United labor bulletin., October 15, 1909, Image 1

About United labor bulletin. (Denver, Colo.) 19??-1915

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Labor Unions and the Church.
Rev. Robt. F. Coyle's Questions Answer
ed—Will They Be Consistent?
The following Is a copy of a letter 1
which has been sent to the secretaries
of the various labor organizations of the
city. The Presbyterian church, as a na
tional organization, has for some time i
been conducting a labor department, and
the letters appearing in the labor press
of the country by Rev. Charles Stelzle
are a result of this movement. While
we will not attempt to go into the sub
ject matter necessary to a complete an
swer of the questions propounded, we
will endeavor to show by "a few local
illustrations some of the reasons why
union labor has such poor representa
tion in the congregations of the differ
ent religious denominations. * the same
conditions and reasons applying to the
country as a whole. The letter follows:
-Denver. Colo.. Oct. 1. 1909.
“Mr W. D. Henderson. Secretary-Treas
urer, City.
“My Dear Sir—Convinced that there
is a wide. and. I-fear, a grow ing gap be-
workingmen and tbe church, and
desiring to find out tne cause thereof.
1 earnestly and very respect fully ask
you to assist me. I propose to preach
a sermon on Sunday evening. October
10. on the church in its relations to th«-
masses, and. so fnr as possible. I want
t-» get at the reason for the separation '
between them. Why do tbev staivt
opart”’ Will you kindly help me by rn
twerlug the following questions?
•*1 —What proportions of mechanics 1
and laboring men and women of all 1
sorts, according to your observation,
habitually stay away from church?
•*2—Are those who stay away hostile
to the church or simply indifferent?
“3—lf hostile, why? If indifferent. 1
why?
••4 What Is the chief fault which
workingmen have to And with the
M'lfUih ?
“Trusting that you will favor m** with 1
nn early reply and thanking you In ad
vance for the same. Cordially yours.
"R. F. COYLE."
Question No. I—lt1 —It can only be answer
ed by saying that w.» are aware that
a very large per cent of working peo- '
pie do not attend church.
Question No. 2 Simply indifferent.
Question No. 3—Can Ik* covered by |
answering No. 4. "What is the chief fault
which working people have to find with
the church?"
This last question can Ik* summed up
in about one word—lnconsistency.
Unfortunately. labor organizations
have many members who are ainicicu
with the same trouble, and do not prac
tice what they preach, but we believe
thnt as a whole they come nearer to fill- '
Ailing the principle advocated than the
church. It appears to the writer from
personal observations, that the rbureh.
while they profess to worship a supreme
being, really worship the almlgh y dol
lar Some time since we noticed a
church paper or program (local), where 1
the question of Christmas gifts had
com** up for discussion, and the
sense of those In control was thnt it was 1
n poor example to set The lx>rd loved
a cheerful giver, and the young should
l>e educated to give to the church and
not receive. Along the satne line we
have yet to see n weekly church pro
gram or paper which does not lay stress 1
upon the fact thnt money is needed and '
urging everybody to give np liberally as 1
possible.
The church collects money front those '
who belong In this country and send
missionaries to foreign lands, import the 1
natives In many instances to this court- '
try. ostensibly to "save” them, but as ’
a wind-up some American is out of a 1
position and the foreigner has the Job 1
at much less pay.
Foreign countries, ns n rule, have a 1
very stnnll proportion of real crime ns t
compared with the United States, where 1
we are civilized and require n policeman 1
on almost every rorner to prevent every- *
body front putting his hand Into every- *
body else's pocket. Wo believe this 1
country offers n much bettor Acid to ex- 1
pend the missionary funds in thnn any p
rther, and we should have the prefer- 1
ence. "Charity begins at home." 1
There are thousands of people nt
home who nro deprived of the nccos- £
nlttes of life. While the church preaches t
nsslßting the poor nncl helping the down- £
Ftffodden. we see few' exnntplos of carry- n
r. ing thnt doctrine Into practical jpe r n- e
fcilon. Owing to the fnct thnt most of t
the churches. If not nil. are maintained a
by those who nro financially nble to c
“come across” with a neat little sum c
each month, and who are really affillat- i
ed with the church because of the po- V
cunlnry benefit accruing therefrom, and I:
not because of any real religion, the or t
dlnary working clftßß does not fool v
at homo In tho congregations assembled I
we nro not able to present tho pros- t
UNITED
Labor Bulletin
Boost the Label
VO I IV.
perous appearance in the way of fine
clothes and consequently we are made
to feel, by the reception accorded, that
we cut but little figure.
