaries of the
president and secretary-treasurer wis
non-concurred in. The plan to make
the secretary of unions of less than 100
members a convention representative
by virtue of his office was defeated.
Amendments to the priority and six
dav laws were ordered submitted to i
referendum. The convention uiinui
niouslv voted to strike out the word
"female" wherever it appears in the
constitution and by-laws of the organ
ization and substitute the word "wo
man." :. K
COAL MEN WANT COSSACKS
Denver, Colo. Coal operators and
.their allies in this State are now
engaged in a campaign of educa
tion on the benefits of a State con
stabulary. Advocates of the Cossack
system arc alive to the fact that they
have discredited the State militia and
this unit of our national defense is hav
ing a hard time living down its connec
tion with events in southern Colorado.
The Rocky Mountain News, publish
ed in this city, is one of the leaders in
the Cossack campaign, and the follow
ing editorial plea is a sample of the
clever preliminary moves that are being
cautiously made :
"Pennsylvania is the founder of a
State constabulary system and although
it. met with much opposition at the be
ginning, it is now accepted by both sides
as an advantage over the former man
ner of meeting disputes with profession
al strike-breakers, deputy sheriffs sworn
in for the occasion and special police.
The constabulary is composed of men
chosen for a purpose, without prejudice
or partisanship. Their duty is to keep
the peace. They take no part in the
controversies that have arisen and re
main impartial.
. "This movement for States to estab
lish a constabulary that would take
charge of intercounty matters is gain
ing strength for another reason. The
State militia is becoming more of a
national defense organization and, is de
pendent upon the war department and
the federal treasury for a portion of its
subsistence and extension. When a
State militia has to do police duty and
in. some manner takes sides in an industrial-political
controversy, its standing
as an army of national defense is hurt.
Many citizens would gladly serve in a
national guard, that would hesitate to
join an organization that is liable to
fie called out any day to quell a local
disturbance or take issue with a labor
strike."
VUliftMAS IIKADS UIOItlTKIOI).
Chicago. The Pullman company
board of directors has refused to act
on the matter of granting wage increases
to its sleeping car porters and conduc
tors, which Chairman Walsh of the
commission on industrial relations in
terprets as an affront at the commission
because of its recent investigation of the
Pullman company.
Chairman Walsh said :
"The company's failure to act, after
the assurance of Mr. Lincoln, chairman
of the company's board of directors,
that he would bring up the matter at
the next meeting of the board, anil af
ter his own admission that part of the
company's huge profits were derived by
underpayment of its faithful employes,
can be explained only by the indifference
and disregard of its wealthy directors
as to the well-being of the faithful em
ployes who man its cars. ' To refuse
justice to these employes because of
pique at the action "f this commission
in exposing conditions of employment
in its car service, is a policy that needs
no comment."
MIKKOritl UNIONISTS TO MKKT.
Moberlv, Mo. The annual conven
tion of the. Missouri St'ite Federation
of Labor will be held in this city, begin
ning Monday, September 20. It is ex
pected that fraternal delegates will be
present from the fanners' organiza
tions, from the State Federations of
Kansas, Iowa, Illinois and Arkansas,
and from the Women's Trade Union
League.
Ol'I'OSIO lilCASH SVSTKM.
Itrrminglinm, Ala. The Farmers' Ed
ucational Co-operative Union of Ala
bama convention unanimously adopted
a resolution calling for the abolishment
of the convict lease system and the plac
ing of these convicts upon the public
roads. This question is now being con
sidered by the State legislature.
FAItMKItS VOTIO TO AIWIMATK
Cireal F-iPs, Mont The Farmers'
Society of Equity, which met in this
city, voted to affiliate with the Montana
State Federation of Labor.
AtJAINST (,'UANI .IITltV SVSTKM.
Smi Francisco The convention of
the International Longshoremen's As
sociation. Pacific district, denounced
the grand jury system as "a relic of me
dieval times," which permits no defend
ant to question the partiality o'f its
members.
Resolutions adopted by the conven
tion declare that t lie powers of wealth,
through their vast property rights, have
usurped control of the grand jury sys
tem, so that it has become "a new form
of the inquisition."
SKW OAlU'KNTHItK' UNIONS.
Indianapolis, hid. Secretary Duffy,
of the International Brotherhood- of
Carpenters and Joiners, announces that
tile following locals were organized
last month: Fall River, Mass. (I'ortu
t'iuc); Okechobee. Fla.; Atchison,
Kan ; Prince George, Canada; Enid,
Okla.; Baltimore, Md. (shipwrights);
Portland. 'Me.; Martinez, Cal.; Ho
bokeu, N. J. (ship carpenters).
