The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 38, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 24, 1912 Page: 1 of 8
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THE VALUE OF THE SNOWSTORM TO THE STATE IS ESTIMATED AT FIVE TO TEN MILLION DOLLARS
V
OKIIHO
OR UNIT
DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ORGANIZED LABOR AND THE FARMERS* UNION OW OKLAHOMA
VOL. 4.
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 1912.
No. 38
i
MOVEMENT IS
FAST GAINING
UNIONS OF MINNEAPOLIS HAVE
BEGUN STUPENDOUS UNDER-
TAKING
COMMERCIAL TELEGRAPHERS
Resolutions by Chicago Local No. 1 De-
mand Public Onership of Telegraphs
and Telephones
With the launching of the Union
Labor Forward Movement, the unions
of Minneapolis, Minn., have begun one
of the most stupendous undertakings
ever planned by labor organizations
anywhere. The Union Labor Forward
Movement is in reality a contemplated
campaign of organization for the pur-
pose of forming new unions, rehabilitat-
ing those that are weak and strength-
ening the whole union movement in
Minneapolis, as well as scattering the
gospel of unionism to the uninformed
and thus interesting them to a greater
extent in the cause of the toilers.
The idea originated in the Minneapo-
lis Trades Assembly and was quickly
taken up and discussed there. After-
wards it was decided to appoint a com-
mittee to consider the advisability of
entering upon such a campaign. Later
this committee reported recommending
that steps be taken by the Trades and
Labor Assembly to start the movement
and that the committee be instructed
to solicit the assistance and co-operation
of every central body and as many lo-
cals as were willing to take part.
The movement has grown to such an
extent in two months that practically
every labor organization in the city is
represented 011 the general committee
and plans for the campaign, which is
to begin on Suadav, April 21, are ma-
turing rapidly.
Under the plans so far adopted, it 'S
the intention of the promoters of the
movement to seek the assistance of na
tional and international unions. Re
quests already have been sent to many
for the services of organizers during the
two weeks the campaign will last, and
the expense of sending these organizers
to be borne by the international organ
zation furnishing them. Many have
sent word they will have representa
tives here.
Money to finance the campaign is be-
ing raised through the sale of buttons
bearing the inscription, "Union Labor
Forward Movement, April, 1912." Five
thousand of these have been sold at 10
cents each, and the ways and means
committee will place 20,000 of the but-
tons in the hands of officers and mem-
bers of the unions and they will be sold.
The program for the two/weeks in-
cludes more than 1,000 meetings in all
parts of the city. For these* meetings,
arrangements are being made to secure
the use of schoolhouses, churches, one
municipal hall and halls and auditor-
iums in all sections of the city.
Up to this time those in charge have
not decided just who the outside speak
ers will be, but they will be selected
from those who attend. Invitations wi
be sent to Samuel Gompers, and all oth-
er members of the executive force of
the American Federation of Labor, and
every union official of a regularly con
stituted national or international body
will be cordially welcome. A resolution
passed early in the history of the move-
ment by the general committee limits
the speakers to actual members of labor
organizations. Many local men will take
part and the general committee will
embrace at least 150 members before
the campaign starts.
As an evidence of the popularity of
the Union Labor Forward Movement, it
may be stated that St. Paul, also has
begun preparations for a campaign sim
ilar to the one proposed for Minneapo
lis, to begin immediately at the close of
the first one. Duluth Trades and Labor
Assembly has taken the matter up and
steps are being taken to launch a joint
campaign in that city and Superior.
Many of the smaller cities in Minnesota
and the northwest have asked for par-
ticulars in regard to this movement, and
the information sought has been sent.
