The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 48, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 22, 1909 Page: 1 of 8
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THE OKLAHOMA LABOR UNIT
DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ORGANIZED LABOR AND THE F. E. C. U. OF A. OF OKLAHOMA
Endorsed by the
OKLAHOMA CITY BUILDING TRADES COUNCIL
Endorsed by the
OKLAHOMA STATE FEDERATION OF LABOR
Endorsed by the Oklahoma City
CENTRAL TRADES AND LABOR ASSEMBLY
VOL. I
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA. SATl HDAY, MAY 22, 11)09.
NO. 4J!
Typographical
Union Elects
Its Officers
On last Wednesday the printers
throughout the country elected local
officers and delegates to the interna-
tional convention to be held in the
city of St. Joseph, Mo., the second
week in August.
There was but little interest in the
election of No. 283. excepting for fed-
eration officers, as there was in the
majority o£ cases no opposition for
any of the offices.
M. J. (Mike) Williams was elected
without opposition as delegate to the
1. T. U. convention.
Howard M. Casler was elected pres-
ident.
C. C. Guy won out as vice-president
O. S. WILSON.
Sec-Treas. Typographical Union 283.
Ollie S. Wilson, the present incum-
bent, na3 re-elected for the fourth
consecutive term, as secretary-treas-
urer.
H. E. L. Brown, T. E. Blesh, and J.
T. Van ti outen were elected as execu-
tive committeemen.
Joe King, Jesse Drummond and
Bruce Spivey were elected as auditors.
The election passed oft without
much interest and all seemed satis
lied with the results.
Building Trades Council
J. D. TRAYLOR, Business Agent.
Organizer and Business Agent's re-
port of the Building Trades Depart-
ment of Oklahoma City:
The Building Trades Department of
this city is gradually gaining in mem-
bership. Also all locals affiliated are
taking in new members at each meet-
ings. The cement men have elected
their officers, also their delegates, 3
in number, to the Building Trades
Council. Our constitutions will be
out in a few days, then the rank and
file of members will know about as
much about "these laws as some of the
contractors think they know now. Our
board of governors of this organiza-
tionis made up. I think, of the best
material that each local organization
possesses, broad minded, deep think-
ing men. I am having some little
trouble at present adjusting some of
the down town jobs but think things
will come out all right in the wash-
ing. The washing will come oft after
cur by-laws are out. Am glad to
slate that after having the non-union
plumbers thrown of:' tit the Big Johns
theater the entire work is fair to or-
ganized labor and am assured by John
it is his demand and desire to erect
."Ind run a union show he ipe. Hurrah
for lilg John. Wish \v« had more
like him who wou d demand the uu-
I*m cuot). All men who we caning
the red working card issued by the
Building Trades Department are busy.
We can place new men most every
day in all crafts of work. What we
want is good mechanics for wli en a
man, company or corporation wants a
rood mechanic they go to the union
for them.
E. II. Mead, of the Electricians,
who lias been secretary of the Build-
ing Trades Council, has resigned, and
J. W. Dili, of the Plumbers, has been
«lccted to All the vacancy.
Instead of being a "reformer," Peter
the Little is a "deforner."
FRIENDLY RiVALRY"
ICocyrlithi, 1S0U.)
ENGLISH SHIPYARD
GERMAN SHIPYARD
r<rz
WANTtD
WANTED
ntN WITH
EXPERIENCE
IN BUILDING
DREADNOUGHTS
MEN WITH
N., EHpL5E HlXPERlENCt
IN building
DRPADNAUGH TS
European Ideas of Peace.
BIG PACKING PLANT ■
FOR OKLAHOMA CITY
Morse & Company Will Erect at Oacc a Packing Plant to
Cost $3,000,000
With, that imloniitable spirit and
energy which has always been shown
by the citizens of Oklahoma City, the
leaders of the Chamber of Commerce
went after the Morris companys pack-
ing plant and as is usual we "got it"
Sidney L. Brock, president of the
Chamber of Commerce, and G. B.
Stone, chairman of the industrial
committee, have been working hard
for weeks to land the big company
and whem all arrangements were
made the call for subscriptions to
the plan was made and in less than
one day the sum of $500,000 was sub-
scribed and the deal closed. Where
on the face of the c.2 rth could this
same feat be accomplished except in
Oklahoma City?
What does this mean to Oklhoma
City? What does it mean to labor?
To Oklahcm City it means m ad-
ded population of at least 25,000 in
the next twelve months. It means
that building operations will of neces-
sity be compeiled to double the ca-
pacity. It means greater bank clear-
ing's. It means a greater retail busi*
! ness. It mens so many things in a
business way that it is I mxI to enu-
merate them all.