WOMEN PAID SAME AS MEN
FOR SAME CLASS OF WORK
Novel Change of Employment anil
Wage Systems In State
Institutions.
1'HOMOTION WAOK SCAIjK lTiAN
Chicago, Aug. 24. Women employes
of Illinois will receive the same pay as
men doing the same class of work, be
ginning with September 1.
This step, together with radical
changes affecting .1,500 employes and
more than 20,000 wards of the State
in the twenty-one charitable institutions,
was decided on yesterday at a confer
ence of the members of the State Board
of Administration.
They named a new superintendent of
the Soldiers' Orphans' Home at Normal.
Tic is Edwin M. Van Pcttcn, of Bloom
ington, former city superintendent of
schools at BIoomiiiRton and Joliet.
"The revolutionizing of the em
ploying and wage system in the twenty
one State institutions," President Kern
said, "has becil under consideration for
some time."
Changes in Kules.
Four distinct "advance steps." as Kern
explained, were made, as follows :
1. The minimum wages for men and
women in all the State institutions to
be the same for the same class of work.
2. All employees to be given one day
of rest in seven, in addition to the two
weeks' vacation annually. Under the
old system they had the two weeks' va
cation, but worked seven davs a week.
.1. A promotional wage scale whereby
all employes will automatically receive
higher wages as their term of service
lengthens.
1. The change from night to dav ser
vice to be made hereafter each week in
stead of monthly.
I'Vir New' St iinclaril.
"There is no reason," aid President
Kern, "whv a nurse in these State in
stitutions should not receive as high
wages as the men attendants for the
spmn clagj! of work.
"It should have been recognized long
ago.
"We believe that we are establishing
the right standard thi time and that it
will lend to increase efficiency in all the
institutions.
Promotion IMaii.
"We arc working out the promotional
wage scale, which we believe, to be an
other step in the right direction. .
'"Instead of leaving the question of
wages to the superintendents, we be
lieve this plan will work much better,
as the employes will always have an in
centive, for the longer thev work, pro
vided they are faithful and efficient, the
hieber will be their wages.
"What we are trying to do is to make
the work attractive to both men and
women employes in these great charita
ble institutions by treating the employes
like human beings and giving them some
thing to work for."
UNIONISM HKNIOKITH AMj.
Everett, Wash., Aug. 21. After re
ferring to the reforms inaugurated by
the trade union movement, in a "la
bor forward" address in this city. Sec
retary Taylor of the State federation of
labor, said :
"The indirect results of these bene
ficent measures have left their impress
on the character of the worker, elevated
his standard of living, enobled his ideals,
thus leading to a general elevation of
the workers' environment, both in the
home and in the shops and mills."
WIMj INTKIM'KKT AWAItl).
Chicago. Aug. 21. Representatives of
the federal department of labor have ar
ranged for the re-assembling of the ar
bitration board which recently made an
award in the case of western railroads
versus their firemen anil engineers. The
board will adjust a number of questions
the two parties to arbitration could not
agree upon when they undertook to ap
ply the recent award on the various rail
roads. KMKI1'Klt TltrST I'AVH
DA.MAftlCS.
Denver. Tip- American Smelting
and Refining Company has paid the
federal government $112,700 as damages
and rent for the use of :t,l7r acres of
Southern Colorado coal lauds valued at
$1,000,000. The government discovered
that the land has been secured through
the use of "dummy" entrymen.
WHAT "liAISOU" INOIiUDKS.
San Francisco. "The labor ques
tion is as big, as broad, as deep, as
extensive as human activity," said Sec
retary of Labor Wilson, in a speech in
this citv. "If you take as your defini
tion of hbor any physical or mental ac
tivity, not exclusively for pleasure, then
vou have some conception of the
breadth of the movement which takes
into consideration and seeks to handle
properly all these activities. The most
important function, the most important
thine- growing out of the creation of the
new federal department of labor, is that
from now on labor has a voice in the
councils of our Nation."
VOTE AGAINST
Bgfra
lr
Union
MADE
Beer
slpa porter
It -ET7EE3-
3h Of America rGlr
COPYRIGHT &TRADE MARK REGISTERED
THIS IS OUR LABEL,
THE
HERANCOURT
Brewing Co.
STRICTLY
UNION
LAGER
COAL
BUY IT FROM YOUR FRIENDS
THE QUEEN CITY COAL CO.