The Commercial Telegraphers' union
of America local No. 1 of Chicago
iopted the following resolutions and
asks all local unions to act favorably
on same regarding the public ownership
of the telegraphs and telephones:
Whereas, The private ownership and
private exploitation of the telegraph
and telephone in the United States has
resulted in inadequate facilities, high
rates, slow, inaccurate and discrimina-
tory service and most merciless sweat-
ing of employes; and
Whereas, These high rates, this slow,
inaccurate and discriminatory service
has confined the telegraph and tele-
phone to necessary financial and com-
mercial use, rather than the making ot
these two important means of commun-
ication a great public convenience, i s
in every other nation; thereiore be it
Resolved, That Chicago Local No. 3,
Commercial Telegraphers' union of
America, in regular meeting assembled
this eleventh day of February, nineteen
twelve, does hereby demand that the
telegraph and telephone be made a pub
lie convenience instead of a private
graft by incorporating them into the
postoffiee deportment — of which they
should have been a component from
their first coming into use, and be it
further
Resolved, That we ask each subordin
ate unit of the Commercial Telegraph
ers' union of America and all other en
lightened persons and organizations to
join in this demand; requesting that
they advise congressmen from their re
spective districts and states of their ad-
herence to the principle of public own
ership of the telegraphs and telephones
OREGON CONDITIONS
CONVICT LABOR
PRISON CONTRACTORS BENDING
EVERY ENERGY TO THWART
POPULAR MOVEMENT
Special to The Labor Unit.
New York. — Prison contractors
throughout the country are bending ev-
ery energy to thwart the onward march
of sentiment against the contracting of
convicts to private manufacturers.
Every obstacle known to human ingenu-
ity is being brought into play. Some
years back the Connecticut legislature
granted an appropriation to build a
state reformatory. Two years were
spent in the delection of a site and con-
struction. After completion, a super-
intendent was appointed, this being in
the spring of 1911. The Reliance Man-
ufacturing Company made a desperate
effort to have the contract system es-
tablished at the new institution but
failed, ami has resisted all attempts to
transfer any of the inmates from the
old prison to the new reformatory. The
business of the company has expanded
to such an extent that it claims it
needs all of the inmates of the old
prison. The opening of the new re-
formatory was fixed for June 1, 1911,
then for October 1, 1911, and then again
for January 1, 1912. The opening has
now again been postponed until some
time next fall. As a matter of fact
the Reliance Manufacturing Company
has placed a veto on the acts of the
state through its representatives.
Special to The Labor Unit.
Portland, Ore. — The Central Labor
Council of this city has forwarded to
the state officials of all the states, as
well as to the labor organizations, a
statement of conditions in Oregon. It
seems that through the efforts of hos
tile employers, promoters, real estate
agents and others, the country has been
flooded with alluring advertisements of
the great opportunities offered in this
state and large numbers of people have
migrated here to find that they have
been hoaxed. The result is that there
is a large number of people in the state
who are the victims of these advertise-
ments. The statement concludes with
stating: "We welcome to our state
men and women who have a true un-
derstanding of conditions in Oregon.
There is room for such emigrants to aid
us in the development of our resources.
What we protest against is the un-
scrupulous exploitation of deluded peo-
ple.
OFFICERS RE ELECTED
Special to The Labor Unit.
Washington.—George F. Hedrick has
been re-elected president of the Inter-
national Brotherhood of Painters, and
J. C. Skemp has been re-elected general
secretary-treasurer for the ^psuing
term.
©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©
© ©
©
©
©
©
KENTUCKY LAW
DISOBEYED
OKLAHOMA CITY CAN COME BACK
Imperial Oklahoma City has once
again qualified herself to the title of
metropolis of Oklahoma.
There has been some dark suspicious
rumorfl that the city had gold-bricked
the country in the matter of locating
the Capitol but the suspicions are anni-
hilated by the action of the voters of
that town last Monday. Oklahoma City
has "come back."—Chandler Tribune.
Special to the Labor Unit. ©
© Frankfort, Ky. — Two years ©
© ago a law was enacted by the ©
© state legislature converting the ©
© penitentiary in this city into a ©
© reformatory. Nothing has been ©
© done, however, by the board of ©
© prison commissioners because ©
© the Hoge-Montgomery Company, ©
© which holds contract at the insti- ©
© tution, refused to allow the nec- ©
© essary changes to be made. The ©
© company proposed to give its ©
© consent to the execution of the ©
© law if its contracts were ex- ©
© tended six years after expira- ©
© tion in 1914. The board of pris- ©
© on commissioners agreed to the ©
© proposal, but it was declared il- ©
© legal by the attorney general, ©
© whereupon the commissioners ©
© calmly announced that the law ©
© would not be carried out. The ©
© fight is to be continued against ©
© this flagrant violation of law. ©
©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©
WANTS COURTS RESPECTED
Special to The Labor Unit.
