Show HIGH PLANE PLANE REACHED REACHED BY ORGANIZED LABOR LABORIN IN NOR NORTH TH AMERICA I Nothing thin affords more conclusive evi evl of the high plane which has h been reached ri i bed by the organized organised labor move nit m tit lit in m America than the character and ma manifest fest ability of the men who are now at i the h head of the great national labor labo unions uni 1 ns ons and who woo for tor less salary than they wo wt w lad luid receive in other fields of endeavor are re devoting their entire time to further furthering 1 ing hg tg the common cause of the wage earner earn ei er Hi It is indeed a far cry from the old tr walking delegate v W wo in years gone by rep edthe po p pUl Ul idea of f fatter r union UI OR Uy to tire the present Meal t eal national I labor official a anan nan man of such manifest Intelligence tact ta d 01 broadmindedness that he can com corn command n nand mand and the respect of every capitalist or ors employer with whom he may cyme come in con contact contact s tact even ven though the latter laUer be not in 0 with his Ma Ideas The calibre of most of our twentieth c labor leaders is further attested 13 1 t the discretion with which they use ti their lir fir vast power Although the growth of ofU ft the U arious various divisions of th labor army c enables ables them to wield an Influence little d amed of a few years ago aso most moet of se captains of organised org labor are con conc conF cont t r F c native rather tather than radical in policy a t attested by the fact that now las days they the consent conent to a general strike H ly 1 as a last resort Indeed one of the Lief ef functions of the modern labor leader leaders s E ns ms to be to prevent strikes not to pre r them 11 From om the standpoint of the union work ji the most conspicuous result of the ther r 1 u w era of labor leadership Is found inte in int t te conduct of the th movement on sound 1 ss principles When hen the present presents s t hool hooi of labor chieftains began to tor r rak ak their presence felt in executive po poj j I t rons ons many of the unions union national aa as II 1 v K Ii as local were in io a deplorable condi t tn n Comparatively small membership in ini n nt i t instances gave them very limited In tar trie ne and too often there was slipshod Tn that manifested ted itself it elf In Ill 1 I pt t records lax conduct of correspond e f etc Even more serious was the ml I ference nce in the collection of dues in financial policy that ne many of th organizations lead leada r g a i existence whereas t I M ller r national bodies were heavily In debt debts v s n 1 the present officials took charge 1 iv n all this is changed The average r it t n oval lal headquarters h is i conducted on up t Ute economical conon cal business policies and ands andE s E s officials keep then their records re rda by f 1 n an ass ans of card index and other fl tag t ims m ens that are ar the peer of anything to be f fiend lurd in corporate or banking world Bet tf ter till still union labor finances are on a II aE E sound und basis many of the great national D b ri os having on hard surplus funds in f excess xi ess of a quarter of a million dollars i LIh u h I Yet Vet Y t other evidence of the farsighted j of the Held field marshals now in command f of the labor forces Is found in the extent to which they are subscribing to the th theory of cooperation coop on the most moat farre scale The modern tendency t ncy in irA the corporation and commercial world toward great aggregations of capital is ri bung m met t with correspondingly potent consolidation i cJ of the organised labor forces force This disposition of the leading labor spokesmen to engage in effective team work has unquestionably been due in some measure to that knitting kaitting to together together together gether of Interests which has lIu resulted In Ue the tremendous growth in recent years year or of thit th it Comprehensive countrywide or he rho h American Am rican Federation of Labor an H u rf r army of or craftsmen of all classes that th t is s now nov more than two million strong It is not solely attributable to this influence however h wever for there are some very p labor organizations c which are not DOt affiliated with ith the big fed federation federation as for i f instance the Knights of Labor and th Brotherhood of Railroad Engineers r Trainmen and Firemen wi w with th a t total membership of work works i Tile Tiie lead rs of these in dependent bodies dies ha have for the most part horne b Tie imbued with the spirit of the age ase and n id ill dl of them may b be found working to for any reform that promises benefit for Cor labor in general As the president for fM mane man many y years ars s past 4 r t of f r the American Can Federation of Labor l bor Samuel Gomi rs is Js doubtless entitled to recognition as at the forem foremost st American la 1 bor lor leader lader and certainly no m of the rights of the th toUrs toilers has MS ever had a stronger h hd td u won uon jon his Viewers followers f Prior Priort t to each ive annual convention of the