The church always wants to assist
people to get better conditions, relieve
suffering and distress, and wants every
body to find time to visit the church
services. When the printers were mak
ing an effort to secure the 8-hour day.
the Methodist Book Concern refused to
grant the men what was but their duo.
replaced the union man with non-union
men. and are still making up a hard
fight to perpetuate long hours and low
wages.
We will cite one local experience of
comparatively recent date to show why
the breech between the church ana the
working people Is kept open, and the
feeling of indifference or hostility is en
couraged rather than otherwise.
Some three years ago the Loundry
Workers of Denver organized. They de
sired the enforcement of the state law.
under which they were entitled to an
8-hour work day. This class of workers
are mad • up of women and girls, almost
entirely, and are compelled to work
long hours, ten as a rule, with frequent
overtime rithout extra compensation.
Their wages are so small that If they
miss one day's work they stand a good
chance of missing one day's meals. The
home surroundings and environments ot
many of these workers would be a sur
prise to a great many of those who reg
ularly attend church, perhaps in an au
tomobile. and who never give a second
thought to the overworked women and
cirls who. at practically starvation
wages, clean their linen and assist in
• nabllng them to present a fine appear
ance at the church services.
It also developed that many of the
proprietors of these sweatshop laundries
were* pillars in the various churches.
Their automobiles or carriages were at
the disposal of the ministers for an In
vestigation of the sanitary conditions of
their plants.
An Instance of the apparent dollar
worship occurred at this time. The
writer, being Interested in the success
of the laundry Workers, became aware •
jof the fact that a certain minister had
I been Invited to accompany one of the
• proprietors of a trust laundry” °n a tour
of Inspection. The laundrvman was to ■
call for the minister the next day in
an automobile and escort him through j
the plant. It was our desire to acquaint
tho minister with some of the things he
would see. nnd also give him a “tip" on
-onto things he would not see unless he
was posted We accordingly called on
him While In his private room the
telephone rang. It proved to be some
person on the other end who was 1 :
forested In the formation of a new
church society of some sort. The min
ister was being consulted, and It was
■ omewhit of n surprise to us to !e\rn
that “slates." when it comes to electing ;
set of officers, was not conffned io po
litlcal organizations. However, thin -lie i
not impress us so strongly ns th*' Uir- !
thcr fact that it appeared that th** nor
on’s principal qualification forth ' va
rious offices to be filled w-as his ability
.» "get the money.”
The churches and the Woman's Club,
whose members are also, almost with
out exception, members of some church
congregation, were induced to Interest
themselves in the matter of securing the
eight-hour day for women. They both
wanted to know how they could assist.
The International organization of tho
Laundry Workers, like mnny other na
tional or International labor organiza
tions. have a label. Several of the local
laundries granted tho girls the shorter
hours with no reduction in wages, and
signed an agreement to that effect with
the local union of the girls, which en
titled the laundry so signing such agree
ment to the use of this label. Those
who desired to assist were asked to in
sist that this label nppenr on their
laundry slip. If they made this demand
and carried It Into effect it would moan
thHt the other laundries would neces
sarily have to make the same agree
ment to get the label; otherwise It could
not appear on the laundry slip
For advertising purposes, tho White
Swan laundry made a grand stand play
that they were going to bo the flood
Samaritan, nnd In the name or justice
nnd humanity, grant the employes an
eight-hour day. However. Mr. Loesby.
the proprietor, refused to have any
agreement signed with the union to se
cure the label. Tho girls urged the
church people nnd the Woman's Club
members not to patronize the plant,
knowing the eight-hour day would be
but temporary, nnd they would have no
means of knowing when tho long hours
were again resumed without some defin
ite means of Information. So long ns
the label appenrs on the work It means
DENVER, COLORAC O, OCTOBER 15, 1909
that the agreement is being fulfilled, and
when that agreement is violated it would
be withdrawn.