Washington.—At the recent meeting
of the New York State Bar associa-
tion, of which United States Senator
Root is president, he said: "If judic-
ial license is to be placed on a parity
with political opinions in the public
mind, judicial decision will interpret
the law always to suit the majority of
the moment, and the recall will be' the
natural and logical expression of the
relation to be assumed by the people
and the courts." The followers of the
Taft legal mind appear to have a fear
that the law will be interpreted in a
different manner than at present. The
people of this country, however, judg-
ing by their present attitude, are not
in favor of defying the courts, but
treating them as public institutions
that should be just as amenable to the
people as every other governmental in-
stitution.
COMPROMISE IS
NOW EFFECTED
CONTROVERSY BETWEEN TEATE
PRINTERS UNION AND PRINT
ING COMMITTEE ADJUSTED
Special to The Labor Unit.
Washington. — The controversy be-
tween the plate printers' union and the
senate printing committee, the latter
desiring to install power presses, to be
used in the printing of all government
money and securities, has been adjust-
ed. The agreement reached provides
that hereafter the proviso to the act of
July 1, 1898, directing that all bonds,
notes and checks shall be printed on
hand roller presses, shall not apply to
checks, the backs and tints of all Unit-
ed States bonds, the backs and tints of
all United States paper money and the
backs and tints of bonds and paper
money issued by any of the insular
possessions of the United States; any
or all of which shall be printed from
intaglic plates and on such plate print-
ing presses as may be directed by the
secretary of the treasury, said processes
to be operated by plate printers ex-
cept that checks and tints may bo print-
ed by any desired process. In addition,
the backs of all United States paper
money shall be printed from four-sub-
ject plates and the faces of all inter-
nal revenue stamps now printed from
intaglic plates on hand roller or power
plate printing presses shall continue to
be printed from intaglic plates, on hand
roller or power plate printing presses,
as the secretary of the treasury may de-
termine, and said presses to be operat-
ed by plate printers. The agreement
further provides that not more than
one-fifth of the total number of hand
roller presses shall be displaced in each
fiscal year. The contention of the plate
printers is that the printing done by the
government on power presses opens the
way for extensive counterfeiting.
STAY AWAY FROM PORTLAND
Central Labor Council of That City
Sends Out Warning to Mechanics
of All Crafts
The Central Labor Council of Port-
land, Ore., and vicinity have sent out
notices and letters to all parts of the
country warning mechanics of all crafts
to stay away from Portland. The cen-
tral body in their circular asks men to
stay away because the advertisements
sent out by the employers' association,
the railroads, the real estate sharks,
stating there is abundance of work
thero at high wages, are untruthful,
misleading and for the purpose of re-
ducing wages, and they ask you to stay
away from Portland and that vicinity
until industrial conditions improve.
The circular says there are 10,000 idle
men there now, in response to adver-
tisements, looking for work, begging
for bread from the city and county au-
thorities. These workmen are waiting
for the spring work, but they nre starv-
ing in the meantime.
EXCLUSION LAW FAILS
LOOKS LIKE BIG STRIKE
Special to The Labor Unit.
London.—A conference of the repre-
sentatives of 800,000 coal miners in the
United Kingdom, held in London re-
cently, confirmed the decision reachcd
by recent ballot to bring about a na-
tional stoppae of work in the coal mines
February 29, unless in the meantime
the mine owners accept the principle
of a minimum wage for all men and
boys employed underground.- Upwards
of 40,000 miners employed in the mines
in Derbyshire have handed iu their no-
tices to quit work and immense lium
bers are doing likewise in other dis-
tricts.
Electrical workers of Billings, Mont.,
secured increase of 25 cents per day,
nine-hour day and union shop after a
strike of twenty-four hours.
BURNS' SLEUTH GETS JOLT
Special to The Labor Unit.
Washington.—In the controversy be-
fore the Lorimer investigating commit-
tee, in which a stenographer's report,
taken from a dictograph, was brought
into question, there has been conducted
an investigation. The stenographic
notes of the Burns' stenographer have
been shown to have been largely faked.