Federation there ar are rumors afloat tf rf C attempts tl to unseat Gompers but when i the great labor conference nee convenes each cb I autumn slUt mn it is always fourd found that the vet veteran veteran Veteran eran executive is is he the th choice of at bo so large a proportion t of the labor host hoat that his election to leadership ts Is t in effect unanimous unanimous There lt Is no doubt douM that much of Gumpen Gompers str nth th li lies s In the recognition d of t his d I honesty and Integrity Temptations to ell sell out nut the labor inter in inter ter ha hav hao c corn con to him in every Im f firm rm and h hr might night b be a rich richman Than man trian today ad i J I is i a j easy fa a v a conscience as was 1 I t to some soni of the labor guardians guar guardi di tn of days e 1 m h b I Samuel Sam utI GoiK a s s a born In England I I about years ago Coming to tott tr tt T States as a Ii young oung man he heIT herr i IT rr J rid hi d ar iT an and 5 worked d at his trad trade I as a u A From Jjr ir m the tha time Ume he was waa I j able to give serious thought to the sub however ha was deeply and actively interested in the subject of union labor and indeed took a hand as early earl as his fifteenth year in the movement to organise or organize organize the working people Mr Ir Gompers was as one of the founders of the American Federation of ot Labor and with the tion of one year has been its president continuously since 1882 He Is the editor of the American the month ly magazine issued from the national la tor headquarters and also carries on a continual campaign of education b try by means of public addresses delivered edill in all an parts of the country This stump speak sp ak J log ing on behalf half of ot the cause of organized labor involves more than miles mUes of railroad travel every year Another man who devotes his entire time to the business s side of the union labor movement nt s Frank Morrison toe the secretary of the American Federation of Labor Secretary Morrisons greatest task tas is the conduct of ot the correspondence rela tive to the thousands of local city na lIonal and international trade unions af directly or indirectly with this parent body Some idea of the immensity of detail involved may be formed form from the fact that as high as applications a 8 month are received for charters for new unions Frank Morrison was born in Franktown Ontario Canada in 1859 1869 18 9 and received a common school education with one year in the high school in that town Later he graduated from the Lake Forest university law school at Chicago Pe He began san Work at his trade as a Printer In 1873 In 1897 he was waa elected to the re responsible responsible responsible position of secretary of A F of f L which POSt he has since held Th The third member of the trio of ot active managers of American Federation of La bor her affairs is Mr John B Lennon the thc treasurer who handles more than one third of a million dollars a year The Toe rev revenue revenue revenue of the federation is derived mainly from taxes of various arious kinds The principal principal pal pat tax is that levied on each union on the basis of a certain specified SJ sum per month for each member in good standing In the case ca e of national and International unions this per capita tax was originally H cent but was wu advanced In 1897 1891 to 13 cent and in 1901 to 34 cent per member per month The federation can also assess all Its Ita affiliated unions to sustain unions engaged in industrial conflicts but such levy must not exceed 1 cent per member per week and such levies must not be ie made more than ten weeks a year Mr Lennon who handles the federation income of a year in addition to the surplus on hand including a big de fund has held the position of ot treas treasurer treasurer treasurer for eighteen years y rs However he Is not in quite the sam same class as President Gompers and Secretary Morrison inas inasmuch Inasmuch inasmuch much as both of these men devote their entire time to the federation whereas Mr Lennon combines with his duties as fed federation federation federation treasurer those of of Journeymen the the Tailors Union nIon of America a position he has held for mor more than twenty years The full name of the treasurer is John Brown Lennon and he h takes pride In hi the fact that John Brown of after fter whom he was named mimed was his great uncle A striking example of what the business acumen of the best class claM of present day labor leaders leaden is le accomplishing Is afforded by the career of James Duncan general of the Granite Cutters International In Association As of America Mr Duncan was wu born in Kincardine Scot Scotland Scotland Scotland land about years ago and was wa educated In Aberdeen He lie had qualified as a monumental granite cutter as early at as 1871 and anel later became a granite statue statu cutter Becoming identified with the Gran Granite GranIte Granite ite Cutters union in America h hI he was made secretary of the New York branch Ih Hi 1861 1881 secretary of the Baltimore branch iii r and national