Notwithstanding the plea of the girls,
and the fact that other plants were op
erating with the signed agreement, the
t church people and club members began
sending much work and using their in
t fluence in favor of this laundry. ine
plant run an eight-hour day but a very
short time, and then resumed the long
j hours with overtime and no extra com
pensation. It is still running long hours,
and the girl who does not like the sys
} tem can go hungry- till she finds another
position or endure the conditions forced
’ upon her without recourse,
j If the church people really desire to
assist a class of people who need assist
ance. do a little missionary work toward
f encouraging overworked women and
girls to continue at manual labor to earn
an honest living, they could do much
'j effective work of a missionary charae
! ter. promote morality and otherwise as
sist in bringing about sanitary and hu
mane conditions by seeing that they
, patronize laundries which grant these
conditions. If you do this other plants
will not be long in following the exam
ple set by those entitled to the label.
{ and make an agreement with the women
and girls. They cannot run without
work.
You can also do much toward making
friends with the workers and interest
j ing them in your cause by interesting
yourselves in ours to a greater extent.
! When you purchase a pair of shoe* with
the union stamp on them you are as
sured by the stamp that some poor con
vict was not given a dose of the cat-o*-
j nine-tails because he was unable to pro-
I dure another pair of shoes with yours
t in a specified time, in order to satisfy
j the greed of a private contractor who
has rented the convict’s services from
some state and requires a stipulated pro
duction for perhaps a salary paid to the
s state of 40 cents a day. whereas a free
workman would receive $4 for the same
work.
TRADES AND LABOR ASSEMBLY
♦
At the meeting Sunday of the Trades
i and Labor Assembly much business of:
• importance was transacted.
I Delegates were obligated: From the’
‘ J Stereotypers, three; Tobacco Strippers. |
' two; Bill Posters and Billers, four. The
’ attendance was much larger than usual.
• I The Plumbers and Steamfltters pre
> I seated n resolution commending Judge
t Allen for his fairness shown in their
• trial against the Master Plumbers’ asso
• elation, where an injunction was asked
’ prohibiting the union from attempting to
1 induce strike-breakers to quit work. The
• resolution was unanimously adopted.
The water committee made quite an
interesting report upon the municipal
ownership of Hie water plant and had a
■ resolution adopted to be sent out to local
• | unions to place in the city charter by
• amendment the recall, initiative and re
j ferendum. The committee expects to
soon be able to put out a petition for the
1 necessary signatures for presentation to
the city council that the amendment may
Ibe initiated and an election held. They j
; also expect to soon hold a large mass j
meeting to acquaint the people with the
facts they have gathered.
The Team Owners report their union
” In fine shape, also subscribed for the
1 United Labor Bulletin for their entire
organization. You should look for the j
' drop on the bridles to insure getting
1 things delivered by union drivers
Walters reported so much demand for
■ union help that they have hard work
filling them, especially the Waitresses,
as they are short every day.
BUI Posters and Billers reported that
the J. J. Curran bill posting firm no
longer employed union labor, and they
are trying to introduce the open shop
policy.
The Bartenders submitted a resolution
regarding the stand Sheriff Nesbit has
taken by closing the saloons on Sunday,
which the delegates didn’t seem to thor
ougly understand, but after a lengthy
debate nnd the Bartenders had explained
that they were not after a Sunday clos
ing. but were nfter a six-day work week,
anil they didn’t care if the saloons ever
closed, the resolution was laid on the
tnble.
Bakers nnd Confectioners reported
their organization growing very rapidly.
