The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 39, Ed. 1 Saturday, March 20, 1909 Page: 1 of 8
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Oklahoma Digital Newspaper Program and was provided to The Gateway to Oklahoma History by the Oklahoma Historical Society.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Historical ,S.k'IM>
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. SATURDAY, MARCH 20, 11HW.
NO. M
PRINTERS FAVOR THE
Executive Council of International
Typographical Union Working
On the Details.
EXACT METHOD NOT YET
DEFINITELY DETERMINED.
But Whether Compulsory or Optional
Shall be on a Strictly Scien-
tific Basis.
Indianapolis.—Now that the old age
pension has been established by the
International Typographical union.
there is considerable discussion
among the member.-? of the Interna-
tional Executive Council in regard lo
the possible establishment of an in-
surance scheme. The matter of insur-
ance for the member.! of the Interna-
tional was brought up at the Hot
Springs convention of the organiza- j ion. An assessment of $1 a member
tion and it is now the intention of the was to be levied as an initiation fee,
executive council to devise some plan j and an assessment not to exceed 3
for presentation to the annual conven- cents was to be made on each mem-
tion at St. oseph. Mo., next August, ber of the organization in case of
ance and some in favor of an optional
form.
In the current issue of the Journal
there is an editorial dealing with the
subject, and setting forth what Presi-
dent Lynch said in connection with
an insurance plan at the Hot Spring*
convention. and wliat Secretary
Bramwood said on the subject In his
report at the Boston convention.
Two Plans Proposed
At the Boston convention two
propositions were introduced by dele-
gates. One provided for the appoint-
ment of a commission of ten to devise
a plan for optional insurance, but the
other was more comprehensive in its
character. It involved the organiza
tion of the 'international Typograph-
ical Union Protective Society," the
officers of the society to be the execu-
tive officers of the rnternatlonal un-
The views of the membership as ex-
pressed by means of a referendum
may be requested on the subject prior
to the next convention.
Matter Under Discussion
death.
In case of death of a member in
good standing for a period of ten
years or more, $1,000 was to be paid.
| If death occurred between the first
LIVE LOCAL LABOR GOSSIP ™n raters i
W. A. Nash or the Electricians, has
been laid up a few days, but is out
again.
The members of the Building Traded
Council are Jubilant over the arrival
or their charter, which will be in-
stalled Thursday night.
D. H. Whiteside, of the Plumbers
has arrived home from Enid.
Business amoung the carpenters is
on the boom, the membership it in-
creasing so rapidly that it is hard for
the boys to keep up with the rush.
April 1 is the time when contractor,
are expected to sign up the contracts
with the Unions in the Building
Trades tor the ensuing year. Indica-
tions point to several new contracts
that will help to make Oklahoma City
what we want it (a thoroughly or-
ganized city in all lines).
In the meantime every opportunity j and fifty year of membership, $350
will be given the members to discuss | was 10 be paid. If death occurred be-
the matter of insurance in the coi j tween the fifth and tenth year, $750.
utnta of the Typographical ournal, the j These were the more important feat-
official organ of the International. A j ures of the plan thus proposed. After
number of communications have al- thoroughly considering the subject
ready been received by the Journal | the committee on laws recommended
in regard to the m..;ter. some or the j that the proposition be referred to the
members expressing themselves in fa- j executive council aud this recom-
vor of a compulsory form of insur j mendation was concurred In.
HOW PITTSBURG IS SACRIFIC-
ING YOUNG WOMEN IN IRON
INDUSTRIES AS COREMAKERS
In a Pittsburg foundry girls are
employed to make simple cores for
casting a quick girl can make
10,000 a day, for which she receives
$1.00. According to the investigator
who reported to the Charities on
"Pittsburg Women in the Metal
Trades," this work is aarried on in
clouds ot drifting dust. As the core s
are finished they are set on trays,
which the women carry across the
I room to the ovens. A loaded tray
The Allied Trades Union met Thurs-
day evening in Labor Hall and con-
siderable business of importance was
transacted. The delegates report that
conditions in the different organiza-
tions as being in good shape and
work steady.
The plumbers and gat fitters will
have a smoker at Labor Hall. Friday
night. March 19. It Is the desire or
the boys that all members be present.
Do not rail to come.
PROHIBITION WAVE HAS
WORKED HAVOC WITH
THE UNION CIGARMAKERS.
The prohibition wave has worked
havoc with the cigarmakers* trade
throughout the country. There are
many union men out of work as a
result. While the union clgarmakers
are always 1 nneed of the support and
agitation of the members of organized
labor, they are much more in need of
that support and agitation at the pres.
ent time, in order to insure them
work the union label must be de-
manded now more than ever, and the
union calls upon trade-unionists not
to forget the blue label of the Cigar-
makers' International Union when
when buying cigars.
