CIGARMAKERS' COUNCIL.

Move to Control Local Consumption - Plea of the Painters.

The cigarmakers' union held a largely attended and interested meeting last night. The occasion was the semi-annual election of officers, which resulted in the choice of E. E. Allen as president; John. N Schmidt, vice president; Max Fichtenau, [recording] secretary; J. F. Kreiger, financial secretary; A. Gleeser, treasurer; J. G. Sneider, sergeant-at-arms. The trustees are Otto Rehfeldt, John Peuser and John Bertram; auditing committee, Otto Harpke, Fred Valesh and Henry Feyder; additional delegate to the trades and labor assembly, Henry Heckman. The membership of the union has been increasing lately, and now numbers 200. Frank Valesh talked on the work done at the convention of federated labor held at Birmingham, Ala.

It was decided last night to give a mask ball under the auspices of the union at Market hall Feb. 1. The committee to arrange for the event are Louis Allen, John Krieger, Max Fichtinau, A. Gisenheimer and Henry Heckman. The agitation committee reported that it had made inquiry into the state of the cigar trade and found that 12,000,000 cigars are made in St. Paul and 75,000,000 sold in the city. To make these cigars would require over 1,400 cigar makers, of whom only 200 live in St. Paul. If all these cigars were made in the city it would mean an outlay of $1,000,000 for wages. This report was received with manifestations of interest, and the committee was instructed to use efforts to encourage additional cigar manufactories in the city. This committee will also go before the Alliance convention which meets in Minneapolis early in January and urge the farmers to buy union label cigars.

The painters and decorators union held a short session last night, but transacted no business of importance. The painters are in good humor over the prospect of abundant work and anticipate no trouble with the bosses over the nine-hour question the coming season. If the point is not conceded the co-operative shop will furnish work to union painters and the union will be backed up by the international brotherhood.