Volume XXIX

No. 1

Through the effort of Second VicePresident Roberts, and the officers and members of the San Francisco and Oakland local unions of the International Union of Steam & Operating Engineers, November 6th, 1915, was set aside by the officials of the Panama Pacific International Exposition as union engineers' day.

All great organizations holding conventions in San Francisco were honored by the exposition officials by giving a special date at the fair, and which was intended by these officials as a special compliment to the organizations holding conventions in San Francisco last year. Some regret was expressed that our International Union was unable to hold its convention in San Francisco during the exposition, and it is, therefore, gratifying to know that the exposition officials extended this courtesy to the union engineers on the occasion of only an executive board meeting of our union being held in San Francisco.

The frontispiece of this issue reproduces the location where the engineers met on that occasion, and which is the south entrance of the Palace of Machinery.

It was most fitting that an important gathering of engineers of this kind should be held in the shadow of great Machinery Hall.

The Palace of Machinery was a magnificent structure, 968 feet long and 368 feet wide, with a floor space of about 7 acres, fronting on what is known as Progress avenue. Symbolic figures representing steam, electricity, imagination, invention and many other figures

representing various forms of machinery adorn the building. However, the exhibits from an engineer's point of view were most disappointing. While the exhibits showed some of the recent inventions with working models of the greatest interest the apparent lack of exhibits showing the development of the steam engine detracted from what otherwise was a splendid exhibit. The writer failed to find a steam engine of any kind in the exhibit except three hoisting engines, although we were informed later that one small steam turbine engine was in operation.

The government exhibit showing by means of miniature models how harbors are protected in time of war, was interesting, as was the exhibit showing the growth of the navy from its inception to the present day.

The official exercises which were conducted by Commissioner A. T. Vogelsang of the Panama-Pacific Exposition, together with the officers and members of the International Union of Steam and Operating Engineers, consisted of an introductory address by Second Vice-President Roberts, a short address by General President Comerford, and an address. of welcome by Commissioner A. T. Vogelsang of the Panama-Pacific Exposition.

The journal regrets exceedingly being unable to reproduce the introductory address by Vice-President Roberts and the address in reply to President. Comerford, by Commissioner A. T. Vogelsang.

President Comerford's address is as follows:

Francisco Exposition is only a memory. Perhaps no trade had more to do with producing many of the products of American industry exhibited at the exposition than the Steam Engineers of this country.

While other forms of motive power have to some slight extent displaced the steam engine, yet the original engine invented by Watt has continued, and will continue to develop the necessary power in the mines, steamships and factories of the world for generations to come. The Union Steam Engineers of the United States and Canada feel justly proud of their calling. The men of our craft operate the power plants on steamships, railroads and factories of all kinds; in fact, the men of our craft keep the wheels of industry in motion.

The International Union of Steam and Operating Engineers, the organization to which the Union Engineers of the United States and Canada belong, was organized December 7, 1896. Notwithstanding the importance of the

ceived by the organized unskilled work

men.

Although the International Union of Steam and Operating Engineers was officially organized in 1896, it was not until about 1901 that the organization became effective. Since that time, and with each succeeding year, the condition of the engineers composing our International Union has experienced constant improvement. Before our union was formed the men of our calling worked twelve hours per day or more, seven days per week; in fact, the work performed by the engineers before we had a union was continuous performance of work and sleep, with no time whatever for recreation. With the constantly increasing membership and the continuous agitation for improved conditions, together with the assistance received from other trades through the American Federation of Labor, the inhuman conditions which prevailed twenty years ago are rapidly disappearing. During the past twelve or fourteen years countless

numbers of plants throughout the country have been placed on an 8-hour basis, thereby giving engineers and firemen engaged in these plants an opportunity for recreation and of improving their conditions generally. The International Union of Steam and Operating Engineers has now in membership approximately 30,000 men. The organization owns and publishes its own official journal-THE INTERNATIONAL STEAM ENGINEER-a magazine devoted to the interests of the Union Engineers of the United States and Canada. Acting under instructions of our recent convention the general executive board recently purchased a building in Chicago which is devoted exclusively to the use of the organization as its official headquarters. Efforts are being made to establish a system of benefits for the members of the union, and no doubt the coming convention, which is to be held at Newark, N. J., in September, 1916, will complete this work, with the result that our international union will, in this respect, compare favorably with much older international unions of other trades.