They had raised their dues 25 cents n
month nnd had elected a business agent,
who would look after their Interests in
the future.
Broom Makers reported only one union
shop In the city nt present, that being
Seltzer * Pfounts. nnd the same can be
obtained If the union people will de
mand them.
Bnrtendors initiated six new members
at the last meet, their union Increasing
very fast.
A resolution was adopted withdrawing
the Assembly’s delegate from the Cham
ber of Commerce, « b it was felt that no i
good results were being received from j
the affiliation, as 1 ost of the members
of that organizatlt 1 were people who I
were in accord witMtl! employers' asso- I
ciations and were alng more to exploit »
mechanics than th y were for building :
up Denver.
LOCALS
i
STEAMFiTTERS HELPERS. BALL.
Steamfltters’ Hel er.-, Local No. 367.
will give their first| annual ball Novem
ber 12 at Cadwell ball This being their
first ball since the|r organization they
i are not sparing ally expense to mane
everything a great. 1 success. They will
I serve refreshments, the same being free
or all present. *
This young Local las shown a wonder
ful growth since th ir formation. Their
work in behalf of all organized labor
certainly is commet clai.le and their per
sistent demand for the Union Label is
typical of old veters ns They are always
among the first to j come to the aid of |
others in distress and can always nnd a
few dollars to acc< mpany their sym
patby for their fel tnv men. Although
they have been on strike for the past
five months, they si tl are very much in
evidence. During alt this time of trou
ble they have not bAn —as the masters'
association would lilafit 'O see—Instead of
receding and mbers they have
added ten new onesjfo their Loea\ That
in itself is demonstrative of their cause
being right, and with the material which
com poses their organization, and if they
still continue to show the same push
i and euergv along with their practicing
ihe principles of the Golden Rule as
j they are at present, their cause will
stand against all wjio organize to ruin
them and to grind them down into
I oblivion.
4 4 4 4 4
Carriage and WWg Makers acid
1 their regular meetlr., \A*ednesday night
1 with a very good atu Jance. The mem
i hership Is increasing and they expect
>oon to start an active campaign toward,
signing all the factories in the city. A
K'tnmittee has been appointed to dev:®*'j
ways and means to fully carry out th.
plans. All the men hers have certified
ihtir willingness to advance fuuds and
also the National will have men on the
ground to assist in tr work.
We regret to announce the death ot
one of our best members last week, our
corresponding secreiary. Bro. Geo. Hil
Her. The International has adopted a
death benefit and the family of our de
ceased brother will e the first to secure
the same.
Bro. Richard was elected to
fill the vacancy.
♦ ♦ +
A GREAT VICTORY.
4
The Plumbers ar. very jubilant over
their victory last w ek in winning their
injunction suit gainst the Master
Plumbers* Association. Judge Allen
could find no evidence against the Plum
bers' Union. In an eloquent address hej
lauded labor organ itions with praises,
stating that they w. re the grandest i It:
rational institute for the working people
in the world; that they have done more
to elevate the masses; they have estab
:'shd a system of benefits Hi.i are the
greatest protection o human beings of
any organized bodies, and In all It was
proven that the main object of the mas
ter plumbers seem- d to be to destroy
the Plumbers’ organization. But their
efforts have been like many others —
proven futile. Full details will be pub
lished later.
♦ ♦ +
THE OMAHA STRIKE.
4
In a report submitted to the governor
of Nebraska the d puty labor commis
siotter. after a thorough investigation of
the Omaha street car strike, reports that
all efforts have bee; exhausted in an at
tempt to settle the same. He reports that
the business men's organization has
been and are the main ones who i\re as ,
slating the street car company; that
during the past four years, out of a mem
bership of 650 cat men. the Business
Men's association, by their constant
complaints against be union, have suc
ceeded in securing the discharge of at
least 450: that the purpose of the Busi
ness Men’s assoclat an is the open shop ,
policy; that the strike-breakers have
been paid $10 a day by the company;
that the chief of police permits them to
be well armed all the time, and con
cludes his report n>- follows:
“With this I ceased all efforts to re
conclle the parties in the controversy,
feeling that I had exhausted every moans
at my command.
