The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-09-08

nih'h anhuHi lrAueA Union Congress OF
Great Britain opened It's sessions at the
Assembly rooms, George street, this
city, at noon to-day. About 800 dele
gates were in attendance. The congress
will close Saturday. September IL.
Tho vehement arguments and bitter
personalities Of the twenty. eighth Nm
grcss, held at Cardm lnat year. will not
BE- repeated this year as the new con-
stltutlon adopted then directed the I'M
proved formation OF the congress OF 1895.
Men like John Burns, Kelr lIardlc and
Henry BrOndhurst are not prsscno In
their places are real working mon, such
us tho Northumberland and Durham
miners union ana the boiler makers
union, who lnilerly haNe taken no Iprt In
the annual congress.
Samuel Woods. secretary OF the parlI-
mentary committee, In an interview
with n representative OF The Associated
Press previous TO the meeting to-day,
said: 1--WE have nut more than $50 dele
yates this year owing to the new stand
lug ORDERS and our ungrr Is much
more workable. Under the old constl-
tuition there would have been over 700
delegates. The delegates this year ar>
only bonafde workers'at their trade and
legal members Uf trade societies. No
person can be- n delegate unles9 he IL
actually working at his trade at the
time OF his appointment, or Ia a pcrTna-
nent. paid working official Of hIs trade
union. This was definitely settled at
Cardiff last year.
I'VE are likely, however, TO have n
little rub or two over an attempt 10 re-
vert 10 the old way OF voting. where
each union or body represented had one
vote. Under the new standing orders
each delegate has n vote for every
thousand workers whom he represents.
This Ia direct representation and ! do
q think II will be overthrow.
I'VE have about thirty more trade
unions represented this year than last,
and about twenty which have never
been represented before. There are two
American delegates, Mcssrs. Strausser
and Sullivan"
The work Of the present congress Il
exceedingly ambitious when the time
available Is considered. The parlla-
mentary committee. OF which Edward
Convey, OF the Yorkshire miners il chair
man. and also president OF congress,
has prepared a programme embodied In
eleven resolutions; the trades unions
have sent up no fewer than eighty-one
resolutions for discussion. To these
notice OF over twenty amendments has
been given. The two sets Of resolutions
cover the widest field FOR discussion and
effort practicable and otherwise.
The temper of the congress towards
the impracticable can perhaps be
Eauged by n resolution OF the paper EIlll
workers that no representative OF the
press shall be allowed to report the pro-
ccrd!nEs unless he can prove that
the journal he represents Is printed by
trade union labor. and on paper manu-
featured In the United Kingdom"
4 further intimation OF the trend of
this congress II contained In q reaolu-
tlon proposed by the power-loom over
lockers to reSclnd the famous cnllectIv-
ist resolution adopted az the Norwich
congress OF 1894, on the initiative Of
keIr Hardie. and In Its place to- substI-
tute the following:
THAT in the opinion OF this congress.
Il IL essential 10 the maintenance OF
BrltfSh industries 10 ~natlonaliz4 the
land. mines, minerals, royalty, rents and
railways. and munlcipallzc all water,
artificial light. and trnmways under
takingS within their several authorities,
und that the parliamentary committee
be Instructed to promote and support
legislation with the above object"
Councillor W. J.. Thorne. OF the gas
workers. will ask the congress to de-
clare THAT the time has arrived when
the hours OF labor should be limited TO
eight hours per day In oil trades and
occupations In the United Kingdom"
+. Hartford. OF the railway men. will
bring up the question OF employers
liability By n resolution calling upon
the government to 80 amend the exist
Ing act that, among other things, the
responsibility may rest upon the en-
ployer for the acts OF his employees or
OF those OF any sub-contractnr, and
that irrespective OF the aCQuiescenCe
In or Knowledge OF any defect or dan
ger on the part OF the person killed or
10 the workers In al. industries, on land
or sea, In private, Btate, or municipal
employment and that contracting-out
be made Illegal"
Factory legislation, payment OF mem
bers Of parliament, taxation OF land
values and ground rents. which II Is
demanded be made n test question nj
the mex general election" employ
ment OF children In factories and their
consequent exploitation BY the capital
list, which Is Injurious to the children,
unjust TO their parents and q crime
against the human race: mu%niClpnlEn-
ton Of docks, wharres and warehouses;,
the release q all political prisoners.
grievances " civilian musicians,
hours OF domestic servants,
which are not to be more than 20 per
week, including one and n half hours
for meals per day" fair wages, COM
pensation for Injuries: the hours OF
shop assistants: government contracts,
old age pensions, education and public
money. and many other matters all
hnve places on thu programme.
The plate glass jewellers will offer
this important resolution:
THAT the roccI; decisions Of the
judges OF the high court OF Justice. In
cases arising out at trade disputes
have made It a%bundantly clear that the
trade union acts 81 1871 and 1876 Hf-
ford cfrectunl protection nHainst civil
actions brought against officials OF
trade unions and others who arc mere
~ exercising the rights OF combination
supposed TO be secured by those acts
and II IL, therefore. most essential to
the continued and effective existence Of
trade unions that the parliamentary
committee Of tho trades union congress
should c%ndcRv0r to obtain such an
amendment OF the conspiracy ana pro-
lection Of PROPERTY act, 1876 rs will