Twenty-Second Annual Convention of American Flint Glass Workers' Union - Muncie, Indiana

FLINT CONVENTION PREPARATIONS.

Nothing Being Left Undone at Muncie to Make It a

Complete Success.

COMPLETE ARRANGEMENTS FOR WORK AND RECREATION

A Model Convention Hall, Warm Western Hospitality

and an Immense Outpouring of Organized Labor

From all Parts of the Gas Belt Will

Make the Occasion Memorable.

MUNCIE, IND., June 21.   —   The delegates to the twenty-second annual convention of the A. F. G. W. U., which convenes here on July 10, will receive a royal welcome at the hands of the inhabitants of the Magic City, judging from the preparations that are now being made. The arrangement and entertainment committees have provided a wonderful feast of good things for the delectation of the visitors, and are sparing no pains or expense in the effort to make this the greatest convention ever held under the auspices of the A. F. G. W. U.

A splendid array of speakers has been secured, and several men of national prominence will deliver addresses on the opening day, which, by the way, with favorable weather, will undoubtedly eclipse all previous opening days, both in point of numbers in the annual parade and in the general excellence of the program. After traversing the principal streets of the city the marchers will adjourn to West Side Park, where the speakers of the day will hold forth.

The committee has appointed Alfred Meachem [sic] Meacham as a traveling representative, and he is now touring all the gas belt towns extending personal invitations to all labor bodies, and reports that many organizations have signified their willingness to participate. A great number of locals, branches, and preceptories will come in a body, and should the expectations of the committee be but partly realized there will be an immense demonstration on the first day.

The court house, where the work of the convention will be done, is a magnificent building, and while the auditorium is not as large as either the South Side Hall or Memorial Hall at Zanesville, yet it has many advantages over both. It will be found that a speaker can be distinctly heard without raising the voice above a conversational tone. In the matter of committee rooms the court house is, we think, much more convenient, and we are informed by the local committee that it will prove to be one of the coolest buildings ever used for a flint convention.

The decoration committee, Wm. Finley, A. Burkhart, and Con Canning, is hard at work, a number of handsome arches having already been made for the different entrances to the court house grounds. The building will be a mass of flags and bunting during the time the convention will be held and a large number of business houses will decorate in honor of the city's guests.

The soliciting committee reports good progress, and have nearly enough money subscribed to carry out all their plans.

Besides the opening demonstration, a picnic will be held, and amusements of all kinds will be provided, including tub, sack, and potato races. The committee of arrangements will probably select a team to play a game of ball with a club picked from the best material among the delegates, and this will doubtless be an interesting event, for there are many followers of the national game among the flints, and there should be no difficulty in getting a good team to represent the delegates.

We understand the local street railway employees association, through its secretary, Casper Orebaugh, has tendered the visitors a ride in the from of a trolley party over the different lines of the city, taking in all the points of interest en route.

In all probability a banquet will be given the delegates, at which a number of prominent local men will speak; also, President Smith and other representatives of the workers.

The banquet will be held at Union Labor Hall, after which an adjournment will be made to Schick's Hall, where the balance of the evening will be spent discussing the elegant program provided by the ball committee. The members of the Muncie Woman's Label League will probably prepare the feast, as the banquet committee has submitted a proposition which they expect will receive favorable consideration. These ladies had charge of this department during the Elks Carnival, and those who partook of the tempting repasts served by them are a unit in giving unstinted praise for their success in satisfying the wants of the inner man.

Another feature that will prove of great interest is being worked up by Chairman C. N. Edmunds, of the general arrangement committee, as follows: If the matter can be satisfactorily arranged with Ball Bros., one of the fruit jar machines will be put in operation so that the delegates will have an opportunity of seeing this famous "iron man" blowing glass. Mr. Edmunds says he has every reason to believe that the required permission will be granted. This will assuredly be a treat for the visitors, as comparatively few have ever seen a perfect machine in operation in the glass trade, and as the circus posters say, "it's worth going many miles to see."

The arrangement committee's headquarters are being remodeled and refurnished and everything will soon be in shape for the reception of delegates. There is some talk of having a band concert every night during the convention but this has not been definitely decided. A number of the committee's members are in favor of giving a display of fire works on the opening night and if the soliciting committee reports a sufficient sum subscribed this part of the program will also be carried out. From the above it will be seen that the Muncie glassworkers are leaving on stone unturned to make the stay of their guests a pleasant one and it will not be the fault of the hustlers on the different committees if the twenty-second annual gathering of the A. F. G. W. U. does not prove to be the most memorable one ever held.