What does it mean to labor? . It
means an additional pay roll of $: 0,-
'>00 per week. It means that much
more money placed in the hands of
the laboring people to be used in the
construction of homes, in the educa-
tion of their children, the upbuilding
of our city, and an additional number
of new industries that must necessar-
ily follow.
We are proud of the Oklahoma City
Chamber of Commerce. We are proud
of the men who made it possible for
tha location of Morris & Company's
plant. We are proud of our city. We
also believe that org uilbed labor is in
a position to materially aid the city
in any way that has for Its end a
greater and more prosperous Okla-
homa City.
Poor Wages and
Prostitution
better <not buy them."
Mrs. Florence Kelly said there were I
so many girls just out of public school I
seeking work that those who ha.l ■
I places had to take what they could !
jgst. "It is marvelous that s) many of
them can keep straight," she said.
"But if they can keep righteous they
can't keep physically strong, living a >
a girl must on such low wages."
The Consumers' League of New
York City, at a meeting called to con-
sider the welfare of girls working in
shops, was addressed by .Miss Mary H.
S hi ford, who ha* been investigating
houra, wages, etc., cn behalf of the
League.
'We can't be surprised," she said,
"when these girls are found on th
streets. A girl can't live on $4, $5 o
$6 a week. These evils can best b<
remedied by the consumer—the cus- ] Bro. Phil F. Kinnie has been ei. cted
tomer. The thing to do is to stir pub-1 to the office as business agent in Bro.
lie sentiment." | Mead's place, who resigned to accept a
The two points the meeting waa ,P08itl°n with the Squires Electrical Uo. I
called to consider specially were how k-ansas ( "y> "ho are .loin; the Ok
to get Saturday half-holidays tor shop a',c"r'an Jol)-
ELECTRICAL WORKERS.
I The Electrical Workers are having
a time to supply the contractors with
: wire men, such is the demand at prcs-
l ent.
Turns Down
Non-Union Product
One of the results of the Hatters'
lockout was demonstrated a short time
back, when it became known to Mr.
Harry Houghton, the popular cloth
ier, that after a certain date the line
of "No Name" hats that he has car-
ried would net bear the label of the
hatters' union. He at once informed
the manufacturers of this hat that
his future orders for tlieir goods mint
be cancelled, as his desire wai to
handle union made hats and if the
makers < f No Name hats saw fit to
aid in the attempt to destroy the
Hatters' union, he would not be a
girls in the summer and how to put, Bro. Kinnie, who has had many years| j .irty to the game.
stop to evening shopping in the j experience in the labor movement, is, Organized labor has always found
Christmas holidays. Miss Sanford < hard worker and right up to date. | Mr. Houghton to be a firm and irue
told some of the things she saw in the nd local union No. 45G did not niakej blue friend to their cause and will
Ghiistmas rush time. I any mistake by placing him in the appreciate his attitude in this mat-
'1 saw,' she said, "a girl—and she j Hold.
was one of many—leave the store at jtro j
2 o'clock at night, and she had worked i.osition as assistant city electrician I myeling of his splendid store tie
ter and we wish to state that all ti:
Murphy has accepted a! work that has been done in the r
since 8 o'clock that morning, and; under Bro Nash
would have to be there at 8 o'clock j
the next morning. In the holiday time
I have known salesgirls to take their
supper hour to bathe their feet in the
toilet room, that they might endur
Bro. F. E. Cross has accepted a po
Jsition with the Dunbar Electrical Co.
Mr. McDonald, representing the
Hutchinson Electric Co., of Kansas-
last two months has been given to
union labor, and in consequence the
boys have given to him a large sup-
port in the way of trade. It would be
easy sailing for the hatt is if other
merchants over the country would
strain of standing through the even- ( itJ has open, d up a branch saop in fako sam , 3tej, as did Mr. Hough-
ing. It is said that stores must be l*'e -^art*n building, 305 \\ Main St.
open evenings in holiday time to give
working women a chance to shop. I
feel that if women buy present! t the
expense of such a strain on the part
of their fellow u aien—well they had
and has two of the largest jobs in
town, viz: the Wright, and the Bass
& Harbour buildings.
Much a-doing for the Electrical
Workers.
ton. The fact is that the hatters have
won their battle from all appearances
and we predict the makers of No
Name" hats will be offering their pro-
duct to the trade with the label at-
tached before many days.
STATE FEDERATION MEET *
(Tulsa Democrat.)
Preliminary preparations were made
by the federated trades at a meeting
Sunday in labor hall for the enter-
| tainment of the delegates who will
! come to tihis city on August 2 to at-
• tend the state m« et-Ing of the Peder-
! ation of Labor. It is expected that
four hundred representatives of or-
J ga.nizc d labor will be here for the big
I convention.