r since 1895 1896 His most moat conspicuous service was when he led the great strike in the granite FAl te cutting industry for the eight hour blur day In 1900 Mr Duncans business ss BS ability has haa however been proven In most mo t impressive manner almost from the outset of his occupancy of ot his present position In Inthe Inthe inthe the international association n h took charge the body had a debt of more than incurred during the New Eng England England England land lockout Under Un er his hla administration this debt has been paid and the thoroughly organised granite cutters now have In their treasury a surplus of ot more than a quarter of ot a million dollars A similar record of has been made by James OConnell president of ot the International Association of ot Machin Machinists When he was elected to that position position tion in 1893 the organization had only about members was almost unknown In a national or international Intern tlona sense and was financially embarrassed By ener energetic energetic energetic getic work he has built up one of ot ah strongest of ot trade organizations and has secured shorter hours and Increased wages for the great mass of organized machin machinists lets lats Another leader who has striven for better conditions and has been particularly active in the movement is III Wil William William VII liam D Huber of Indianapolis Ind the general president of ot the United United Brother Brotherhood Brotherhood Brotherhood hood of Carpenters and Joiners of ot Amer America America ica Of the vast organizations of railroad I workers in the United States probably tho the most conspicuous is that made of the locomotive engineers en and easily the most prominent leader In this sphere Is Warren Sanford Stone the grand chief of ot the International Brotherhood of ot Engineers Chief Stone was born at Ainsworth la years ago and was educated at an academy in his native state and at Western estern college coll ge His entire railroad ad service servIce service ice was spent with the Rock Island system system system tem beginning as a fireman In 1879 fol followed followed followed lowed by b promotion to engineer in 1884 He was appointed grand chief of the brotherhood upon the death of P M Arthur Ar Arthur Arthur thur in 1904 and has been reelected at each convention since that time I Yet another conscientious worker In the labor cause is Dennis A Hayes president of ot the Glass Bottle Blowers Association of America In 1896 when Hayes was elected president of the organization mem num numbers members members bers of the union faced many man serious problems His first great task was the organization of the trade In the east and this was followed by b a solidifying of the th union lines all loll over the country with the tha result that the wages of the glass blow blowers blowers blowers ers were advanced and their working time reduced while the organization has ac acquired acquired a surplus of more than Joseph F Valentine the president of the Iron Molders Union of ot North Amer America America America ica Is another r labor leader of wide influence In Influence Influence fluence He has been baen b n an art active trade unionist for nearly years and andis andIs is thoroughly conversant with the needs n a api of pi his particular j ss st f t Draftsmen emen No mention of et the labor leaders of America would be complete without reference to John White While Mr Mitchell is no longer president pre ident of the t e United Mine Work Workers ork ers of America he continues his active interest In the labor cause and still serves as second vice president of the American Federation of Labor Moreover his pres present present present ent position m as chairman of the trade agreement department of the National Civic Federation was accepted by him primarily because of his belief that it would him to do much in behalf of the laboring classes of the country John Mitchell was born at Braidwood Ili in February ISiO and Is 15 consequently less than 40 years of ot age From the age of 6 to 10 14 years he was educated in the public schools of ot his native town but all his subsequent education was acquired by night study stud He also studied law for tor one year Jar Mitchell was at work in the coal coalmines coalmines coalmines mines before he was 12 1 years of age and has been connected with organized labor since his sixteenth year He became an aa officer of the United Mine Workers in ini i 95 and two years ears later was made an or organizer organizer organizer this being followed In 1896 1886 by his bis election to the presidency of the organization organization which he neld until a comparatively recent date when he removed from Indianapolis to o New York and took up his new work with the Civic Federation Mitchell directed the strikes strike of the an anthracite anthracite anthracite miners In 1900 and 1902 1 and was prominently mention d for nomination as vice president pre on the Democratic national ticket at the last election an honor how however howe ever eter e er which he refused to consider WALDON W FAWCETT |