“With some experience in labor strikes
and Industrial disputes. I am compelled
to say that the present strike In Omah:;
has been conducted with less disorder
than any strike of a similar nature with
in my experience.
The strikers are conducting themselves
In a most orderly manner. True, there
has been some disorder, but it has been
caused by foolish sympathizers of the
strikers.
“It appears to me. your excellency,
after a careful Investigation of the causes
leading up to this strike, and a faithful
efTort to bring it to an end. that an im
partial investigation should be had un
der the provisions of the statutes, said
statutes being attached hereto and
marked ‘Exhibit C.’ This, I believe,
should be done for the purpose of mak
ing a permanent record if for no other
reason. Business is suffering, men are
suffering, the general public is suffer
ing. I believe this whose matter could
have been settled without a strike The
striking employes say that they have at
all times been willing to submit every
point of dispute to arbitration and to re
t. rn to work in a body if assured of fair
end impartial arbitration of the roint*
l.-.cntioned. President Wattles has so
far refused to submit anything whatever
to arbitration. Very respectfully.
‘ WILL M. MAUPJN.
“Deputy Labor Commissioner.”
We can only say that this method in
: practice by the Business Men's associa
tion will soon bring ruin upon them
selves. for labor unions stood many
jolts and still are on the Increase, not
withstanding all opposition.
4 4 4 4
WILL ASK ARBITRATION.
♦
Will Seek Legislation Along That Line
at Extra Session.
♦
To secure an extra session of the leg
islature for the enactment of a law pro
viding for the creation of a state board
of arbitration is the latest move con
templated by friends or sympathizers of
the striking street carmen.
The proposition will be submitted to
some of the strike leaders during the day
and it is contemplated to have petitions
circulated among the people of Omaha
within a short time.
Those who contemplate this move have
figured that it will cost about 120,000 to
$30,000 to hold a special session of the
legislature, and if the governor should
hesitate on that account it is contem
plated to take up a collection to reim
. burse the state. The plans, however, are
as yet in the formative stage, but unless
the strike comes to a sudden termina
tion the petitions will be circulated.
Governor Shallenbergcr has announced
officially he will call an extra session for
the purpose of passing a guaranty bank
deposit law should the present law be
declared void by the federal court. pn>
vidlng the decision goes into details on j
the weak points of the law. This deci
sion is looked for within a short time,
and if the governor decides to call the
extra session immediately upon the filing
of the decision the frienls of the strikers
will request that the creation of a state
board of arbitration be included in his
call.—Omaha Bee.
♦ + ♦♦*
THINK IT OVER.
♦
When a union elects a member to an
official position, it does so not to make
him a target for censure and abuse, but
'that he may be a center around which
the members shall gather to make ef
fective the work of the organization. This
is a lesson that has not taken hard
: enough hold on the minds of union mem
j bers.
I There is a peculiar perversity possess
ing many union people that makes thorn
i knock the men they have elected to of
; tlce. They seem to have an idea that
because they have elected a brother to
office they have a right to dog him to
their heart's content. They treat him
very much the same way the Indians
used to treat their squaws, only worse.
The Indian made his squaw do the work,
but he didn't have much to say. whne
the union men piles all the work of the
organization on the shoulders of the of
ficer and a heap of abuse o:i his head.
If the union members who are guilty
of this folly would have as much to say
in the way of boosting as they have in
the way of knocking, how easy would be
the work of the officers and how success
ful the organization!—Ex.
♦ ♦♦♦♦
Painters and Decorators No. 79 are
very busy as present, and they expect
with good weather to continue, there
will be plenty to keep them going for
tome time.
♦ 4 4 4 ♦
Don’t forget that the houses listed in
these directory pages are union estab
lishments. It is up to you to consult
The Bulletin whenever you want any
thing in any line. You will hare little
trouble in finding a union place to fill
vour wants. Of course, we want you to
patronize the union house that is an ad
vertl8er first.