From present indications an immense crowd will be present on the opening day and should the weather man be kind, the procession will certainly break all previous records. Excursions at one fare for the round trip will be run on all railroads entering Muncie.

The demonstration on July 10 will without doubt prove a red hot affair and citizens and guests of the Magic City will have good cause to remember the magnificent display of organized labor on the opening day of the flints convention.

Muncie's hospitality is proverbial and on this occasion a royal welcome awaits every visitor.

NOTES.

Don't forget the big day.

They'll all be there to take part in the big parade.

Muncie flints are seeing that there is nothing overlooked in the way of entertainment for the visitors.

Ball Bros.' fruit jar machine will be a great attraction for most of the strangers.

C. N. Edmunds, chairman of the arrangements committee, is a hard worker for the success of the convention and has many able assistants.

James McMonagle and James Cavanaugh, the popular Muncie flint bottle blowers, are now in business near the Opera House in the Magic City. Their advertisement appears in another column of this paper. McMonagle is treasurer of the arrangement committee and represented Local Union No. 91 at several conventions.

The question of amalgamation has been thoroughly discussed in Muncie and the business committee, whose names appeared in our last issue, has been made a permanent one. Plans are now being formulated and will be submitted to the trade as soon as they are in suitable shape. The members are working in a thoroughly earnest manner and Secretary M. Menard anticipates satisfactory results.

C. N. Edmunds was the prime factor in unionizing a local shop during the Elk's carnival. His untiring efforts have resulted in organizing several different branches. By the way, it may not be generally known, in the Charlie is a crack marksman. He is an expert with the rifle and claims the championship of Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. He has won a number of handsome prizes and is the possessor of several medals   —   trophies which testify to his unerring aim.

The Muncie Woman's Label League is doing a great amount of missionary work and their perseverance in the cause of unionism has resulted in great good to organized labor generally. Many business houses that formerly were very indifferent with reference to handling union goods and employing union clerks, have been brought into line with the aid of the league. Their efforts deserve and receive commendation from all friends of organized labor.

Mrs. Sarah Crossfield, organizer of the Women's Label League, may deliver an address to the delegates showing the advantages to be derived by the workers when there is a system of organization among the ladies in the community. The Women's Label League is a credit to any community and their work has been noted throughout the land with more than ordinary interest.

Ball Bros. have about completed the repairs on the middle flint tank in the lower house. All the other tanks are working except the white liner department.

Hemingray's are working as usual and conditions at the Muncie Flint are about the same as previously reported in this paper.

George J. Brooker, the progressive former fruit jar blower, is now proprietor of a cigar store on Walnut street and reports a good trade. His many friends among the workers will be pleased to hear of his success.

Albert A. Dupke, an old Wheeling boy, who formerly worked in a number of Ohio Valley factories, is now in business opposite the Court House in the city. His announcement appears elsewhere in this paper.

The arrangements committee should see that the city officials attend to the class known as grafters or in other words the people who make a business of "touching" the delegates at conventions. It is a well known fact that many of the class referred to openly boast that they make a nice day's work getting "gifts" from the delegates. If the people were deserving we would not say a word concerning the practice, but everyone knows that the money procured in this manner is spent in keeping up a continual jag. It's a practice that should be nipped right at the start and the committee would be doing a great favor in protecting their guests from this unworthy element.

The fact that Al. Meachem was delegated to tour the Gas Belt and personally invite the different organizations to participate in the flints big demonstration shows that the boys are heart and soul in the work, and they deserve all the good things that have been said about them. Meachem is an orator from away up the creek, and his persuasive eloquence will bring his hearers to Muncie even if they are compelled to come on crutches. It's a torrid day in Greenland when he can't "tell them how it is."

Attention is called to the Muncie business announcements appearing in this issue. Muncie merchants desiring space during the next thee weeks will be given rates on application. The value of these columns as an advertising medium must be apparent to all. Address all inquires to Commoner Pub. Co., Box 555, Pittsburg, Pa. Your letter will receive prompt attention.

The members of the Press committee are hereby requested to send on convention items, which we will be pleased to publish. Let your future guests and the trade generally know what is being done each week as everybody is interested in the matter. We want our Muncie friends to understand that our columns are at their disposal and trust they will show no hesitancy in taking advantage of the opportunity. Let the good work go on.

Sam R. Hudson, he of the deep bass voice, is secretary of the entertainment committee, and is putting in his few spare moments fitting himself for "beavies" in sensational dramas. Sam's voice makes the rafters shake when he lets it loose.   —   H. W. GAUDING.