In addition to the efforts made by our union to improve the working conditions of the engineers in the matter of wages and hours and our proposed system of benefits, the organizations in the several states are constantly active in securing legislation beneficial to the membership. On account of the danger attending the engineers' calling it is necessary, both for the protection of the engineers and the public as well, that men entrusted with the operation of steam plants should possess the necessary skill and reliability to be given charge of these plants. In a large number of the states, and in many of the large cities, we already have laws enacted providing for the thorough inspection of steam boilers and other machinery, and for the examination and licensing of engineers. In two of the states we have succeeded in placing on the statute books what is known as the One Day Rest law. Under these humane provisions the engineers and firemen will be given one day for rest and recreation each week.

Through the efforts of organized labor we have been successful in se

curing better ventilation and other sanitary conditions in engine and boiler rooms in nearly all the states.

The union engineers should, and will, be proud of the distinction which the officials of this great exposition have conferred on them, by designating Saturday, November 6, 1915, as Union Engineers' Day at the exposition. Like all other trade unionists, the members of our international union feel proud of this splendid exposition, because, for the first time in the history of expositions, the work has been done by union men exclusively. The hoisting engineers who assisted in erecting these beautiful buildings should feel particularly proud of their accomplishment. Personally, I feel it an honor to have the privilege of being here today as the representative of the the International Union of Steam and Operating Engineers, and I take this opportunity of reminding our fellow trade unionists of San Francisco that I had the great privilege of using my humble efforts in assisting our honored fellow-unionist, Brother P. H. McCarty, who, more than any other individual, is responsible for this great Panama Pacific Exposition being located at San Francisco. During the weeks Brother McCarty spent in Washington advocating San Francisco as the proper place to celebrate the building of the Panama canal, I had the opportunity of meeting him several times and am, therefore, in a position to testify to his activities and final success in bringing the fair to this city. It is but proper to mention also, that the reputation which the San Francisco employers enjoy because of their fairness in dealing with labor exerted a tremendous influence in locating the fair at San Francisco.

Since the International Union of Steam and Operating Engineers was organized it has been affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. Next Monday the Federation will open its annual convention in one of the buildings in the fair grounds, and as union engineers we feel proud of our affiliation and of the opportunity of assisting in the work of that splendid organization. It is no exaggeration to say that no organization or combination of men during the world's history has done so

of the International Union of Steam and Operating Engineers I express our appreciation of the honor conferred on the Union Engineers of North America by the exposition officials in giving our organization the privilege of having a Union Engineers' Day at this great exposition.

Commissioner A. T. Vogelsang of the exposition in concluding his remarks presented President Comerford. with a bronze medal on behalf of the exposition officials and a reproduction of which is published with this article. During the period of construction this journal published a number of articles describing the several buildings as well as cuts illustrating the drawings of the proposed buildings. Any descriptive article or reproduction of the drawings of these buildings could give the reader only a faint conception of

tiful South Garden is just within the main entrance, but as the visitor walked through the grounds in every direction he found views just as beautiful and entrancing as the reproduction of the South Garden in this issue.

While the writer was in San Francisco during practically the entire month of November attending the meeting of the general executive board of the I. U. S. and O. E., the conventions of the American Federation of Labor, the metal trades department and the building trades department of the A. F. of L., it was not until about the first of December, and which was just a few days before the closing of the exposition, he had an opportunity of spending any considerable time in the exposition. The small picture showing the floral exhibit in this issue was taken November 30, 1915, by the writer. On this date the