Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-13
AT. OF [. IN SESSION
President Gompers Submits His An
nual Report to Convention.
COVERS TIE ENTIRE LABOR FIELD
Years Work Has Been EminentIy
Satisfactory to the Officials.
SECY MORRISON'S REPORT

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
NASHVILLE. Tenn, December 13.-The
seventeenth annual convention of the
American Federation Of Labor began this
morning at 10 o'clock in the hall of the
house of representatives.
The convention was called to order by
President Samuel Gompers. An address of
welcome was delivered by President Will
lam Aimison of the Nashville Typograph-
ical Union. The response was by Presi-
dent Gompecs. Short speeches were also
made by Gov. Taylor and Mayor Dudley of
Nashville, the latter extending to the dele
gates the freedom of the city.
The report of the committee on creden-
tials. which had held session previous to
the formal assembling CT the convention.
was adopted, after which President Com
pers delivered his annual address as fol-
lows:
Following is the report of President Com
pers in part:
In the call for this convention I took
occasion to say that we have had many
important gatherings, but. perhaps. none
which have been called upon to deal with
the workers of today. That the wrongs
from which the workers suffer have not
been righted; the injustice imposed upon
our people remains unremedied; the over
worked large mass and the unemployed
many are still testimony to the folly of
our age: the employment of children in
our factories and work shops, though mod
flied. fingers with us still, and the spec
tacle is witnessed of idle men and iabori-
ouSly busy children; legislatures more con-
cerned with the privileges to the few than
the rights Of the many; with public as
semblage and free speech invaded, threat
ened or forbidden and the modern judicial
weapon of injunction utilized in the effort
to crush labor These rights and wrongs
and others of equal importance, but too
numerous for reference here, must of ne
cessity be considered by the forthcoming
convention, and such action devised as
shall tend to attain the one and set aside
the other.
At no time have the legitimate and natU-
raj organizations of the wage-earners-the
trade unions-been more mercilessly as
sailed, subtly attacked and unjustly an
tagonized; in no previous era have they
more Zealously safeguarded, protected and
promoted the true interests of the work.
ers of our country. and a decade may pass
before more absorbin problems confront
them; these now before us require the COM
bined Intelligence, earnestness energy and
honesty of purpose of all in the effort to
truly and faithfully solve.
There is a world of injustice to eradicate;
there is universe filled with walls of
sorrow and grief awaiting the hosts OF
intelligent, progressive ard aggressive Or
ganized workers to never falter in the
contest for alienation and emancipation.
Keeping the goal of our movement as our
guiding star. organizing. federating, agitat-
ing. educating and contrasting every
field yielding fruitful results, we shall.
as the hours of the day, advance from the
deepest gloom to the full midday glory of
light-the light of hope. happiness and
humanity. To this noble work; to this
splendid convention; to this beautiful city;
in the name of the grand army of labor, L
bid you welcome, ..-..a. ... .t-,.. .--. -.rH
Growth of Orsn
We started off in the year with newly
formed national unions from the isolated
locals of number of trades. That is: The
Bicycle Workers International Union, the
Engineers National Union, Core Makers
International Union, Brotherhood of Paper
Makers and the Meat Cutters and Butcher
Workmen's National Union, charters to
each of which have been issued. These
unions are making excellent progress, they
having, respectively. forty. sixteen and
twenty-seven local unions attached.
During the year the following national
unions became affiliated with our fedora
ton, and to which charters were issued:
The International Brotherhood of Black
smiths, the Plumbers. Gas Filters, Steam
Filters and Steam Filters Helpers United
Association of America; the United
Brotherhood of Paper Makers of America
and the Gold Beaters' National Union. A
number of local trade unions and federal
labor unions were organized and chartered
during the year. New central bodies were
organized, and old ones, which had become
defunct revived. Charters to Is central
bodies 1S9 local unions and national
unions were issued.
With but two exceptions. all our affiliated
national unions report large increase or
local unions and in membership. There
is an increase Of about 1890 members in
the organizations affiliated, and for whom
Der capita tax is paid, ovr the number
at the end of the last fiscal year.
1 have called a convention of delegates
of the various tile layers unions to be held
simultaneously with our convention Tor the
purpose of forming a national union OF the
trade, and 1 suggest that delegate to
this convention be directed to aid the
delegates in the work before them
Unsl<illed Labor, F. L. us and Dues.
1t has been the constant aim Of the trade
union movement to exercise it's power and
influnce to organize our fellow workers en-
gagged in unskilled labor. With the inven-
ton of new machines and the applications
of new forces. the division and subdivision
of labor, many workers who have been en-
ployed at skilled trades find themselves
with their occupations gone, and to which
they have devoted long terms of years to
acquire. Thus We see the artisan of yes
terday the unskilled laborer of today.
One of the difficulties experienced in the
transfer of isolated local trade unions
to the national unions of their trade has
been that the per capita tax the local
unions are required to pay the A. F. of l..
is much lower than that naturally
required to be paid to the headquarters
of national union. Our newly organized
local trade unions do not seem to under
stand the benefits and advantages result
ant from their connection with the ma
tionai trade unions, hence demur, in some
cases, against the transfer, and it is only
after the matter is fully argued out and
every effort made urging them this ac-
ton that compliance is had, and then often
quite reluctantly. For these reasons and
for the further reason that for every cent
forwarded to headquarters practical and
tangible results are achieved i'll the in
terest of all, the question is submitted
to your consideration whether the per
capita tax from local trade unions and
local federal labor unions should not be in
creased SO to come nearer the sum
usually required by national unions. thus
removing very large obstacle to the
transfer of local trade unions to their
proper Jurisdiction.
Employers Undesirable Members.
With the growth and extension of our
federal labor unions. we occasionally
find difficulty which is increasing and