An experiment was conducted and the
stenographer given an opportunity to
demonstrate his ability in the same
manner that he claimed he took the
notes which were introduced as evi-
dence. In the test he failed, showing
that his former story was not in accord
with the facts. A number of steno-
graphers corroborated the statement of
the official stengropher of the commit-
tee that the notes taken by the detec-
tive's stenographer were faked.
AN INTERESTING STORY
Special to The Labor Unit.
Washington.—In the February num-
ber of Everybody's Magazine, there be
gan a story entitled, "Big Business
and the Bench, How Courts Have Been
Invaded and Judges Swayed by the
Powers of Corruption." These articles
have been written by C. P. Connolly, a
one-time resident of Butte, Mont., the
city where first as a public official he
became aware of the pollution of the
stream of justice by the big copper in-
terests of that camp. The first article
is intensely interesting and there is an
arrify of facts marshalled and proven
which must be appalling to every lover
of justice. It is well worth the perusal
of every individual interested in pub-
lic affairs.
NEGOTIATIONS PENDING
Special to The Labor Unit.
Washington. — Negotiations arc in
progress with the Illinois Central rail-
road officials, and the organizations on
strike looking toward a settlement.
Nothing definite, however, has a syet
been arrived at, but the outlook is pro-
mising.
RAILROAD DEPARTMENT
GROWING
Special to The Labor Unit.
Chicago. — The Railroad Department
of the American Federation of Labor,
like the other departments, is increas-
ing in membership. At the last meet-
ing held in this city the Amalgamated
Sheet Metal Workers and the Brother-
hood of Painters were admitted to mem-
bership. The painters were admitted
with the understanding that the juris-
dictional rights of the Brotherhood of
Railway Carmen shall not be inter-
fered with, and that both shall have the
right to organize painters. Henry B.
Perham of the railroad telegraphers
was elected as president of the depart-
ment to succeed himself by unanimous
vote. J. A. Franklin of the boilermak-
ers was elected to the office of vice-
president. A. B. Lowe, president of
the maintenance of way employes, al-
though not desiring to remain as secre-
tary-treasurer, accepted the office for
the time being. The outlook for the
coming year is, indeed, bright with all
the fafiliated organizations in good phy-
sical condition to continue the work al-
ready outlined.
Special to The Labor Unit.
Washington.—That the Chinese ex
elusion law fails to accomplish its
avowed purposes has been pointed out
in the report of the commissioner of
the bureau of immigration for the fiscal
year 1911, which has just been made
public. The report states that tho meth-
ods adopted to violate tho law were so
extensive and complicated as to beggar
description. It is stated that one of
the principal difficulties consists of
properly guarding the Canadian and
Mexican boundaries. It is claimed that
unless the exclusion law is strengthened,
the next decade will witness the enter-
ing of the United States, on citizenship
claims allowed, of more than fifty thous-
and Chinese.
WANTS TO ABOLISH MILL
Special to The Labor Unit.
Columbia, S. C.—The governor of this
state in a message to the legislature
emphatically recommends that the hos-
iery mill operated by convicts in the
state penitentiary be abolished, and that
the convicts be employed on work de-
signed for the exclusive state use. The
governor claims that the hosiery mill
has been and is a fertile breeding place
for disease, mostly tuberculosis, and
closes his message with the following
words: "I desire no friction, ao row,
and 110 unpleasantness, but action, and
it must be had by you or me. Which?"
PLATER GIRLS ON STRIKE
Holyoke, Mass.—The plater girls at
the Holyoke mills of the American
Writing Paper Company have organ-
ized, with a membership of over 100,
and have struck against the company.
The cause of the trouble was tho in-
troduction of an efficiency system
which increased the work of each oper-
ative one-half, without any added com-
pensation. It is said that all of the
girls in the department affected save
two joined the organization and only
three have returned to work since the
strike occurred.
NO UTTERANCE
FROM ACCUSED
STEEL RAIL MANUFACTURERS
FAIL TO ANSWER CHAROE OF
LOUIS D. BRANDIES
Special to The Labor Unit.
Washington.—None of the steel rail
manufacturers accused by Louis D.
