The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-12-13
FEDERATION OF LABOR.
TIE ANNUAL CONVENTION IN sEs-
SION AT PHILADELPHIA.

The Annual Reports of President
Gompers and Secretary Evans Pre-.
ssnted-277 Charters Issued During
the Year-ShorteninR of the Hours Of
Labor Recommended in Order to
Give Work to a Larger Number OF
Men.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. Dec. 12.-The l2th
annual convention of the American Fedora
GRAFTON Of Labor met this morning in the
common council chambers of Independence
hall. Seventy-five delegates, representing
400. 900 tradesmen of all kinds, were In at
tendance.
An address Of welcome in behalf Of the
United States Labor League OF Philadelphia
was delivered by George G. Chance Of Typo
graphical Union No. 2.
President Gompers replied for the fedora.
tion.
A committee on credentials, composed of
J. j. Linehan, A. TodennAusen, Charles
Reichers Mcintyre and A. Nathan, was
announced and the federation took recess.
THE ANNUAL REPORTS.
At the afternoon session President
dompers read his report
PRESIDENT GoMPERS' REPORT.
President Gompers, in his report, said
I'm the labor struggles during the past six
months the corporations have simply made
request and armed forces of the states
and United States were at their bidding.
In the coal mines OF Tennessee, at Home
stead, Buffalo and Ceur d'Alene united
labor has defended Itself from the crushing
tyranny OF the monopolistic powern These
cases, lie said, certainly call for serious con-
sderation Of the delegates in this conven-
tion. Organization" is the watch word
OF the hour, made necessary by
the tendency and results of COR
porate power 10 brutalize and degrade.
lie declared that the S-hour movement
still claims large share of attention, and
he is strongly convinced that further ag-
gressive action by the convention would
produce good results. He spoke upon the
injury to workers through uurestricted i'm
migration, and said the convention should
formulate and demand such legislation as
will best protect their interests He argued
against closing the worlds fair on Sundays
declared that trades unions were the natural
organizations Of wage workers, aud despite
all antagonism will continue to grow in
strength and influence.
Resolutions were adopted against letting
the contract for printing the catalogue for
the worlds fair DO non-union firm.
SECRETARY EVANS REPORT.
Secretary Evans report was also present.
ed. The following is a synopsis: During
the year commencing Nov. l, 1891 and end
ing Oct 81. 1892, 277 charters have been is-
sued, including local unions, central bodies
and state declarations, in thirty
two states of the union. In
addition to the above eight charters
have been issued to national unions, making
total OF 1856 for the year. This is the larg-
est number of charters that have been issued
during any one year since the federation
was organized. The total receipts and ex-
penses for the year ending Oct. 81, 1897,
we're: Receipts, $25, 800; expenses. 1924
During the year $12 has been received from
donations and $40 for assessments.
FORMATION OF BRANCHES.
The secretary calls the attention of the
delegates to section 3, article 10 of the CON
stitution, which reads as follows: ANY
seven wage-workers of one trade of good
character and favorable to trades unions
and not members Of any body affiliated
with this federation, who will subscribe tc
this constitution shall have power TO form
a local body to be known as a federal labor
Union,'" aud recommends the striking out OF
the words 'of one," and the insertion of
the words following any, 80 that federal
labor unions may be recognized in accord
them into existence.
SHORTER HOURS OF LABOR.
It concludes as follows: "In looking over
the work of the past year we find that sew
eral of the national and local unions who
affiliated have had a very difficult task to
surmount through the obstacles that have
been placed in their way. In several in
stances unscrupulous employers. aided by
unjust laws, have taken advantage OF the
situation and no time has been lost by
them to use the unemployed working
men who are so numerous almost in every
trade to carry out their will. / hope some
move will be made at this convention TO re-
duce the number of unemployed men by
still agitating a reduction in the hours OF
labor In all trades where 1t Is possible TO do
so, aud remove the standing menace to
workingmen and the trade union move-
mentn
The convention ends Saturday afternoon,
when officers will be elected.