Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1890-12-29

organization frankly acknowledged WIN
appreciation in his report to their con-
vention.
submit to your consideration the ad-
visibility of continuance of this sys-
tenn and the extension of it to the local
trade unions directly affiliated to the
American Federation of Labor, and
which have no national trade unions. !
propose, however, that if this PROPOSE
ton is approved the fund when created
be kept separate from the national trade
union assessments in order that prac-
tical assistance may be given to both,
and neither have cause to complain OF
intrenching upon the moneys appro-
priated or paid by the other;
INTERNATIONAL. LABOR CONGRESS.
Immediately after the United States
congress decided upon the city IN which
the World fair should be held, in compli-
ance with the resolution of the last con-
vention, issued an invitation to the Or
ganized wage workers of the world to be
represented at an international labor
congress, to be held at Chicago in 1893.
urged that no other international labor
congress be held that year, and asked
for the appointment Of temporary COM
mitteemen for the purpose of making
the preliminary arrangements. | can
not say that the invitation has met with
much encouragement. Whether this is
due to the fact that for time all
were in doubt that the Worlds fair
would be held at all, or whether that
since our resolution was adopted several
separate invitations, emanatlng from
wholly different sources Independent Of
each other, have led to confusion in the
minds of the wage workers of other
countries, or owing to the great dis
lance, cost or indifference to the whole
scheme, is more than | can say. am
convinced, however, that if we are de-
sirous of holding successful interna-
tional labor congress in 1898, we must
be very energetic and by all means be
represented at the one previously held
in Europe.
In connection with this subject, it be-
comes my duty to call your attention to
bill that was introduced in congress
looking toward the holding of a Worlds
congress of labor under the auspices of
the United States government. The
matter has not received the Endorsement
of the executive council, nor has any
thing been done to commit the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor to it. The cir
culars, bills and other papers are here
with submitted for such action as you
may deem most advisable to take.
OTHER IMPORTANT MATTERS.
Thereport calls attention to the fact that
the government eight hour law which
was adopted in 1868 is being constantly
broken. Labor Day was more generally
observed this year than ever before.
Mr.. Gompers appealed to the convention
to do something in aid of the child work
ers of the country. He says he has been
laboring with the different labor bureaus
to get them to pay more attention to the
effects of working mems organizations,
and has met with considerable encour-
agement.
The president recommended the adop-
ton of Federation label, but not to
conflict with the labels of national
unions. He also favored the considera-
ton of proposition to re-establish The
Union Advocate as the Federations
official organ. The report dealt with
other matters of interest to labor and
closed in these words:
In closing my term of office permit
me to assure you that my every thought
and every act has ever been in the di-
rection of that one goal we hold SO dear
in common. If at any time have been