UICT0R1S ID STRIKE
Iloston. Mass.—The striking hatter?
of this city scored an important vic-
tory when the Lamson & Hubbard
Company, employing 300 men, with-
drew from the National Hat Manufac-
turers' Association and signed an
agreement with the union. This tri-
umph of the union hatters means
practically the end of the strike in
this city.
It is believed that this break in the
ranks of the manufacturers will re-
suit in victories for the strikers in
other cities. Already there is much
dissatisfaction among the individual
members of the association, with the
officers who have held out promises
of a speedy ending of the strike by
the employment of non-union hatters.
Several weeks have passed since
the strike began and yet there is not
a factory that has been able to turn
out any work with the aid of strike-
breakers.
Credit for the victory is due to the
agitation for the hatters' union label
made by the strikers and their
friends.
Bro. Dunn, who opened a new Job
office last week Is already rushed
with work and is turning out some
neat work, and he certainly know-
how to set up the class of printing
that pleases his customers.
GOITERS STILL ASSERTS
sight of free speech
Enunciating the determination ot
the American Federation of Labor to
maintain its right to the boycott as a
means of combatting its enemies,
Samuel Gompers, president of the ted
eration, betore a mass meeting ot 2,-
000 members ot the Hebrew Trade3
in New Auditorium Hall, recently re-
peated the statement tor which a sen-
tence ot one year In prison lias al- j we|gi,s from ten to twenty-five pounds
ready been passed upon him. ! |n an eiPctrical factory In East Pitts-
"With regard to the boycott. I will , burg 650 women are employed on
say that we are going to exercise our j piecework in winding coils for arma-
tures. The fastest make $1.47 a day.
The work is so taxing that the em-
ployees give out readily. Only twenty-
five have been in the factory four
years'. Three screw and bolt works
in the Same city employ 543 women.
"What 1 have Just said I know that j A bolt trimmer—to use one class of
1 have been enjoined by a court from labor as an illustration—stands for
saying, but I hold that thai injunction j ten hours before a machine,
is unconstitutional, and an infringe- ; feeds bolts to :
the right of free speech. \ second intervals-
us from dl.icjs.i-!—tor a waSe °f ninety-six cents.
ing a question or great public import-' Bad conditions tor these women to
ance. I must keep still. Every on 1 work under, and likely to have an in-
Over 200 new subscribers in th?
last 10 clays is the record ot the
Unit. We are proud of this showing
and take it as an appreciation of our
efforts to publish the kind of a labor
paper the people want.
GAS FITTERS' LOCAL
UNION No. 449.
United Association of Journeymen
Plumbers, Gas and Steam Fitters anil
Steam Fitters' Helpers of the United
States and Canada.
Meeting every Friday night at Labor
H*ll, 13% S. Robinson.
President, J. S. Grimir.ett, P. O.
Bqx 1137.
Vice-President, R. E. Eader, P. O.
Box 1137.
Recording Secretary, C. L. Webster,
P. O. Box 1137.
financial Secretary, Frank Shook.
P. O. Box 1137.
Treasurer, J. W. Dill, P. O. Box
1137.
the state printer bill
We are sorry that the State Print-
er bill failed of passage in the now
adjourned legislature, having been de-
feated by the lack of only two votes.
This was a just measure and one of
interest to the citizens of the entire
state. One of the strong provisions
in the bill was that section regarding
the eligibility of the person who be
came ctate printer. This section pro-
vided that in order to hold this of
fice the applicant should be a prac
tical printer of at least eight years*
experience. This feature of the bill
was recognized as of extreme import-
five cents per pound
tax on coffee
Chairman Payne of the ways and
means committee, Is determined to
put a |50,0«X),000 tax on the American
breakfast table. He vigorously fav-
ors putting a specific duty of Ave
cents a pound on all coffee. A tax
on tea and a tax on sugar are also
favored by the author-to-be of the
tariff law. He Insists that this Is
necessary to raise revenue.
A fifty million dollar tax on cof-
fee means that each one of the 30,-
<>00,000 coffee drinkers in the United
right and our power whenever our
judgment and our interest demand it,"
he said. "You can buy of whom you
wish, and you can withhold your pat-
ronage from whomever you wish, for
a reason or without one.
met on
They cannot prevent
She
mechanism at two
-10,000 times a day
IN HONOR OF SAMUEL GOMPERS
Samuel Gompers gained a distinc-
tion on his fifty-ninth birthday, Janu-
ary?, that probably has never before
been accorded to one prominent In
the organized labor movement. T he
state senate of North Carolina, as a
mark of res-pect to the federation s
chief, adjourned its afternoon session
on that day, at the request of the Ra-
leigh trade unions. This action is all
the more surprising In view of the
fact that it can not be said that that
13 "dominated by the labor
by barber college dupes or unclean ; trust." A press dispatch said at the
or unsanitary workmen. "Look for l time that "some of the senators ex-
the Card." pressed dissatisfaction when they re-
J I alized what had been done, while
The Garment Workers don't make I others approved the unprecedented
much noise these days, the girls are all j action oi so honoring a man still liv-
busy and working under good condi- \ jng and who is not admired by all in
tions. The members of the local are j thjS region.—Typographical Journal.
