Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-12-09
THE FEDERATION.
SOME MATTERS TO Be DISCUSSED AT THE
CONVENTION NEXT WEEK.
wr RurH Leaves for Pitsburg, Whence de WI
Go to Birmingham = Other Wheeling
Delegates to Follow.

Hon T Fl. Burtt will leave on al
aarlv train this NOR ming for Plttsourf
where he will remain until FRI day
upon which day he will depart Tor BIZ
mingham, Ala, where the Natlona
convention Of the American Fedora
tion of Labor meets on Monday OF mex
week. Mr.. RichardRobertson ana Mr.
NJ. +. Moran, the other delegates iron
this city. will leave for the South during
the latter part of the week. Mr.. Burt
has received an invitation to address
mass meeting in Pittsburg on Friday
evening. TO protest against the actlon o.
/ the Court in granting an injunction en-
! Joining the Union Printers ana FresS
men from persuading non-union WORK
| men to leave their positions. he may
address the meeting and depart lor the
South on Saturday morning.
The eleventh annual convention or the
! Federation of Labor opens at ten O'Clock
on Monday morning, and promises 10 oe
one OF the most interesting IN the MS,
torv of the Federation. This powerful
national organization, as its name indl'
Gates. is a federation of national ana IN
ternational labor organizations, lnde'
pendent federal unions, and trades
councils, not affiliated with the knights
of Labor. II has for its objects tine
announcement and formation OF Local
Trade and Labor Unions, and the closer
federation of such societies through tne
organization of Central Labor Unions
in each city, and the Iurthef
combination of such bodies into
State. or Territorial Unions, to secure
legislation in the interest OF the working
masses: and the establishment OF Ma
tional and International trades unions,
based upon q strict recognition or the
autonomy Of each trade" Ii has lts or
carnations in every manufacturing
and business community in the United
States and Canada. There are at pres
emit in the Federation 5000 independent
Federal Unions, great number OF
Central Labor bodies, and state
branches, and forty-two National ana
International Unions, including such
powerful organizations as the Amalga-
nation, flint glass workers, iron mould
ers. locomotive employees, cigar makers,
bricklayers, Typographical Union, car
penters, miners, brewers, painters,
stone cutters, etc.
There has as yet been but little spec
ulation among the newspapers and trade
Journals in regard to the topics TO be
discussed by the convention, the papers
contenting themselves with articles rel
alive TO the different candidates for the
Presidency. At the Detroit convention
last year the principal discussion of the
body was upon the question, SHOULD a
charter be issued to Central Labor
Union which has political party rep
resented therein" The contest
was a bitter one. and was
brought about by the Central Labor
Union of New York, demanding the ad-
mission of a delegate OF the Socialistic
party. The result was the exclusion OF
the delegate from the deliberations OF
the convention. During the pass year
the Socialistic party has been especially
q tive, and a determined effort Will be
made at the convention next week TO
secure the admission and recognition OF
delegates of Federal unions, organized
especially in the interest of the Social
istic labor party. This will probably
provoke another interesting discussion,
and what the outcome will be is mat
ter for conjecture.
Another interesting matter which will
come up before the convention, will be
the selection of the trade to make the
eight hour demand, on the first OF next
May. One trade is selected each year,
with the expectation that the eight hour
work day will eventually prevail. This
year it is expected that the Typograph-
ical Union, the furniture workers, OF
the Brewers, will be selected TO make
the fight.
In connection with the eight-hour de-
mand, it will be interesting to know
whether the arbitrary assessment to
sustain the trade making the demand,
will be resisted. Such has been the
rule heretofore, but considerable oppO-
Sition has developed in the different or
CARNATIONS represented in the Fedora
ton. and the discussion on this point
promises TO be spirited and interesting.
The organizations which oppose the ar
bitrary assessment have no objection to
appeals for voluntary contributions to
aid the strikers, but they will antago-
nize any attempt to make the matter
compulsory.
The sessions OF the convention will
last all week. The first four days
will be devoted TO business, and the
election of officers will take place or
Friday. The number Of delegates car
only be Appropriated, as each organiza
tion can send as many as it desires, on a
basis of one delegate for not less thar
100 members. The American Flints
send seven delegates. At the Detroit
convention 1913 delegates were present
The candidates for the the Presidency
have all been mentioned il
the REGISTER. The man who is selected
to fill the position must be delegate
to the convention. 1t is impossible, a.
this time, to say who will be the sue
cesSful candidate: it would be purely
guesSwork. Mr.. Burt, of this city, il
said to head the opposition to PreSiden
/ Gompers, aud the fight will probabl!
| be between those two candidates.