The Dakota chief. (Gann Valley, Buffalo County, S.D.) 18??-1913, 1894-12-20
FEDERATION OF LABOR.
President Gompc9s' Annual ADD
-Johr burns Present. \


The American Federation Of Labo
in annual convention AT Denver. IrT
5cnt G,ompcrs in the chair. Addresses
welcome and responses opened the ~
cccdinss. during which john BurnT
English labor leader, and David llol
member of Parliament, entered the h \
ana were received with cheers. Aftc&
tin" appointment Of the committee on
Credentials. +. NJ. Patterson. of Denver,
delivered an address on Ia" labor strug~
Gle. Adjourned until afternoon.
Upon rcasScmbling in the afternoon
the credentials of David Holmes and
John Burns, representing trades unions
of Great Britain. were accepted and the
delegates granted the full privileges of
the convention. President Gompers' an
nuaI report was then submitted. lie ON
plimentcd the organization upon being
able to preserve its existence during the
recent adverse circumstances Refer
ring to the coal miners strike, he said
10000 men were ont for eight weeks,
and yet there was hardly II dearth Of
coal. Considering this, the establishment
of a minimum rate of wages was a very
great victory. He defended the action
Of the Federation in regard to the y. Il.
\ Stl ~ Nv iHf' W 'iIN' 'D''' l'F
position submitted To them was Il vir-
tual acknowledgment that the strike was
Il failure. President Clcvcland's action
at that time was severely condemned.
The honest effort of the Government to
regulate immigration was acknowledged,
but amendments to the laws were slg
gcstcd. Hope is expressed that govern
mcnt telegraph and telephone would soon
la established "a. .,rp.st ION with tha mos
tai department. and unions among the,
government employees were recommended
rs an aid To the movement. American
Scamcn claimed to he the worst treated
Of those of any civilized nation. Bills in
their interest and also for protection of
riGarmakers, he said, would have passed
the last session of Congress but for the
prcjudicial effect Of the railroad strike.
The convention was asked 10 endorse the
Phillips bill for the creation of an indus
trial commission. The efforts of the Off
cors of the Federation in behalf of free
coinage of silver was mentioned and Il
better understanding of the subject by
the laboring men generally was reported.
\ serious strain upon labor organiYaJ Is
was predicted for tho coming winter. y t
the speaker added That Indications wlvc
favorable tpr an active industrial rcyiyA
within q year. Tho proposition to est
fish compulsory arbitration was d~onou
cd and the charge was made that dcsignS
ing persons were advocating it as Il means
of destroying labor organizations. The
successful mediation of the general Off
ccrS in a number of disputes between
workingmcn and employers was reported
and the statement made that labor must
conquer the right to be heard in all cases.
Secretary Chris. Evans, in his report,
said the receipts of the past year were
$22i4i. and the expenditures $l1,3O2.
leaving Il balance of S3,191. which is less
than at amy time since 1890.
president Gompers then introduced
lion. John Burns, who made an address.
Mr.. Burns said:
David Holmes and myself were clos.
on by the organizations OF labor of the old
world to represent them in this, the first
American labor convention at which Eng
llsh representatives were present. The
convention that appointed us consisted of
100 members. of whom 100 were mem
hcrs of Parliament, justice or municipal
officers. This shows what Il hold organ
lied labor has on the people of England.
shall be pleased TO hear ten years hence
that YOU have progressed as far as we
have to-day. Our coming here is inter
eStlil& Tor many reasons, one of which
Is that the countrE from which we come
initiated the employment system. | would
say. however. that while England inau-
guIatcd industrial competition. America
has eclipscd her i'll monopolics."
PRESIDENT Gompers, in response to Mr..
Burns, stated that under no government
on earth have ohprinp mon Lnon 60 i'm,
posed upon rs III America, but expressed
the nope that conditions may soon im-
prove and that Improvement be aided by
inns fraternal meeting Of laboring men Of
Europe and America.