all employed at the New State ^ac- | .
tory and the class of working gar- j fhe 'Building Trades jOouacll. of
ments turned out Ib highly spoken of Washington, D. C.. announce that for
Dad Miller says that the Barbers
are not saying much but just sawing
wood. By the way, we want to say
that in a shop that employs Union
barbers is a framed card hanging us-
ually in the -center of the mirror
case. When you see this, boys, in a
barber shop you will know that the
work done in that shop is by fir3t
class, experienced barbers, and not j state
by the trade.
The Musicians' Protective Union
ha-s adopted an amendment to its con-
stitution which exempts from all duei
and assessments members over 60
years of age who have been members
of the union twenty-five cons?cutive
years.
the first time in history the inaugural
stand usad by President Taft wa.-
constructed by scab labor, and have
passed resolutions condemning this
departure from the past custom.
Well, did any one ever hear Free si-
dent Taft say that he wa* in favor of
Union labor? "So what's the use oi
klckin'."
ance for as it now stands the state states will have to pay $1.50 more*
printer is compelled by his lack of | each year to help maintain the gov-
knowledge of the printing trade to eminent. * T
employ an assistant to care for the proof that the coffee tax will fall
practical end of the work. Strong on jhpoor man is given In the gov-
pressure was brought to bear upon (.rnmeilt statistics. During 1908, the
the legislative body and had the bill panic year, the consumption Of coffee
been voted on earlier in the session fell off considerably, and in five years
when all members were present it no the decrease has been about 105,000,-
doubt would have become a law. ooo pounds. In 1904 the total Imports
, of coffee amounted to 9fK>,04&,284
With the final passage of the gross pounds, in 190-7 to 98^,321.47? pounds,
production tax bill amendment low- and in 19t)8, tin* year of the panic, to
ering the tax on coal from two to one- only 890.640,057 pounds.
half of one per cent, Auditor Trapp j
has already begun to receive remit-
tances from the coal companies |
though the governor has not yet sign-
ed the bill. The bill provides that all
back taxes must be paid at the "two
per cent" rate. The McGregor Coai
company of Poteau was the first to >
pay up. It is a small concern and Its
remittance amounted to only $15.29.
The Rock Island Coal company which
owes about $10,000, and the Halley-
Ola company which owes about $*.-
000 in back taxes, and other large
companies are holding off and it is
not yet entirely certain whether they
will pay the tax or fight It. The tota!
amount of back taxes due amounts to
approximately $55,000.
FAIR AND UNFAIR
PLUMBING SHOPS
else can say what they want. Hut. 1
tell you. I am not built that way."
Gompers urged that aid be fur-
nished the hatters in their strike for
recognition of the union and for the
union label. During a meeting a
resolution promising financial and
moral aid to the hatters was passed.
WORD "UNFAIR' NOT A THREAT.
The superior court of San Francis-
co recently decided liiat the word
"unfair'' ii not a threat of injury and
denied injunction against the bakers'
union. The court says that in order
to obtain an injunction against boy-
cotters the defendant unionists must
be specifically named in the com-
plaint; also that the term •unfair" as TUf I ARHR IINIT SNj) POLITICS
applied by labor unions to non-union ,,IL LHDUH UN"
firms is not an injury in it3elf. "Un-
direct effect in weakened and stunted
children.
Doubtless the employers feel that
they are not to blame, that they are
forced to competition for cheap goods
to hire cheap labor. If any of them
should hold out and refuse to use
the methods of his competitors he
would -be forced to the wall. So it
is up to organized society to take1 a
hand and fix the rulefc of the game.
Conditions for the employment of
women and children must be deter-
mined and enforced by the State. Oth-
erwise society is at the mercy of a de-
mand fjr cheapness that sacrifices
the future of the race.
fair,*' according to the court is not a
term of contempt or derision a ; used
by unions. An "unfair" man may be-
come "fair" at any time by making
his peace with the union i. it is part
of the propaganda of unionism. The 1
The Oklahoma I-abor Unit wants
this one fact distinctly understood
right at the outset of its career under
changed conditions—
In regard to politics its course will
be clear and concise. It will have but
one political creed—unionism. It will
advertising of non-union firms as I aUpport any man of any political party
"unfair" is not, therefore, a coercive | whose reCord is satisfactory to organ-
act and contains in itself no threat i iz.eit iat,or it will support for ofTice
against the firm's customers. j wjlh al] the vjg0r at its command any
I card man, no matter what his politics,
The new union directory U nearing and lt wiI, not gHpport any one un-
completion and every secretary is re- j triemlly to labor. Its political opin-
questcd to rush in the list of namei ! jona wjj ^ jn the editorials. Political
and addresses of the members of their; matter appearing elsewhere is paid
local. This will be the onlj official ! political advertising.
directory of Oklahoma City unions i
and one that we will all be proud of. J
Don't forget this.
