The Mena star., 1898-12-14
LABOR LEADERS CONVENE
The American Federation of Labor Waiting for the Committees
 to Make Reports.
FIGHT ON THE SOCIALIST QUESTION.


 Sweat shops and Other Subjects Intro
 duced-rhe Reports of the Secretary
 and the Treasurer.
 Kansas City, Mo, Dec 13. The con vention of the American Federation of Labor showed sign this morning of getting down to real busine ss, but the business confined itself to the work of committees taking up various topics that were offered for consideration. The real interest will not begin until work and the delegates begin di scuss- ing the various economic questions. The federation is quite systematic in all that it does. No question is dis cussed on tho floor until it has been acted upon by committee. About 25 committees are now busy with topics and resolutions and when they have finished the real work of the conven- tion will begin.
 The convention is looking for the liveliest kind of fight when the so- cialist ticket comes up. The socialists have been trying for years to secure recognition for their cause and party at the hands of the federation, but they have always been defeated. Max Hayes and Isaac Cowan, both of Cleveland, O., are the leaders of the socialists delegates in the convent tion. They opened their fight last night by issuing challenge to Mir. Gompers to meet either of them in a debate on so- cialism. Mir. Gompers paid no atten- tion to their challenge, refusing to- day to discuss 1t.
 At the opening of this mornings session James Duncan, represen tative of the International Granite Cutters, read report of his attendance as a delegate u the British Trade congress of Great Britain last August He said at the British congress there were present 416 delegates, representing 1sS unions, with good standing member ship of i,250,00O workers The sub- jects handled by the congress were form, taxation of ground values. fac tory legislation, compensation for ac- cidents, fair wages legislation, eight hour working day, forced labor in colonies, victimizing railway employees, nationalization of railways, compul- sory education, child labor in factories and arbitration. Mr. Duncan declared that the English trades unions had made splendid progress in securing Legislation looking to these reforms. During the congress it indorsed a railway naturalization bill Mir. Duncan declared that the greatest progress had been made in England in the matter of organizating the women workers in all branches of employ ment.
 Samuel Autler, representing the gar ment workers of New York, offered a resolution calling upon the United States government to give its clothing con4racts to union labor and not to sweat shop contractors. The resolu- tion was given to a committee, but 1t will without doubt be adopted and telegram at once sent to Washington making the demand.
 James OConnell, grand master Ma chinists union of Chicago, offered a resolution this morning giving the ma' chinists jurisdiction over all men ef,- ployed mechanically in the care of linotype machines. There has been a controversy between the printers and machinists as to which union should control this branch of labor. With other resolutions it went to com ulittee.
 c. ]. Kent, of Lincoln, populist labor commissioner for Nebraska and a per sonal friend of William J. Bryan. in troduced an anti-expansion resolution. The preambles embrace all the gener- al arguments made against the exten- sion of the power of the United States beyond the western hemisphere and denounce the ''so-called policies of i'm perialism, expansion and coloniza- tion"
 The most revolutionary measure is introduced by J. F. O'Sullivan, of Eos ton. It asks congress to impose an annual tax of 50 per cent. of the to tai products of any firm or factory which employs women and children over eight hours per day or employs chil' dreu under the age of A. The resolu- tion strikes at two of the greatest evils the federation is fighting. II was referred.
 The report of Secretary Frank Nor rison states that during the last year only two of the 67 affiliated nationa and international organizations re ported decrease in membership nearly all showing healthy growtl and several doubling or trebling ir