Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 April 1890 — LABOR MATTERS. [ARTICLE]

LABOR MATTERS.

The Minnesota Eight-hour League met on the 13th,'400 delegates, representing every large city in the State, being present, A motion was made for a meeting of representatives from all labor organizations of the State, to be held the second Sunday in May, fer the formation of a State Federation of labor. The time, however, was considered too short, and a substitute was adopted directing the Executive Board to confer with all central labor organizations as to the proper date for and the feasibility. of such a union. The Executive Council of the Farmers’ Alliance will also be communicated with, and a report will be made at Minneapolis, May 1L According to program the master carpenters of Chicago, belonging to the association made an attempt to start up work to finish the contraction hand with non-union men. The movement was not general, as the number of non-union men on hand was not very large. It is declared that if the master carpenters persist in putting non-union men at work, a general strike of,bricklayers and masons will be ordered. Organizers reported at the meeting of the Carpenters’ District Council Sunday that every trade organization in Massachusetts promises to financially support the carpenters in their eight and nine hour demands. The uuion carpenters of the State number 6,500.

The indications are that May 1 most of the soft coal miners of Illinois, Indiana and Pennsylvania will go out on a strike, and that after that date the supply of soft coal will be limited. In view of this fact many of the railroad» are putting. in large supplies of soft coal, a recent purchase of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe amount ing to (75,000. Many of the coal dealers have, within the last thirty hours, received orders thst they cannot fill within a month.