Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-07-14
CONVENTION OPENED
u States Represented in Labor
Commissioners Convention.
One Session Held, Thursday, Followed
BY Excursion to Togus.
Prof. A. E. Rogers Delivered a Strong Address
-Meetins will Close Today.

commissioners representing the various
states of the Union. and known as the
National Convention of Labor Com
missioners, was opened, Thursday
morning, in this city. in the beautiful
Senate chamber at the State Capitol
1t is rousing good convention with
the largest roll call, 50 the older mem
bers say, that has been known in the
history of the organization. The inter-
est taken by the members is intense
and at times. during Thursdays con-
vention, there were as warm times as
though the fate of the nation was at
stake in some of the discussions. 1t
was all friendly, Of course, but each
man has a mind of his own and he does
not seem to be afraid to express it. re-
gardless of what his brother commits
sioners may believe.
There are ii states of the Union
represented, some by more than one
man, and then the head of the bureau
Carol D. Wright, is present as the
presiding officer of the convention.
1t is a representative gathering and
the members from the so termed
weeping State of Michigan" in the
also alleged Wild and Woolly West"
, to the commissioner from the Old Pine
! 1t is said. in jest, of course, that
Landlord Capen of the Augusta house,
could not satisfy the cravings of the
appetites of the commissioners as he
had not the right sort of material.
| He was vanly puZzling over the prob
lem when someone suggested figures
and the most difficult problems. Fig
ureS that would have bothered the most
studious Boston youth. with problems
| for investigation and subjects upon
which to satisfy their statistically in
clined brains. were poured in upon
them and they We're as content as
lambs This is the body of men who
prepare for us all the vast array of
tables and statistics that we look upon
and become interested in.
They take notice of ordinary things.
however as was shown from the fact
that President Wright said Augusta
/ was the first city he had ever visited
that took in the street cars when it
began to rain. and also where they
took in their electricity from the cleo
tic light wires when the electricity
was in an abundance in the air He
had reference to the thunder storm
that came TO greet them on their ar
! Graves Matthews wedding, the street
cars We're stopped running and the
electric lights We're turned off.
| Then the learned president also said
that he hoped that not only nature
smiled upon them, Thursday. but he
hoped others had smile on,
though he said he felt shaky about
suggesting anything of the sort in
| Maine. If Maine wasn't a temperance
state the meaning of the commission
er's smile would be mistaken for one
of Incorporate meaning.
The meeting of Thursday was but
a preparatory one for the one that is
to follow today. 1t was not called to
order until nearly 10 A. NJ. and was
completed at 12.45. The half that was
hoped to be accomplished was com
pleted, and accordingly the hour of
meeting, this morning, was set at the
early hour of A. NJ, so that all may
be accomplished. In that short meet
ing Of Thursday, some orators OF the
first water and some men who can ar
que worth listening to, were heard.
Principal among the orators We're
Commissioners Cox of Michigan and
Ross of Illinois. The latter was termed
the Boy Orator of the Smoky City,
though il is understood his home is in
another part of the state. Then Com
missioner Rixey of the great state of
Missouri, was discovered as man who
understands how to win his point.
There were two matters of interest In
the session-two matters that We're in
teresting over the others that were
presented
First of these was the one regarding
the consolidation ofthe National Con-
vention Of Labor Commissioners with
the association of a similar nature
composed of the factory inspectors OF
l the Union. This was suggested by
Commissioner Cox of Michigan, and
was mentioned by President Wright In
his Introductory remarks. Following
this Commissioner Clark of Pennsly
vania. moved that three delegates b'
= appointed to attend the meeting of the
factory inspectors convention to b.
held in the fall and confer in regard t
the consolidation, as their interest
were mutual.
3 Mr. Cox supported this suggestion