|Jorfhmù 3£abnr Volume XIV. Number 50 Portland, Oregon, March 22, 1915 Whole Number 789 MASS MEETING THURSDAY NIGHT CONTRACT WORK ; NOTICE TO FARMERS VS. DAY WORK : EIGHT-HOUR CLAUSE STAYS IN CONTRACTS A large m ajority of the unions affiliated with the Central Labor Council have given their endorsement to The Labor Press is now be­ ing mailed each week to the the political program of the Council and at the regular officers of the various Farmers' meeting last Friday evening it was decided to hold the Union locals in the state. There In spite of the protests of the A committee of the Central Labor ♦ will be no charge to the recipi­ U nited Slates Steel P r o ’acts Com­ mass meeting on Thursday evening, March 25, at 8 Council is at work preparing an , ♦ ents of the paper, the subscrip­ pany which lias the contract for the o ’clock in the large hall in the Public Library. amendment to the city charter that ♦ tion being paid by the State steel to be used in the inter-state will, if enacted into law. permit the i ♦ Federation of Labor. The Council also adopted a set of rules to govern the bridge the eight-hour clause will city to do the work that is now let ' ♦ stay in the contract. meeting. Tin* officers of the Central Council will be the lit contract by day labor. ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Representatives of the company It is expected that the contractors la‘ r du officers of the meeting. Each nomination must receive have been trying since the aw­ ..ml those who fatten off public | of $2220. The floor area of the ing of the contract to find a loop-I a t It’ttSt t e ll S e c o n d s , Nohiinating speeches are to be work will oppose the scheme. Never- Hanford street offices and toilets is hole in the law that would enable , ... . . , them to work any old kind of hours l i m i t e d t o f i v e l l l l l l l l t c s a i l d SCCOllds t o t w o U llllU teS . The tin,ess we believe that if the day 21154 square feet. While the total labor plan should be followed it area of the Stacv and Landtr strcct they wished, but Attorney-General public will be adm itted to the hall but only union men „.Id result profitably to all c o n -! oflicr, and toi|'et> is 1212 square Brown put a crimp in their plans! when he said . and women will be allowed the floor and vote. A fter all cerned. . feet and furthermore, the Hanford In this connection the follow ing, street offices and toilets are very "If the material for the bridge is candidates have been nominated each voter will vote for article appearing in last week’s is- 1 much better built, and better fin- already manufactured and on the „11 of the Seattle labor paper is in- ¡shed than are the Stacy and Han- open market when the contract is one candidate and one only; the five highest names will t. resting: ford >.reet offices. signed, tt can be used without re- gard to hours of labor taken in its I be . declared the ones to be submitted to the refereudiun. "In a letter to the commissipn of! "‘The offices and toilets, including C. H. KELLY manufacture, but ¡f it is manufac- A committee was also apjH tinted to have charge of the die Port of Seattle, under date of the plumbing at Smiths Cove, cost March 10. Chief Engineer J. R. West $1630.88 and have a floor area of M e m b e r o f th e B a r b e r s ’ U n io n o f tured after the contract is signed it and examine Cards. P o r t la n d , a n d w h o w a s r e c e n tly must be made under the eight-hour „..pares the results and costs ot 1 1612 square feet. The cost of these a p p o in te d t e th e p o s itio n o f m e m ­ requirements, whether the work is work done for the port under con- offices compare favorably with those Despite the attem pts of tile enemies of organized b e r o f th e S ta te B o a r d o f B a rb e r performed in Oregon or elsewhere.” tract and by day labor, greatly to I of i.anford street. ¡labor to cause dissension in the ranks by spreading false E a a m in o rs . This helps some. tin advantage of the latter method. “ ‘These figures I believe show [Ihis calls to mind the report sub- conclusively the wisdom of doing a ¡and misleading reports the union men are determined to miitted by Superintendent of Streets i certain class 'o f work by day labor WOMEN’S WORK LAW UPHELD. I MINE OWNERS TO “UPLIFT." jgo th’rougli with the proposition and it is expected that Tlurles R. Case after the first year ra,her than by contract.’” it his incumbency in which h e ---------- . -g- ----------- Colorado mine owners will enter ¡the capacity of the hall will be taxed. Again has the United States Su- «flowed that the city could run its ASKING FOR HIGHER WAGES. ( preme Court declared a State Leg­ the “uplift” business for the benefit The scheme is absolutely on the level, open and (asphalt plant and bid in competi­ islature can specify trades or call­ of employes, and several "club tion with the contractors for street Before the arbitration board at ings in which women can work only houses” will be