The times., 1899-11-21

Samuel Gompers, President OF the Amer
lean Federation of Labor, reviewed the
labor situation of the country before the
Industrial Commission yesterday. Mr
Gompers was heard by the Commission Oh
this question last July, but was compelled
to leave the city before concluding at that
time, and his testimony yesterday was i'll
the nature of a review and conclusion OF
the subject.
He had received copy of his previous
testimony before going on the stand. and
his first remarks to the Commission yes
terday were that because of the striking out
of the statements leading up to certain an
swers ne had made, his testimony was rem
dered uninteligible. BY questioning the
brought out that some of the testimony
might have been eliminated by the editor
employed by the Commission. The testi
mony was gone over before the Commission
and the language necessary TO make it in
teligibIe was inserted.
Mr.. Gompers expressed himself as 6ecid-
edly against any further legislation for the
control of trusts. He declared to the Com
mission that all such legislation in the
past had worked only in one direction, and
that was against organized labor. No cor
porations had been regulated through the
enforcement OF laws passed with the avowed
intention of controlling them, but he could
cite he said twenty-five men who were un
der Indictment right here in the District Of
Columbia for the violation of these laws,
in yr-ay- pQf tod
with trusts Continuing On this line, the
witness said that the Interstate Commerce
act had never worked to stop discrimination
in railroad rates. but it had been success
fully employed to place in jail organized
railroad men who were striking to get their
just rights.
The witness declared that the remedy for
the existing social and political evils was
in organization He believed that both en-
ployers and employees should organize and
predicted that when this state OF affairs
should obtain, the political boss would be a
thing Of the past and the influence OF oapt-
tai in political campaigns would not be felt.
Chairman Kyle Of the Commission, asked
the witness. if he were to write a political
platform if he would scathingly denounce
the trusts Although Mr. Gompers did not
make a direct answer to this question he
indicated that ne regarded other matters
of more Importance than fighting the trusts.
The race question was touched on at
! some length by Mr.. Gompers. He cited
| cases where white men mad gone on strike
| to secure recognition for cOlored members
| of the same union. The American Fedora
/ tion OF Labor was an organization for the
/ benefit of labor, he continued without
| reference to color, creed, or politics
! The benefits derived by industry and
| labor by reduced hours of labor, was made
! a special point by the witness. He cited
! the textile industry of Massachusetts, in
! this connection. In answer to question
/ as to whether the witness wished the
! Commission to recommend TO Congress the
! advisability of making an amendment to
| the Constitution for the purpose of short
/ ening the hours of labor throughout the
/ country by Federal legislation. Mr.. Com
/ pers replied that the Federal Government
/ had failed so far to do in this direction
! what IL already had authority TO DO and
] that he did not believe in asking for more
! power until Congress had at least passed
! the eight-ho law respecting Federal en-
! ployes.
( 1t was explained by the witness in con
! cluding, that his annual report was at
present being prepared and that it would
/ be impossible for him to give the Com
! mission statistics from IL until it had
| been first formally submitted at the an
nuaI meeting of the Federation next month.
He indicated however, that the progress
/ Of the past year had been very satsfac-
/ tory in every respect.