GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE Frank C. Hackett, Loca! Union No. 13, Chairman. The Grievance Committee shall act on the matters contained in the grievance sheet. The Estimating Committee shall observe Rule No. 23 with reference to donations. The Superannuation Committee shall act on items appearing on pages 94 and 101 of the Officers' Reports. COMMITTEE ON RULES David H. Jones, Local Union No. 13, Chairman. Note: The Officers' Reports and the report of the Delegates to the American Federation of Labor were distributed. Annual Report of President T. W. Rowe "God moves in a mysterious way He plants his footsteps in the sea Brethren: War, the terrible plague of the Dark Ages and the curse of the world, frequently prophesied by a few and gravely feared for a long time by multitudes, is now ravaging Continental Europe. Human flesh and blood and priceless treasures of art, like the loving homes of the poor, are treated like chaff in this hideous, demoniacal, self-aggrandize seeking horror. The Golden Rule, humanity, race and religion, political lines, broken-hearted mothers, sorrowing widows and screaming children; all, are forgotten in this unnecessary, hasty, tyrannical and barbarous slaughter. The light in the cherished humble cottage, the reward of many years' toil and economy, like the dome of a great edifice or the sight of a huge steamer that plows the ocean, is a mark for its destruction, and very little attention, if any, is paid to the pitiful cries of its inmates, or the groans, sobs and sighs that are sadly silenced by the bullet, bayonet, poisonous gas, or a torpedo and an angry sea. The cruel mockery of the ghastly affair is that all the contestants are praying to the Divine Providence for the success of their arms. On June 1st, it was estimated that already 7,500,000 men had either been killed, wounded, or taken prisoners and were out of the fight and that the expenditures of the nations at war approximated $15,000,000,000, and the $50,000,000 expended each day on national account, is only the beginning of the total daily amount. A calm reflection of the enormity of those figures and the solemn, painful fact that it is the lives of our fellow workmen across the sea that are daily being sacrificed, against their wishes, to satisfy the ambitions of murderous halo cravers, is really appalling and causes us to ask: Can there be retribution for such inexcusable outrages? 23 Sherman declared that "War is hell." Lincoln once declared that "If you want that sort of a thing, that's the sort of a thing you want." The awful, indescribable horrors occurring in this infamous affair convinces me that Sherman was correct in his judgment and that Lincoln plainly placed the matter before you. I am absolutely opposed to bloody conflicts between nations and do not desire that which Sherman termed such a contest. I believe in International peace, and that all questions arising between nations should first be considered by the nations involved and an effort made to adjust them. If they fail to reach a satisfactory conclusion, the question should be referred to an International peace board with power to settle and all nations should unite to compel obedience to the decision of such a tribunal. I believe that we should request the President of the United States, Honorable Woodrow Wilson, to call a congress of representatives of all neutral nations to meet at our national capital, for the purpose of devising ways and means to influence the warring factions and to end the prevailing calamity to mankind. We should convey our deep regret over such a horrible tragedy to our comrades in Great Britain and Continental Europe, lament the murders committed in the name of "war," convey our sympathies to all in distress and express the fervent desire that peace will soon be restored. We can also express the hope that renewed vigor will inspire the International Trade Union movement towards higher and more ennobling purposes and accomplishments. We should extend to them our sincere wishes that, even though they believe themselves justified in war, the war may not have been in vain and that from this horrifying, irreparable epoch, we shall have learned the profound necessity of establishing peace on earth and good will to all mankind. Trade Conditions. National Secretary Clarke's report for the quarter ending May 31st, credits our Association with 9.420 members: 7,654 employed at the trade; 1,075 unemployed and locked out, and 691 employed at other trades. If you will refer to Secretary Clarke's report, under the titles "Membership,-Employed and Unemployed," and the table under "Department Membership" and "Trade Reports," you will find the number employed and unemployed in each department, the increase or decrease in membership in each department, and the trade conditions in the various localities. You can then judge the cause of progress, or retrogression and then, if you can suggest a plan that will accelerate the progress of an advancing branch and remedy the cause for a declining department, it is your duty to do so for the welfare of our excellent Organization. Not a single department of our Association escaped the season's industrial depression, yet an equitable comparison with the Glass Bottle Blowers' Association and the Window Glass trade conditions will show that we fared better than they and many other branches of labor. However, it has been a very bad year and I regret to report that relief is not in view. Many people place the responsibility for stagnant trade conditions on the war, others, on the "Democratic administration." It seems to me that the war has helped trade in our country and that conditions would be far worse if the war had not occurred. I know of no radical legislation passed by the Democratic party that has injured the business interests of this country. However, the financiers, so called, of our land seem to fear that which may be done rather than that which has been done by the present administration, and harboring that grim spectre they have decided upon and are practicing ultra economy in their affairs. The merchants are following their economical practice, buying only as business urgently requires, disposing of old stocks wherever it is possible, laying off hands at all convenient points, refusing to make improvements and playing a safe waiting game for general signs of great improvement. In that manner, as a result, the entire affairs of our country are in bad shape. The Clayton amendment to the Sherman Anti-trust Law is not dangerous, as evidenced by very recent court decisions and also by developing combinations of employers. The revision of the tariff law certainly has not seriously affected the flint glass trade. It is well known that the American flint glass manufacturers have enjoyed considerable export trade since the war developed and that, many articles in the chemical line of the caster place branch formerly made abroad are now produced under our jurisdiction. Reports from Germany show that all exportations in the glass trade are stopped. The government has assumed control of the railroads and to a large extent has stopped the supply of raw materials. Thirty-five hundred members of the glass workers' union have enlisted in the army and a large number of glass workers are out of employment. German Glass Trade Conditions. The German Glass Workers' Union secured an agreement with the employers to the effect that there shall be no reduction in wages while the war lasts and in spite of this arrangement some employers reduced wages. Some of the employers are paying relief to the families of the glass workers at war and the union expended $75,000 for unemployed relief the first seven months of the war. They now report that trade conditions are showing signs of improvement. Denmark. Denmark has suffered its share of bad times, but, now trade is improving, the employers are securing coal to operate, and some of the Swedish workers have secured employment in Scandinavian factories and an effort is being made to secure employment for some of the idle German workers. The price of food has materially advanced in Denmark. Bread, potatoes and bacon have doubled in price. The secretary of the Denmark Glass Workers' Union, in common with his brothers involved, prays for peace. Holland. The declaration of war paralyzed the Dutch glass industry. On September 1st, 1914, 74 per cent of their membership was unemployed. On November 1st, 1914, 62 per cent. On February 1st, 1915, 42 per cent. 18 per cent of the membership of the Holland Glass Workers' Union have joined the . army, and this country is not directly involved in the war. On March 1st, 1915, trade again became bad and they estimate that 70 per cent of their membership is unemployed. Reductions in wages have taken place and the bad trade conditions have weakened the workers' power to resist the cut. France and Belgium. The French and Belgian factories are doing very little, on account of being located in the war zone. Austria. For a period of two years previous to the war, trade conditions were bad in Austria, yet, despite that fact, the Aus |