4 4 4 4 4
Home-made, hand-made, union-made —
the La Belle 5c cigar.
DO IT NOW
rsio. io
The Slaughter of Employes
By C. A. Irwin.
Ti.»s is a commercial age. America
has made great progress in legislating
for the conservation of property and
property rights, but laws for personal
security have been very much neglected.
Last year the factories and shops of
New York killed twice as many people
as fell in the Spanish-American war.
Last year the railroads of this country
killed nearly 8.000 people and injured
more than 70,000. In 22 days of last
August the surface roads of New York
City killed or injured over 5.500 people;
and in the year 1908 there were 3,781
fatal accidents, and over 50.000 personal
injuries in the factories and shops of
a single American city.
The daily report of personal injuries
has become so regular that it attracts
little attention. Legislatures and courts
will continue to ignore this tremendous
, human slaughter until a healthy public
rcntimeut is created demanding its pre
vention.
It is appalling that 90 per cent of per
sonal injuries in this country would be
easily preventable with proper reguia
'ions. and that the pecuniary loss for
the other 10 per cent invariably falls
upon the injured party instead of where
it belongs—that is. upon the shoulders
of him who set in motion the dangerous
agency which produced the injury. It
is often asked, "why is it that industrial
accidents are so much more numerous
in America than in other countries?” To
answer this question it is only neces
sary to compare American laws for per
sonal safety with the same class of laws
in other countries. America gives less
legal protection to life and limb than
any other civilized country.
Thirty-five years ago the English par
liament passed a law providing:
"Where, after the passage ot tu»o «ct,
personal injury is caused to an employe,
who is himself in the exercise of due
care and diligence at the time:
*‘(1( By reason of any defect in the
condition of the ways, works or ma
chinery connected with or used in the
business of the employer, which arose
from or had not been discovered or
remedied owing to the negligence of the
employer, or of any person in the service
of the employer, and entrusted by him
with the duty of seeing that the ways,
works and machinery were in proper
condition: or
“(2) By reason of the negligence of
any person in the service of the em
ployer. entrusted with exercising super
tatendency whose sole or principal duty
is. that of superintendence:
I "(3) By reason of the negligence of
any person in the service of the em
ployer who has the charge or control
of any switch, signal, locomotive en
gine or train upon a railroad .the em
ploye. or in case the injury results in
death the parties entitled by law to sue
and recover for such damages shall
have the same right of compensation and
remedy against the employer, as If the
employe had not been an employe of
or in the service of the employer or
1 engaged in his or its work.”
After the passage of the foregoing act
of parliament the English courts in obeu
ience to English public sentiment very
properly held that the law meant exact
ly what its language imported and that
thereafter an employe injured through
the failure of his employer to furnish
a reasonably safe place to work and
reasonably safe conditions under which
to work could recover his just compen
sation. and that it was no defense for
the employer to show that the employe
knew of the danger: in other words,
that he did not assume the risk. This
decision of the English courts throwing
the financial burden of a large class
of industrial accidents upon the employ
er where it justly belonged had a great
influence in stimulating the owners of
shops and factories to exercise diligence
for the safety of employes.
American laboriug men hearing of the
English act and its effect, at once be*
came zealous for its adoption in Ameri
ca; and* it has been adopted iu nearly
every state, but it has been rendered
valueless in this country by additions,
amendments and judicial construction,
example, in Colorado the act was adopt
ed. but it was also provided that no re
covery should exceed $5,000; that no
recovery should be had unless written
notice was given to the employer of the
time, place and cause of the injury; and
that if the employe knew of the defect
or negligence which caused the injury
before he was injured and failed to give
notice thereof he could not recover.
