The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-09

NEW YORK, Dec. S.-The largest
| congress of labor leaders ever held in
New York, as far as the numbers rep
resented and the interests involved are
concerned. will begin tomorrow at
Madison Square garden with the open
| ing of the fifteenth annual convention
of the American Federation of Labor.
More than 100000 organized work.
! ingmen in the United States are send
ing their delegates-115 in number-to
represent them. Perhaps million
workingmen will be nearer the mark.
but the officers Of the federation are
conservative as to numbers and only
reckon those who are in good standing
with the subordinate unions.
1t is now twelve years since the fed
GRAFTON met in this city in convention,
since which time it has been expanding
until it has it's representatives in every
state in the union and all over Canada.
1t has affiliated with it eighty nation
al organizations.
One Lone Woman.
There will be one woman delegate.
MisT Frances Martell who will repre-
sent the Garment workers union of
Chicago. For the last three days the
delegates to the convention have been
arriving. EX-President Gompers, OF
the fedora ton. and several local Off
GERS are finding quarters for the dele
gates at the hotels.
The executive council of the fedora
ton reached this city yesterday and
are at the Ashland house. The council
consists of John Mcbride, president OF
the American Federation of Labor; P.
j. Mcclure, vice president; John Len
non, treasurer; Augustine McCraith.
secretary. and n. NJ. Garland presi-
dent of the Amalgamated Association
of Iron and Steel Workers. Ex-Presi.
dem GomperS attended a meeting Of
the executive council, which was held
yesterday afternoon at the Ashland
house. The business consisted of
preparations for the opening of the
convention.
E. Convey and J. Mawdsley of the coal
miners and the spinnerS union of Eng
land, who will attend the convention
as representatives of those bodies, ar
rived today. They We're met by a dele
cation of the local officers and escorted
to the Ashland house, which will be
the headquarters of the executive coun-
Gil They represent about 100000 work
ingmen in England and Wales.
President John Mcbride of the FEEDER
alton is not a delegate, having been
defeated at the election for delegates
of his local union. He will, however,
DIS pIeSIueHI, open lHe COHNeHlIOu-
Entertainments.
Special arrangements have been made
to entertain the visiting delegates. A
mass meeting will be held in Cooper
Union tomorrow evening under the aus
pices of the trade and labor unions of
New York, Brooklyn and Jersey City.
in connection with the convention, at
which the visiting delegates will be in
vited to speak.
Important questions will come before
the convention, including the carrying
out of a. general eight-hour movement
on May 1, 1896. Questions affecting the
standing of subordinate national unions
will be discussed and some long stand
ing fights between rival unions will be
considered.
The question of harmoniZing nation
al branches will also be considered,
and efforts will be made to eXtlngu1sh
the knights of Labor as trades I'M
ion movement and compel that body to
become a purely educational one.
Ex-President Gompers will be cam
didate for president in opposition to
President Mcbride.