, 1898-12-20
EIGHT HOUR DAY
AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LA
Dor BEGINS FIGHT MAY
!, 1900.
Meeting at Kansas City This Week
Decided to Demand Eight Hour
Working Day or Have a General
Strike-Granite Cutters of America
Will Lead the Move.

Kansas City, Mo-, Dec. 19.-It was
decided in the national convention of
h American Federation of Labor to-
day to begin the struggle for an eight
hour working day to a climax in the
year 1900. On May LIST of that year
the granite cutters of America will ask
their employers to choose between
yielding to their demands for an eight
hour day or suffering the consequences
of a general strike.
James Duncan, the delegate to the
convention from the granite workers.
announced their decision ON the floor
of the convention this evening ad ask
ed the support of the federation. He
said the granite workers had commit
ted themselves to the introduction of
an eight-hour day by inserting a pro-
vision to that end in their constitution.
Following Duncan's statement the
convention adopted UNANIMOUSLY a re-
port submitted by David Black, chair
man of the committee of an eight-hour
day, pledging the granite cutters in
the coming struggle the moral and ma
terial support of ali affiliated organiza-
items of the American Federation of
Labor.
The speeches on the subject indicat-
ed a general belief that those employ
ing granite cutters will not stand out
against the demand.
Another work of Importance accom-
plished by the convention today was
the settlement of the contention be-
tween the local and national organiza-
tions OF the walters. Acting upon the
report Of the board of arbitration ap-
pointed last week, the convention
ordered the holding of a general con-
vention OF walters local unions in Chi
cage arch 6, at which it is expected that
all differences will oe adjusted, both
factions having pledged the arbitration
board to abide by the legislation Of the
Chicago convention. The arbitrators
also demanded and were promised that
the conflicting local unions in Chicago
and St. Louis should be amalgamated
at once. This dispute of the walters
has extended throughout the country,
and at one time threatened to disrupt
the federation.
The Socialist delegates were again
sat down upon by the convention today.
They urged the federation to send del
egates tt an International trades union
congress to be held in Paris in 1900. A
delegate, seeking information, asked OF
Messrs. Thorne and Inskip, the frater-
nal delegates here from the British
trades congress, their opinion OF the
proposed Paris congress. The English
men both expressed the opinion that 1t
would be composed chiefly of Socialists
and advised the federation to have
nothing t do wlon it. Their recon-
mendation was concurred in by an
overwhelming vote.
Two resolutions adopted at the morn
ing session petitioned congress to pass
a bin giving the citizens Of the District
OF Columbia the same rights and fran
chhses enjoyed by the people OF the
states. and urging the government
ownership of a system of telegraph
lines n the Adoption OF q poscal oeie-
graph system.
The convention paid its respects to
Claude M. johnson, director of the ma
tional bureau Of engraving, because he
adopted the use Of machinery in en-
craving plates from which paper money
is printed
The convention again put itself on
record concerning the woman worker
problem by adopting this resolution;
I'm view of the awful condition un>
der whdch women are compelled to TOLL
this, the eighteenth annual convention
OF the american Federation OF Laoor'
strongly urges a more general forma-
ton OF trades unions OF W~aee-"orNAns
women. ito the end that they may scaen
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