These legislative amendments clearly
indicate that it was the purpose of the
legislature to deceive laboring men into
the Idea that they were passing the Eng
lish employers* liability act, and at the
same time to cater to the business In
Incorporating
Denver Label League
Bulletin
, a iH
Owned and published by
the Denver Label League
No. 1, in the interest of
Organized Labor.
terests by practically destroying the ef
flcacy of the act, and American courts,
like American legislatures, have been
so careful of business and so reckless of
men that they have Invariably construed
this act. as amended, to mean exactly
the opposite of what the English courts
have always said it meant.
This is as far as American legislation
has gone to protect the persons of em
ployes, but England did not stop w’tb
that old employers’ liability act. Fifteen
years ago Great Britain. New Zealand,
Australia and British Columbia had all
passed laws providing that employers
should be absolutely liable for all in
juries received by employes while en
gaged in the service, without reference
to any other question, the amount of
-nch liability to be definitely fixed in
each case by easily ascertainable condi
tions. such as the nature and extent of
the injury, the wage earning capacity oi
the person injured, and. in case of death,
by the age. expectancy of life and earn
’ ing capacity of the deceased.
! Such laws have wrought a wonderful
change in the protection of life and limb
j and they have placed the financial burden
I upon the shoulders of the employer,
where it justly belongs. They have also
since been applied to injuries by public
| carriers with like beneficial results.
How different is the situation in this
country. Legislatures and courts have
not yet come to regard men. women and
■ children as entitled to the same consider
ation which they give to business and
property. The responsibility should be
placed upon the people themselves. Pub
lic sentiment in this country has not
been educated upon this question. Labor
unions have been so busy in trying to.
get a fair day’s wages for a fair day’s,
work that they have failed to give the
safety of employes sufficient considera
tion. If a worthy public sentimeut is to
be created, it must receive its impetus
from the laboring people. Society may
be likened to an aged tree that is dying,
at the top; nourishment must come—if
it comes at all —from below. People who
toil with their hands have been the boue
and sinew of every real reform that has
made for human progress. If you would
secure adequate legal protection for em
ployes. you must agitate and continue to
agitate, in season and out of season, until
a public sentiment has been created
which legislatures and courts will have
; to recognize. Until this is done nothing
can be accomplished. The stream can
not rise higher than its source; legisla
tures and courts reflect the public senti
ment which creates them. In a free coun
try nothing can withstand the will of an
aroused public conscience.
There has never yet in this country
been any sustained and well-directed ef
fort in this direction. In one of his late
messages to Congress. President Roose
velt recomended a federal law which
should virtually embody the English idea
of a fixed copensation for all industrial
accidents coming under the federal juris
diction. such compensation to be auto
matically determined acording to speci
fied conditions: but Congress was so busy
discussing the proposed tariff upou ladies'
hose and other equally important sub
jects. that they could only pass a half
hearted measure that will likely be de
clared unconstitutional by the courts.
However, the receut congressional act is
a large step in advance of previous Amer
ican legislation on the subject, and it is
to be hoped that when the act reaches
the Supreme court for interpretation
there may be a majority of that court
who will consider a man as much entitled
to judicial recognition as a dollar.
4 4 4 4 4
TAILORS WIN CONCESSION.
4
The tailors who went out on a strike
in Chicago Monday, have practically you
their strike.
Six firms employing about 200 Isdl*>s*
tailors yesterday sigued the new wage
scale of the union, and their men, who
went on strike in the morning, retur." 9
to work. Ten firms employing a! out
300 men ure still tied up as a reaul’ «f
the strike, but some of them are eape* leu
to give in today. The tailors are caking
a minimum scale of $22 a wee!., with
time and one-half for overtime. Frank
Wokurku. secretary of the I.mli<r**
Tailors’ Union, said last night that Hu
expected the strike would be ended In
a day or two, as it is the busy
and the employers cannot find skilled
help to take the places of the strikers.
4 4 4 4 4
Switchmen of North America <iit **•
Joying a very prosperous seatem Kx
perienced man ure in demand. The*'- or
ganizations is in fine condition.
4 4 4 4 4
If we don’t boost our own game. n«w*4
we expect others to do what we will
J