The Unit wants every
in the state to feel that our columns
are open to thsm and any* news or
items of interest will be appreciated
and printed.
that the union la-
union man ] ^*°n 1 10 SPe
bels are on all your purchaser.
Are you a subscriber to the only la-
bor paper In the stata?
To Labor Organizations
and Union Men of Oklahoma City
This is to acquaint you with fthe fact
that we have just opened in this city
a complete job printing establishment,
where we are prepared to execute all
kinds of job printing, neatly,^ cheaply
and promptly. "Thirty-seven years
practical experience at the business
will enable us to compete with the
best of them. Remember we carry
the label, and always will as long as
we remain in the business. We are
active members of the union and in-
tend to remain so.
W. J. Dunn & Sons
Room 15, W. N. U. Building
Second and Harvey Sts. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
The Santa Fe Railway company will
begin work April 1 on a $15,000 new 1
passenger station to be located at
Norman. Tile station will be built a
block from Main street and the cen- j
ter of the town.
At the request of Governor Haskell
the Pottawatomie county bar associ
ation met at Shawnee and indorse ! I'
Attorney Ed Hood as a candidate for
the judgeship recently created by the
establishing of a new superior court
there.
Active preparations have been be
gun by Uncle Sam for the erection of
Enid's $100,000 federal building, an j
appropriation for which was made by |
congress last year.
There has been a series of robberies
of the offices of the dentist of Sa- j
FAIR PLUMBING SHOPS.
Jno. Maloney.'
Fowler Bros.
J. I, Sullivan.
McGee & Gordon.
Fox & Son.
Sehott & Patoen.
Veigiard Plumbing Company.
W. A. Kodwoll.
Rumbaugh & Flannigan.
Few & Son.
Taylor Bros.
Unfair Plumbing Shops.
B. Z. Hutchinson.
Rice & Boismer,
A. F. Binns.
Fitts & Mann.
Phillips & Wilson.
Chas. Veigiard.
Home Heating & Plumbing Co.
Norman's Shop.
Harrell & Anderson.
B. E. McDonald.
Hanson Bros.
Union men and their families, as
well as the public in general are
showing their appreciation of the
splendid bills being put In each week
by Mr. Tull, of the Folly, by crowd-
ing tills popular amusement resort
each performance While there is at
no time an act that is not of the best,
still this week's offering Is especial!;.
pulpa, the thieves taking only the gold i good, the following well known artists
used in the work of the dentists. The I in vaudeville composing the list: The
latest ofTice to be visited is that of (irazers musical and toe dancers, il-
Dr. Ira Balone, from whom $10 was instrated song by Edwin Edwards,
taken. ' comedy sketch by Callahan and Kane,
i lllllie Morris and the Sherwood Sis-
Tournament a Draw
St. Petersburg.—The international
chess tournament ended in a draw be-
tween Lasker of Brooklyn and Ru-
benstein, the Lodz expert. They will
divide firs' and second prizes, and
Duras and Spielman get third and
fourth money.
ters, those southern folks in scenes
front Dixie, the World's Comedy Four,
one of the best male quartettes ever
heard in Oklahoma Clt). and last the
Folliescope, with the latest showing
In moving pictures.
When It comes to driving away the
cares of everyday life there is notb
ing that equals good, clean vaudeville
and that the Folly is far in advance
Run Down by Ambulance
Chicago—A police ambulance hur-.
- , ,. , of any other amusement place In the
rvrng to take charge of an attempted - , , '
suic.de ran down and crushed to rl.y is demonstrated by the surging
death beneath its wheels an unidenfi-! "owds that clamor for admittance
fled woman. The victim, while cross- each performance. Then one of the
Ing the street, became confused, hesi | strong features of interest to organ iz-
tated and was lost.
The advertisers in the Unit are
friends of the cause of organizad la-
bor. They want your trade ana it is
up to you to appreciate their showing
by patronizing them and also tell the
merchant where you read the adver-
., 1 tisement.
I labor Is that Mr. Tull. In his
minded way, has unionized the
throughout.
broad
Folly
What about that hat you intend buy-
ing. Will it bear the label?
Did you attend
I week?
your local thl3
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Smith, H. W. The Oklahoma Labor Unit (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Vol. 1, No. 39, Ed. 1 Saturday, March 20, 1909, newspaper, March 20, 1909; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc107610/m1/1/: accessed April 19, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.