erected, according to abovd board and there has been no framing on the p art „k and do more and better work Chicago that will decide the wage a certain number of hours without Prestidc.it (tor less money by the day labor requests of Western engineers and violating those sections of the Fed­ Fuel and I Ln' comi'uny’^hic'rim-J’^ anyone interested in the success of the meeting. There | plan. firemen. General Manager Tren- eral constitution which provides for ported strikebreakers and private i is no cut and dried proposition to nominate anv one man , „ , J "Day labor vs. contract labor is a holm of the “Omaha" railroad .op­ "liberty of contract” and against detectives to resist efforts of the miners to compel this and other Ior sc* ot nien and you are perfectly free to nominate constant source of argument on pub- posed the workers’ claim that en- "unreasonable discrimination." lic work and the letter of Engineer g.neers and firemen shall not be.re­ The cc art reaffirmed this position iaO wierMr‘Vebrbornhesay7,t?e "rectnt " h° J °U plea8C; faCt plflH °f Vothlg InakeS it abso- v e st goes far to show that the co n -.q Ujred (O throw switches or do flag- in the case of a California law tentions of organized labor in this ! ging. The railroad official insisted which limits the hours of women strike cost the operators $1.250.000, lutelv sure that if your candidate has anv considerable regard have been correct. For the that the work was “insignificant.” workers to eight per day, but which and he closes his "uplift” announce­ support he will be among the five chosen. ment with this rather vague state­ information of our readers the let- and couid be dcne j (y fjremen. The excepts canneries and farms. ment : No charge of “ assemblyism” can be made because ter is given herewith in full: workers’ representatives replied that In answer to the claim that the “ ‘Considerable work has recently in below-zero weather, after a fire- law prohibits "liberty of contract.” ‘‘Although our m i n e employe» the meeting is open to all who care to attend. been done by day labor and it is in- man had shoveled six or eight tons the court held, in effect, that the rhe charge that the Tillieum Club will pack the meet­ tercsting to compare the cost of_the of coal, if he is obliged to leap from liberty of contract guaranteed by with working conditions at the time work done in this way and the cost his cab into the freezing atmosphere the constitution is freedom from ar­ the strike was called, and had been of the work done by contract. and walk some distance to throw a bitrary restraint and not immunity for many years prior thereto. I ing in the interest of that organization is ridiculous be­ “ ‘Two adjustable slips were built sw*tch °r wave a flag it may en- from reasonable regulation to safe- know I am safe in saying that they cause many who are member’s of thv club are delegates are better satisfied and have a more at the Hanford street wharf by day danger his health. ! guard the public interest. to the Council and have favored the holding of the meet- labor at a total cost for wages and The general manager a n s w e r e d T h e court also held that legista- ¡friendly feeling toward the company today than they ever had before.” mater ial oL $1111.20. ______________ mg from the beginning and it is not likely th at they Oh, I don t.think it would hur^ the ; tures have the right to classify ’’’This is to be compared with the fireman. ¡trades or callings, even though, said pleads for shorter hours . " ’ould do anything that would bring discredit on the cost of two slips at Stacy and Lan­ Mr. Trenholm expressed much , t},e court, "it is possible by analysts der street docks which were built concern over the stockholder and lo discover inequalities as to some ----- , ' Council and the club as well. ». rni . , , . I ,n an address on the necessity o f ’ by contract at a cost of $1183.43. It insisted that "the unions were eter­ rhe success of the meeting depends entirely on the shorter hours. Rev. Robert E. Good- is worthy of note that this contract, nally asking for too much. any specified class. II ich, ,of Oklahoma City, said : [•rice was considered at the time to "If we can show you that capital j ---------- - -r interest displayed by the individual members of organ­ "The toilers of the world must be be very low price and further that has received more than 10 per cent 1 MAKING PROGRESS. given shorter hours for work. Much ized labor and you should let nothing interfere with your the two slips built by day labor at on all it has invested in railroads. _____ ¡has already been gaine., in some being there next Thursday evening. Hanford street are considerably bet­ will you approve the request of the |, is reported that the joint coin- ter constructed than the Stacy and brotherhoods as to wage increases?” ,nission of employers and employees branches of industry, but shocking We can win if vou’ll stick. l.ander street slips. inquired Grand