The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-16
Federation of Labor to Ignore AL
Political Rarties.
WILL WELD The BALLOT
RELY ON THEMSELVES FOR FA-
vORABLE LEGISLATION.
Decline to Trust to Predominating
Parties Hereafter and Recon-
mcndations Are Sent Out to All
Unions as to What Course to Pur-
sue-Labor Laws Dead Letters.

Detroit, Mich, Dec. ia resolution
recommending members of labor bodies
to use their election ballots independ-
emily of political parties was adopted
today by the American Federation Of
Tabor after first eliminating a declara-
ton of suspicion against labor men who
might advocate the interests of the
present political parties. A provision
for submitting the question to a refer
endum vote of all the affiliated organi-
cations was also striker out. The reso-
luton as amended in committee and
adopted, read as follows:
Whereas the various reports sub
mitted to our trades union officials are
in effect that so far as our efforts by
petitions and interviews with the legis-
latureS of various states and the federal
government are concerned little has
been accomplished by the above men,
tiorIed methods; for where a so-cailed
labor law is passed it is either de-
clared unconstitutional by the court or
allowed to remain a dead letter on the
statute books.
Resolved. that this federation recon-
mends that the various central labor
organizations in the United States
take steps to use their ballots, their
political power. on Independent lines as
declarations of the American Fedora
! ton of Labor
n resolution urging all union labor
men to more clearly define their
craftsme1Ts duties was warmly argued
upon as being one of the important and
impreSsing questions before the world
of labor. Among the speakers was P
j. MCGUIRE. He held that the resolu-
ton was insufficient to cover the mat
o. sir q TO-
vent trades organizations from claim
ing jurisdiction over branches of en-
ployeeS rot strictly of their own call
ing. He doubted whether the question
could be settled by the convention.
Secretary Frank Morrison deprecated
the idea of the convention trying to
dictate where the work of various
crafts began and ended. The resolution
was referred TO the committee on
organization pending reports from the
grievance committee as TO similar
troubles.
Action was unanimously taken to-
ward bridging the ohasm between the
rival painters organizations. The exc
cuUve council was directed to call a
joint convention of the two belligerents
within six months: a special committee
of three to be appointed TO act with
the joint meeting and finally settle the
questions on which they have failed to
agree; a new charter to be issued to
the new national and the charter-of the
present federated body to be revoked
Immediately after the joint meeting
Protest Against Marine Band.
Other resolutions were adopted as
follows: Protesting against the use of
government employees (marine band).
for private purposes; endorsing eight
hour demand of boiler makers; direct
ing the president of the federation TO
lobby against convict labor laws; for
election CT senators, by popular vote;
directing executive council to confer
with cracker baking trusts in an ef
fort to induce them to recognize union
labor; for appointment of next mining