| Show p o GROWTH OF LABOR UNIONS MILLION AND A HALF RALF boring men are rep represented T A resented in a meeting of the t Federation of Labor which is now being held in tile the city ef of f Scranton T Pa The labor laker union anion nion is a nt of comparative comparatively co t a ve ly b modern modem conditions that is in this t is country but its I growth has been beet more phenomenal than that of any secret ret society or other organization or in the United Unite States Notwithstanding the buffets to which trades ades onions have been subjected at times they have in increased increased creased and flourished ft until today tody tod there is hardly a Q craft of any an kind which has not its charter and its ito lodge ledge room The Scranton meeting is the annual gathering of delegates President Gompers repot re shows allows a number of interesting items The most moat vac suC cartful dul of the general strikes strikE s was that of the river and dock workers of San There Their the te men ment gi gt t p y all aU they the demanded Of the pL teel strike on which hi b the tIie vL country was l 4 sed d d as a along long as it lasted President Gompers frankly says sa i iThe The purpose for which the strike of the th Amalga Amalgamated mated gated Association of Steel and Iron Workers was w inaugurated was not achieved and it was terminated terminal L upon conditions l leas lesa advantageous than perhaps could coul have been obtained The president assigns as a rea rca reason son Ion on for this the fet fact f ct that the various various metal workers rs were ere not enough allied He expresses the hope c that the will be strengthened and aud Ie oe e in future The strike of the International Association of Ma was almost apost entirely euti ly successful A j 1 v was vas contended for by these workers and aid aly y o f c u all the employers in the country agreed to it Speak Speaking k ing iu rf of the 9 progress made natle by It the organizers Mr Gom Gora Gomper per pei ers says aps JHU JU new unions union were formed during the year with a ip of On Oct 31 81 1001 1901 the B organisations BI n with the Federation wore Vor 87 national and ini izil ional unions city central ca la lg lafee i fee h t 11 AJ 20 l slaws staC federations of oI labor O local loal 10 tal trades DM and aad Del federal labor unions TIt There is no question but that the tho labor unions of f the United States haTe have accomplished a a groat grout work for tW bers They have bave raised the standard of wages wS and 4 Have lve ve shortened the hours hour of work they hawk haw freed forel employers to provide sanitary surround surroundings ings i for their workmen and have prevented impost impositions oL of o various kinds It is undeniably true that I 4 G aad antl visionary men have joined join d labor unions and ta tbt t their influence has in a 8 number of cases been boen most niost harmful but it is impossible in ill so large a body won Uan Do 10 have all true and disinterested sted Labor JAber unions ions are just as legitimate just as reason reasonable reasonable reasonable able just j as honest as combinations of capital No goad reason reAson exists c why men who work with their hands should not band hand themselves together to soil solI their labor at the highest price the market markot commands Labor as aswall wall W w B as 1 capital pital sometimes goes goos to undue and improper i proper lengths but te cause is just more of often oton ton than it is un Ull unjust just juet and arid this a canno be 6 l e said about many of the dIe mere maro powerful organizations organisations ns and combinations of the coun country country country try o |