Brandies ef being largely responsible
for railroad accidents iu tho United
States by making inferior rails, lAs
uttered a word on this important sub-
ject. In accentuation of tho serious
menace to life and property caused by
alleged defective rails, dispatches from
various sections of the country during
the recent severe cold weather state
that "railroad rails have crushed like
wood and on many roads pilot engines
have been sent ahead of every impor-
tant train." In this connection rail
road men recall a broad but positive
assertion made a few years ago by E.
II. Harriman, that one of the chief dif-
ficulties encountered in increasing the
efficiency of tho railroads was found in
tho poor quality of tho rails with which
he had found tho lines he controlled
had been equipped. A scathing report
was made by experts of the Interstate
Commerco Commission in November
last, in reference to tho terrible disas-
ter on the Lehigh Valley 1{. K. at Man-
chester, N. Y., in which 29 lives were
lost. It is also recaled, that at that
time the commissioner assigned two
chief experts, Hiram W. Belnap, chief
inspector of safety appliances, and
James E. Howard, to make an investi-
gation. They reported that defects in
rails were so common that it was rec-
ommended that a sweeping investiga-
tion should be made of all the rail-
roads in the United States. It is said
that the development of these defects
progresses with the age of rails, and
the fear has been expressed that a long
series of serious nccidents must be ex-
pected if a remedy is not applied. Tho
broken rail causing the accident at
Manchester, N. Y., was manufactured
by the Bethlehem Steel Co., open-liearth
process, 20 per cent, discard, 90 pounds
to the yard, and was rolled Dec. 4, 1909,
and was known as "A" rail, which is
tho rail rolled from the ingot. After
tho accident it was found that this
rail had been broken into many pieces,
the first being 31 inches. Inspection
showed that it was defective, being
what is known as a pipe rail. Analysis
of this defective part showed that pip-
ing is due to slag originating in tho
steel furnace.
CALIFORNIA'S EXTRA
SESSION
I © © ©
©
©
©
Special to the Labor Unit. ©
Washington.—A detailed re- ©
port issued by the California ©
State Federation of Labor states ©
that the extra session of the ©
legislature passed a resolution to ©
submit to the people a consti- ©
tutional amendment providing ©
for tho free distribution of text ©
books in all elementary schools ©
of the state. Two bills increas- ©
ing the power of the industrial ©
accident board in the gathering ©
of personal injury statistics also ©
passed, as well as a bill provid- ©
ing for inter-insurance against ©
risks of any kind, including lia- ©
bilities for accidental injuries to ©
employes. A series of bills were ©
also passed providing the ma- ©
chinery for making effective the ©
initiative, referendum and re- ©
call. The latter bills will put ©
into operation the constitutional ©
amendments which were adopted ©
at the last general election. ©
#©©©©©©©©©©©©©©©
WOODEN CARS EXPENSIVE
Washington.—The railroads have lost
their first appeal fro mthe 1911 law per-
mitting no postoffiee payments to rail-
roads for mail carried in wooden mail
cars run between steel cars. It is giv-
en out that the postoffiee auditor
knocked off $">08.72 from the July bills
of the Missouri Pacific and Iron Moun-
tain railroads and the railroads appeal-
ed. The comptroller of the treasury
sustained tho auditor, despite that tho
railroads made the plea for confisca-
tion.
TOM DAVIS KILLED
Meets Death While at Work on Electric
Light Pole Friday Afternoon, Feb. 16.
Tom Davis, president of Electrical
Workers' Union No. 155, and employed
for the past three years by the Okla-
homa Gas & Electric Co., was instantly
killed while at work on an electric light
pole Friday afternoon, Feb. 16. Several
hundred volts of electricity passed
through liis body.
Mr. Davis was a very popular mem-
ber of organized labor in Oklahoma
City, and has worked for the interests
of union men in the city for several
years. He was a delegate to the Okla-
homa City Trades and Labor Council at
the time he was killed.
The funeral was held last Sunday
afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Members
of organized labor in Oklahoma City
attended the funeral in a body. The
funeral services were held at the Wash-
ington Avenue Baptist church, Rev. B.
D. Weeks officiating.
Mr. Davis was a single man, living
with his parents at 913 West Main
street. He leaves a father, mother, two
brothers and four sisters.
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Casler, Howard M. The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 3, No. 38, Ed. 1 Saturday, February 24, 1912, newspaper, February 24, 1912; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc107066/m1/1/: accessed April 24, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.