Chief Stone of the Iare making progress in their effort injustice still abounds in many di­ rections. Fewer hours and one day's to reach an agreement on proposed rest out of is the demand o f r I , E M P L O Y E S WHO WERE half-holiday. Then he became in­ amendments to the Illinois state the church in seven America for the labor­ GLAD WHEN BOSS TOOK compensation law. terested in baseball, and bought an ing men.” UP BASEBALL. automobile. But when you work The workers’ representatives on from 7 A. M. to 6 P. M. there is this commission are: President ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ Walker, of the State Federation of ♦ ♦ In the April American Magazine scant time for either games or driv­ ¡Labor; Duncan McDonald, secretary ♦ PATRONIZE T H O S E W H O * Ida M. Tarhell writes another arti- ing. Pete tried to bring himself Illinois United Mine Workers; Pres- ♦ ♦ ’ cle in her new business series en- boldly to going off Saturday after­ PATRONIZE YOU. , ident Fitzpatrick, of the Chicago ♦ ♦ titled. "The Golden Rule in Busi- noons, and to leaving early when 1 Federation of Labor ; President : ♦ The cold. hard, unvarnished ♦ ness.” This month’s article has to do the notion took Dim. He couldn’t O’Donnel, of the Chicago Building ♦ truth about the matter is. this ♦ i with the length of the working day do it and be easy in his mind I More- ' Trades Council, and Robert Fitchie. , j ♦ paper depends mainly upon ad­ ♦ and many interesting points and •over, if he did it. he heard of i|. secretary of * the — Teamsters' Joint j ♦ vertising support for its ex­ ♦ stories are brought out showing that ‘Fine to he the boss, ain’t it?’ some j ♦ istence. While it lias a large ♦ I the old-time long working day was operative who had begun at the be- Council. Miss 8i.npin« a"(l ’hand ups and downs -------- . — .------------ )♦ circulation the income from of no prrcical advantage. At regular intervals lately there sion has consented, to introduce an Tariteli tells the story of a certain ! w,‘h, 1x‘ea,,fa’t »»'•** and »ympathy PRESENT NEW AGREEMENT. ♦ that s o u r c e is comparatively , n next saw him I ••« emanated from the ucadquartars anti-banner ordinance. The matter factory in the central part of the I w°?,. -------- 1 ♦ small. f the Employers’ Association state­ has been under discussion several United States where five hundred ! Finally Pete announced there was The two unions of carpenters in ♦ All of our readers are inter- ments to the effect that the City times and the concensus of opinion Allentown, Pa., have presented neve ♦ csted in seeing that the paper girls are employed in making cotton (to >c a ^a ,iirday half-holiday. They Commissioners have agreed to place- among the different Commissioners agreements to contractors, same to j ♦ is kept alive and knowing that articles. There was a great deal of werV_^° Jnabc>^,P Jor it in part. By an anti-boycott banner ordinance on was to the effect that legislation take effect May 1. The new -a te j* merely the small amount they friendliness between the employes coming at 6:30 they could get in the ballot at the June election. along this line s now particularly I provides for a wage increase of ♦ pay in subscriptions will not and tile owner. The owner was three hours, and he thought the called “Pete" and he discussed shop business could stand a cut of two In an endeavor to find out the j UP to the initiative. Similar ordi- 2Vi cents an hour. The prevent rate ♦ keep it up they should, each matters with his employes on terms | hours. So they started that scale; t approve of this particular ordi­ value m weaning men away iron, nance. His ordinance is aimed to crime and restoring them to the exclude only boycott br.nners, while ranks of self-supporting and self- I believe all banners should be re­ respecting citizens. There are 764 moved from the streets.” prisoners on parole from both pris­ Commissioner Bigelow said; “I ons. Twenty-two per cent of the have not promised Mr. McCusker or men paroled in the two years are anyone else that I woifld or would clawed as failures, hut only 4 per not favor submitting the ordinance tent committed new crimes/’ o a vote of the people at the coin- Fresh air treatment, ventilated ng city election.” cells, increased baths and increased Commissioner Daly: “I have not medical attention bate caused a onsented, and I do not believe that large improvement in the health of ‘•iy other member of the Cominis- I tile prisoners, it reported. ” ’The total cost of the offices and engineers. toilets including the plumbing at the Mr. Trenholm hesitated, and then Hanford street dock was $1965. This said : figure is to be compared with the "I hardly think that such a thing cost of the offices and toilets at could be shown, and if it could be. the Stacy and Lander street docks 1« do not see how it would have any which were constructed by contract I bearing on the present case.” COMMISSIONERS HAVEN’T AGREED TO SUBMIT ANTI-BANNER ORDINANCE LO W ITS A.