Workmen's advocate., September 08, 1883, Image 1

About Workmen's advocate. (New Haven, Conn.) 1883-1891

Image provided by: Connecticut State Library, Hartford, CT

                
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PUBLISHED PROVISIONALLY UNDER THE AUSPICES OF THE TRADES COUNCIL.
No, 1.
NEW HAVEN, SEPTEMBER 8, 1883.
Price One Cent,
PROSPECTUS.
The Workmen's Advocate is published at this
time to call the attention of workmen to the fact
that they are in need of more thorough organiza
tion, as well as to state the truth iu cases that
have been misrepresented or garbled by uninter
ested newspapers. It has been proposed to make
this a weekly paper and publish it every Saturday
or Sunday. The organized workingmen them
selves may decide whether thfs .shaU be done or
not. When a demand is made upon the Trades
Council in the interest of labor, it cannot refuse
to do its utmost to further any good project. But
let all consider that in the matter of establishing
a weekly paper, be it ever so small, substantial
"backing" is just as needful as the mere desire
for a printed Workmen's Advocate. Let all who
are interested meet at Trades Council Hall
Saturday evening. September 8th, at 8 o'clock.
' Regular Meetings of Trades Unions at
Trades Council: Hall.
Tailors' Union meets every second and fourth
Monday in each month.
Carvers' Association meets every third Tuesday
in each month.
Stone Masons' Union meets every second Wed
nesday in each month.
Bricklayers' Union meets every first and third
Thursday in each month.
Typographical Union meets every second Thurs
day in the month.
Piano Makers' Lodge meets every first and third
Friday in the month.
Cigarmakers' Progressive Union meets every
second Friday in each month.
Granite Cutters' Union meets every third Satur
day in the month.
The Trades Council meets every first Wednes
day in each month.
The Trustees of the Trades' Council meet in the
ante-room every Saturday evening from 8 to 9
o'clock.
Heelings of Oilier Trade Societies.
Stationary Engineers' Association meets at Room
23, Insurance Building, every second and fourth
Wednesday in each month.
Carpenters' Protective Council meets at Room
23, Insurance Building, every Tuesday.
The haste with which the Workmen's Advocate
was prepared prevented the compilation of a per
fect list of Trades Societies and their places of
meeting. If the following organizations will put
themselves iu communication with the Secretary
of the Trades Council, it may lead to a closer
union among the various branches of honorable
toil, as the united branches impart to each the
combined strength of all : Carriage Blacksmiths',
Locomotive Engineers', Painters', Cigarmakers'
Union No. 39, Iron Molders', Carriage Trimmers',
Carriage Painters', Plumbers', Bakers', Corset
Cutters', Pressmens', Shoemakers', Firemen's,
Machinists', Horseshoers', Building Laborers',
Clothing Cutters', Roofers', Marine Engineers',
Knights of Labor.
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Labor Papers.
Two years ago there were not a half dozen labor
papers in the country. We take pleasure in call
ing attention tc the fact that there are now neariy
sixty which we can call to mind, as alive and "kick
ing," literarily, for the rights of Labor.
THE PRINTERS' STRIKE
A Statement from the Palla
dium Compositors.
The Grinding Proc? of the ISoc
Fully JCxnotctl.
ICeasons Why Every Workingmaii Should
Iloycott the Palladium.
The Palladium compositors, who recently went
on strike, furnish the following statement for
publication ;
Everything went wrong aftqr Mr. Ryder's (the
present foreman of the Palladiinn) advent into the ci
lice, He was undoubtedly engaged for the purpose of
cutting down expenses, and it was not long before he !
proved he was the right man in the right place. He
had been in the office but a short time when we soon;
realized that our week's earnings were gradually grow
ing beautifully less. He started a system of reducing .
the leaded matter, and it was not long before we were !
compelled to work a whole night and wind up in the 1
morning with less than three dollars earned and this ;
for thirteen or fourteen hours' hard labor. We soon :
commenced to tire of this and assembled together and
requested the foreman to be a little more liberal. He
saw that the men meant what they said and he assented
to their request, but it was only lor a short time, for in
less than three weeus he himself was setting display
advertisements while the men were standing around
waiting for copy.. The next day the men assembled
together and resolved to object to the foreman setting
advertisements in the future. That same evening he
started again on advertisements and we informed him
that he was setting matter that belonged ro the men.
lie quit immeuiat,eiy but only io Out u again in another
direction notably giving the men more solid matter
and "running in" all figure work. He also took a vey
phat take, a table, from the hook and set it himself,
