The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-12-15
FEDERATION OF LABOR.


Held at Nashville, Tenn.-President Com
pers Tells of the Progress of Year.
Nashville, Tenn, Dec 14-The Amer
cap Federation of Labor began its 18th
annual session in this city Monday
with an attendance of more than 100
delegates from different states, and an
equal number of visitors. The fedora
tion met in the hall of the house of
representatives at the state capitol,
President Gompers presiding.
Havelock Wilson and Edward Har-
ford, delegates from England, were in
troduced by the president. Mr.. Wilson
is a member of parliament and Mr.
Hartford is ex-secretary of the railway
employees organization. After the
meeting had been called to order, Will
liam Aimison, of the local Typograph-
ical union, delivered an address of
welcome in behalf of the labor organ
izations Of the city, to which President
Gompers responded.
President Gompers then read his an
nual report. He said:
with two exceptions, all our afili-
ated national unions report large in
crease of local unions and in member
ship. There is an increase of about
"a, 900 in the organizations affiliated.
st has been the constant aim to or
ganize our fellow workers engaged in
unskilled labor With the invention of
new machines and the application of
new forces, the division and sub-divis-
ion of labor, many workers who have
been employed at skilled trades find
their occupation gone. Thus we see
the artisan of yesterday the unskilled
laborer of to-day. Within this past
year very large number of federal
labor unions for unskilled workers
have been organized and from them a
much larger number of trade unions.
"There have been number of strikes
within the past year, but the change
in the causes which have produced
them are worthy of note. The strikes
of this year with few exceptions have
been for higher wages, shorter hours
and the extension and reorganization
of union principles. Our organizations
report with gratifying unanimity, the
very large number of successes
achieved, advantages gained and
growth in the power of the organiza-
tion enjoyed.
1.-The movement to reduce the hours
of labor is always one which COM
mands the first attention of organized
labor. We hold that no condition is
satisfactory nor any solution complete
which fails to eliminate the curse and
the degrading influences of non-em-
ployment, and so long as this evil
shall be with us our best efforts will
be concentrated to the reduction of
the hours of labor of all until the de-
sired end is attained.
1.-THE establishment of postal saw
ings bank system and also a postal
telegraph system, long since demanded
by organized labor, seem nearer ac-
complishment than at any previous
| time.
ut is submitted whether it would
not be wise to modify our position in
so far as to interpose no objection to
the passage of law providing for COM
pulsory arbitration in disputes be-
tween the organized employees of rail
roads and the railroad companies, and
the giving of an award by such law
full arbitrators; but we should hesitate
to give our Endorsement to any legis-
lation, state or national, empowering
the compulsory enforcement of an
award and the specific enforcement of
a contract to labor"
During the year 276 strikes were
officially noticed, involving 1855, 4OI
workers. OF these 1S9 were won; 81
compromised and S3 lost. During the
year 2l7 charters were issued to ma
tional, state, central, local and federal
labor unions. Two charters for state
federations were issued to Ohio and
Missouri. Indications are favorable fol
a continuance of the use of labels