Local union men are interested at
the present time in the election of
tata officers, an.l this was shown at
I Sunday's meeting. To throw the
! Howerman clique ut of office Sf e i
; to be the purpose of the Tulsa unions
j —as well as unions over th- state, and
without doubt their efforts will m. et
with success.
Tulsa union men are al-o interested
in the candidacies of A. W. Patton,
for first vice president; Gus Koecker,
for third vice president; H. O. Green,
for fourth vice president, and Ira
ilrooks for auditor. They are also
working earnestly for the selection
of Je.-se L. Da . of Ardii.■ re, (; ••g.
IcConnell, of Bartlesville, and Lee
Payne, of Phillips, for the legislative
! committee.
C. C. Zeigler, of Oklahoma City, is
practically the unanimous choice of
local union men for the presidency of
the state federation.—Tulsa Demo-
i c rat.
Caruthers Union Barber Shop on
Robinson street must have gone wild
when they put non-union painters to
work on the Job.
The Object
Of a Chamber
of Commerce
Dy J. Luther Langston.
The object of a chamber of com-
merce is to look after the interests
of the city in which it is organized
and when it confines itself to boost-
ing the city, encouraging the business
enterprises already here, and "going
after" other enterprises to locate here,
it will have the hearty good-wishes
and co-operation of the labor unions.
The location of the packing plant
in Oklahoma City is a great victory
for Chamber of Commerce and every
laboring man in Oklahoma City will
give the boosters all the credit, and
cooperate in every way possible to
get other similar Institutions to come.
The packing plant will employ a
good class of labor who will add
much to the growth and prosperity
of the whole community ami to the
state—the class of citizens that Ok-
lahoma City needs and welcomes.
Now, let's not advertise to the world
that we can employ every idle man in
the United States, as has been .lone
ill the past, but let the employment
come as men are actually needed, so
that there will not bo an over-supply
of labor. We want to grow fast, but
It is better to be a little more con-
servative along advertising lines than
we have been, and then do our best to
see that all who do come are kept con-
st ntly employed
Union labor was not invited to par-
ticipate in the "stock taking", but wo
are not sore about it We'll shine
when it comes to consuming the pro-
duct of this gigantic^ enterprise, and
such co-operation w 'l be worth more
Jian if we had taken "stock" In the
plant
You furnish the goods—we'll fur-
nish tJhe market
Idle men are usually without funds
with which to buy goods, and the ob-
ject should be to keep every laboring
man in the city busy at a good wage.
Poorly paid labor never did anything
for a community. Let's pay a good
wage so that Oklahoma City will be
prosperous, and NOT a city with a
"hand-to-mouth" citizenship.
Let's i iv that class usually referred
to as "common labor* not less than
25c to uOc per hour for an eight-hour
day. Wouldn't that be just?
Could you live on less.
A Correction
Which Appeared in Mine Workers
Journal.
Howe, Okla.. May 7, 1000.
Editor Mine Workers' Journal
In writing the article which appear-
ed in the Journal of the 6th Inst., I
wrote as follows: "I submitted the bill
to the secretary of the state federa-
tion of labor, Mr. Langston, and to
the miners' representative, 'Mr. Hen-
retty.'" The editor corrected my
spelling of Little Pete's name and pub-
lished it "Mr. Hanraty," and thus
charged the sins of the editor of the
Oklahoma Farmer and Laborer
against the chief inspector of mines.
PeteHanra ty and Pete Henretty are
two different men. They don't look
alike, talk alike, nor act alike -except
on election day. Pete Hanraty has
been twenty-seven years in this terri-
tory, a pioneer in the labor move-
ment, district president for eight
years, a member of our constitutional
convention and first chief mine in-
spector. Pete Henretty came here
but three years ago from Illinois and
is a comparative stranger to the min-
or this district. "Little Pete"
should serve a few years on the pit
' ommlttee and a few terms as a dele-
gate? to conventions before aiming for
the from seat. But unfortunately he
lacks "\pcri ?nce, is not endowed with
tact, and for want of these makes fre-
ouent blunders that both Hanraty and
Henretty are roundly abused for. Mr.
Hanraty has called my attention to
i ids rror and I cheerfully make ti: •
correction.
Yours truly,
J. J. SULLIVAN.
F'-ier, the Little, after a six months
'ay at the capital during the winter
nd spring of 1908, having learned
something of emergency legislation,
attempted last fall to attach the
"emergency clause" to the "edict '
making himself the "secretary-treas-
urer pro tem" of the federation, but
the McAlester convention (the su-
preme court) declared the edict un-
constitutional.
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The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 48, Ed. 1 Saturday, May 22, 1909, newspaper, May 22, 1909; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc107619/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.