PIIIVATK KXOIIANGK WEST 2820
FLEISCHMANN'S YEAST :
MAKES :
THE BEST BREAD I
STRIKE IS SETTLED
IN K. C. TERMINAL
Washington. The strike of the shop
men employed by the Kansas City
Terminal Company was one of the most
important cases handled by the federal
department of labor is the report of
William . Blackmail, commissioner of
conciliation, representing the depart
ment. The strike was caused by the com
pany discharging thirty-four workers
and a committee which asked the man
agement to accept working rules
agreed to by nine railroads. With' the
assistance of Commissioner Blackmail
an agreement was reached whereby all
discharged men and the strikers return
ed to work, and within sixty days nego
tiations between the company and repre
sentatives of the employes will under
take to adopt a set of shop rules, condi
tions of employment, hours of service,
wages, rates, etc., which can be mutual
ly agreed upon. The importance of this
strike is indicated by the federal com
missioner's statement that the company
takes care of twelve railroads running
into the city, and if the controversy
were not adjusted it was liable to event
ually include -10,000 workers, followed
by all the evils of a general strike.
TO A.-NIIOM) ItHKKUKMWM fjAAV.
Little Rock, Ark. The Arkansas
State Federation of Labor has initiated
a petition for amendments to the pres
ent initiative and referendum law, which
has been weakened by a State Supreme
Court ruling that the legislature may
attach the word "emergency" to any
legislation, thereby preventing its refer
ence to the people.
DANOKItK IN IXDUSTKV.
Altoona, Pa. Seven Pennsylvania
railroad trackmen were killed near
Mount Union, in the early morning, last
week, when a passenger train, running
at a high rate of speed through a dense
fog, crashed into them. The engineer
was seriously injured.
STItlKKISltKAKKltS PIXKI).
Worcester, Mass. Two strikebreak
ers employed by the Rice, Barton &
Males Machine and Iron Company were
each fined $.10 for carrying concealed
weapons without permits.
STATIC UNIONISTS TO MKKT.
San Francisco. Officers of the Cali
fornia State Federation of Labor have
issued a call for the sixteenth annual
convention, to be held at Santa Rosa,
beginning Monday, October 4.
PROHIBITION!
DEMAND
PERSONAL LIBERTY
IN CHOOSING WHAT YOU
WILL DRINK
Ask for this Label when
purchasing Beer, Ale
or Porter,
As a guarantee that It Is
Union Made
1803
STRICTLY
UNION
a
LABOR EXPLOITATION
SCHEME IS BLOCKED
San Antonio, Tex., Aug. 21. An at
tempt to exploit labor and Mexicanize
West Virginia, Kentucky and Ohio
mines has been blocked by State offi
cials and federal immigration inspec
tors. These officials notified a labor
agency in this city that was advertis
ing for 15,000 Mexicans to work in vari
ous eastern mines, that it must qualify
under the Texas law governing employ
ment agencies. A refusal to qualify was
followed by arrests. One of the promo
ters committed suicide. Several hundred
Mexicans lost $2 apiece. The offer at
tracted German sailors, who have been
interned since last spring, but these
workers were suspicious and they con
ferred with trade unionists.
The contract Mexicans were called
upon to sign provided that each signer
should work for the company "that ad
vances the transportation until such
transportation and all other expenses
connected therewith are paid in full."
It was further agreed that the worker
should pay the labor agency 5 per cent
of his earnings for a period of 12
months, this money to be taken from
the envelope of the worker and for
warded every month to the agent.
The collapse of the scheme has re
sulted in several hundred Mexicans
being left destitute in this city.
BUILDING PERMITS
Residence Alterations in and addi
tion to building at 1018 Freeman ave
nue. Owner, B. II. Rohde; architect, A.
Kunz, Jr., !)5."i W. Court street, Cincin
nati, O. Contracts awarded as follows :
Cellar work, E. Budkc; brick work, Wa
hofT & Stoepfcl; carpenter, work, Val
Fussner; iron work, Fcning & Co.;
plumbing, Ilappc Bros.
Residence A 2j4-story .brick and
stucco residence to be built at 1120.1 Men
lo avenue. Owner, Rutherford II. Cox;
architects, Zcttel & Rapp, Johnston Bldg.,
Cincinnati. Contract for carpenter work
awarded to George E. Ilanibly and for
iron work to the L. Sehreiber & Sons
Co.
Residence A stucco residence, 7.1x45
feet in dimensions, to be built on Betula
avenue, in the Avon Hills subdivision.
Owner, F. R. Toewatcr ; architect, G. C.
Burroughs, Union Trust Bldg., Cincin
nati, O. Contracts awarded as follows:
Foundation, Dennis Flaherty; cement
work, Chas. V. Maescher & Co.; brick
work, August Schulte; carpenter work,
mill work and stairs, the Leibold-Gott
Building Co.; plastering, Werkowittz &
Meier; tile, A. Schirmer; electric work,
A. Wottitz; plumbing, Schuster & Wag
ner; painting, Boardman & Co.
uMHJimW "'""