and then had the audacity to say that he didn't believe
the men wanted it. That act convinced us that there was
no limit to Ryder's meanness so we appointed a com
mittee to wait on Manager Johnson and ask him for an
advance in the price of composition. We were told in
a few words that our request would not be granted and
that if we didn't like the way his foreman was running
things to get out of the office and strike if we wanted
to. We were disheartened, and not being members of
the Union realized that we had no redress. We didn't
like to strike, and foolishiy supposed that more pacific
measures might induce the foreman and manager of the
Palladium to at least treat us decently. We supposed
wrongly, however, for within two weeks from the time
that we asked for fair wages and fair treatment, one of
our number was taken from a case in which he had
distributed type and a stranger friend of the foreman
put in his place, the man removed being put on an
empty case thus deliberately robbing him of his labor.
We all remonstrated against the Injustice done, but
wert plainly told by the foreman '"that it was none of
ourbusiness and if we didn't like his style to quit and
get out." We continued at work and after the paper
went to press appointed a committee to wait on the
officers of the Typographical Union aad ask permission
to join the organization. We were accepted as mem
bers and immediately inaugurated a strike in the Pal
ladium office. We are satisfied with the result and feel
confident that "Boss" Ryder and "Boss" Johnson will
soon realize the fact that workingmen have some rights
which even "bosses" are bound to respect.
The Wood Carvers.
The National Wood Carvers' Association, of
which the Carvers' Association in this city is a
branch, was organized last January at Philadel
phia, and has been very prosperous in all their
undertakings. The present Central Committee of
the organization is located at Cincinnati, where
the next annual convention is to be held on the 2d
Tuesday in October. All communications intend
ed for the central committee or the annual con
vention should be addressed to Charles Wurster,
No. 234 West 5th street, Covington, Ky.
Edward Downes, 309 Chapel street, being
agent for all the lines of Ocean Steamers, enjoys
tpecial facilities for issuing passage tickets and
drafts. adv.
Mr. Edward 8. Pitman is authorized to collect
pay for advertisements.
Tiudks Council PunLisinxa Committke.
The Tailors' Union of this citv noblv donated
$2: to the locked out lady telegraphists in New
York.
Workingmen should have a higher ambition
than to be well fed and well clothed. They
should aspire to the dignity of true manhood.
Poverty is not a personal misfortune of the
individual but the natural consequence of our
capitalistic, monopolistic mode of production and
distribution.
The workmen in the trades that are not organ
zed should organize at once. In union there is
strength. Organize and send delegates to the
Trades Council.
Workingmen should patronize those who will in
turn recognize their claims. Among our adver
tisers will be found those on whom the working
men should call. 3
Monopoly is a modern sleight-of-hand per
formance by which the wealth of the country,
produced by the industrious workers, is trans
ferred into the pockets of shrewd monopolists.
Iu another column will be found the announce
ment of the picnic of Progressive Cigarmakers'
Union at liailroad Grove on Monday. All who
wish a good time should attend. .
Monopolists have no hearts and no conscience.
Their religion is money, their faith speculation,
their hope large dividends. Nature and hu
manity exists for them only as a field from which
they reap but on which they do not sow.
Incongruity in Art. It was amusing the other
day to witness the efforts of an intelligent looking
joiner on Howard avenue trying to fit round cap
itals on square columns. The name of the archi
tect was not learned.
The combined attacks of the workingmen on
their oppressors will have the effect of strengthen
ing themselves as well as showing their enemies
that in union there is strength. See that this is
the case as regards the Palladium. All wage
workers should do what they can toward accom
plishing this end.
At the special meeting of the Trades Council to
take action regarding the strike on the Palladium,
it was voted to appoint a committee to prevail
upon the advertisers to withdraw their patronage
from the Palladium. A committee wras also ap
pointed to direct the publication of the Working
men's Advocate.
According to the United States Census the wages
of workingmen averaged as follows:
In 1850 $217.30
1860 289.00
1870 377.o!)
1880 349.74
These figures speak for themselves and prove
beyond a doubt that workingmen have indeed no
time to lose, but should organize at once for their
own individual interest. The gods help them who
help themselves.
!
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