Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-17
OPPOSED TO ALL SUBSIDIES
Federation Of Labor Almost Unanimous
Against Principle and Practice
SPEND THREE HOURS DEBATING QUESTION
shipbuilding Firms Of the Country
Are Opposing the EiRht-Hour Day
-Gomcers PresiGes for
First Time.

&tf
DETROIT, Mich, Dec 16-The American
Federation Of Lab r this afternoon registered
emphatic disfayor Of government subsidies
10 American ship owners and declared al
most unanimously IA gainst the principle anl
practice Of subsidy legislation. Incidentally
some more or less distinguished Lobbyists,
some Of them federal orceholders who mad
been lobbying to secure Endorsement OF the
FRYE subsidy bill, suffered decided defed.'
The debate lasted three hours and tne
specches were the most vigorous OF any
heard In the convention during The week II
has been in session, but only Two Of the
several speakers supported the subsidy
idea.
The convention declined TO adopt resou-
tion concerning the Idaho miners and mil
itary difficulty, which declared that I'VE do
hereby emphatically condemn and denounce
President Mckinley, Governor Steunenberg
and all the officials concerned in the out
rage and called also upon the working
people ito sever their connection and refuse
any support to the republican and dem
ocratic parties" etc
substitute for the latter resolution was
adopted which, after reciting that innocent
men had been incarcerated without reference
10 their constitutional rights, etc, pr5tes.s
against and condemns said alleged inhuman
actions by the authorities and directs the
executive council of the federation to make
fun investigation and place the RESPONSE
biity where it properly belongs"
Gomcers Prcsides.
President Gompers presided this afternoon
for the first time.
The question of declaration on the sub
feet OF ship subsidies was raised by the
bringing in of two resolutions, one from the
subsidy leglsi station, the other favoring ship
subsidies The resolutions committee Of
fered as a substitute for both resolution
declaring that, since the natural resources
of America offer abundantly everything
necessary to builders of ships much more
cheaply than in Europe,
Resolved. That while we favor an in
creased national merchant arlne We are
the industry well able to care for itself
Delegate William j. Gilthorpe OF the Boil
ermakers argued for subsidy legislation,
chiefly on the ground that it costs more to
operate American than foreign ships. He
attributed the decline of American, compared
with foreign shipping, to lack Of governme mt
assistance on this side OF the Atlantic.
Delegate Warner of the New York Ma
chinists asserted that as far as the workmen
engaged in shipbuilding trades are con-
cerned. there is plenty of work. tele
gram was read from San Francisco stating
that the Union Iron works could not get
men enough. Another was read from the
Metal Trades conference of New York say
ing:
xiii the ship subsidy bill, IL possible"
Warner declared that the only opposition
to the eight-hour legislation in congress
came from those interested in shipbuilding
Duncan Offers Substitute.
Vive President Duncan said he had not met
the lobbyists present, but he understood their
aims. He offered the following to the com
mittee's substitute resolution:
Resolved further, That we are decidedly
opposed to all legislation of this kind and
@ Eye i r fbs until the sb
would be its greatest beneficiaries, with
draw their opposition to our eight-hour
elimination against the employment of
union workmen.
Mr.. Wilkie one of the British delegates,
himself shpbuilder, alleged that many
misstatements on the subsidy subject had
been made by shipbuilding firms on both
sides of the Atlantic. He advocated an in
vestigation by committee from the labor
organizations of both countries.
Max S. Hayes of Cleveland believed that
whatever the convention might do 'if that
gang of hungry vultures about Washington
want this they'll get it, the same as the
tariff barons got their special protection
years ago. 1t was true" he said, that
labor builds the ships, builds everything, but
how much does labor own?" He argued for
less ships and less work, and the getting
down to more of a sociaistic basis. Hayes
stormy remarks brought the loudest applause
of the convention
Rc-ennctment of English Idea.
Delegate Andrew Furnseth OF the Seamen's
union denied that it costs more to operate
American ships than others, or that Amer
lean seamen's treatment is any better He
charged that, slowed away in the reces5es
of the subsidy bill was re-enactment Of the
English press gang idea. Vice President
OConnell related some of his observations
in British shpyards in refutaton of III,
idea that the Americans are the better paid.
President Gcmpers told the convention OF
some previous interviews with him by pro-
moters OF the bill, and stated that the lat
ter declined to give any assistance toward
passing an eghth hour law. Said Mr.. Comp
ers:
This scheme for ooting the treasury of
our country is puerile in conception and
wicked in execution and these lobbyists have
not the interests of organized labor at
heart"
After considerable further discussion Dun
cans amendment was accepted by the res-
olutions committee and the resolution, as SO
amended was adopted by the convention
with three adverse votes.
general declaration against subsidies,