Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-19
able one, but a fairly large vote was polled.
Fully 900 women went to the polls.
FIGHTING KNIGHTS OF LABOR
Some American Federation of Labor
Delegates Would Taboo Unions
Affiliated with Them.

DETROIT, Mich, Dec. 1s.-The various
grievances Of bodies connected with the
American Federation Of Labor were heard
in executive session today. Before going
into secret session, under the days special
order, the convention listened to an eX-
tended debate on the long mooted question
OF permitting membership in the federation
to persons affiliated with the knights Of La
bor The matter came up through a report
OF the committee on laws recommending
reference to the executive council OF a res
olution offerti by the National Union OF
| Brewery Workmen, declaring that since the
federation had prohibited the brewery local
unions from holding membership in the
Knights OF Labor and since other trades
unions affiliated with the federation are
still amalgamated with the Knights of
Labor:
Resolved That the convention pass law
according to which no member of any trades
union affiliated with the American Fedora
ton OF Labor, directly or indirectly, shall
be allowed to hold membership in the
knights of Labor
Some of the New York delegates opposed
drastic action on account of the harmonious
relations between the local unions OF both
classes, especially in New York City. A
turbed, but most of those who spoke opposed
the resolution.
President Mahon OF the street railway en-
ployes argued that the brewery men asked
only what is fair in applying such prohibi-
tion to other trades as well as their own.
Mahon stated that the knights OF Labor
in the last few years had brought no benefit
to the street railway mems organizations
and that such relations had been only harm
full to them.
Delegate E. A. Agard OF the glass bottle
blowers, who until recently were allied with
the knights of Labor, favored the committee
on laws report and continuance Of inter-
relationship TO some extent between the two
orders.
Before taking a vote at AS the conven-
tion went into executive session and began
consideration OF grievances.
A return to the former system of assessing
all members of unions affiliated with the
American Federation of Labor for purposes
Of aiding strikers in case of necessity, was
decided upon by the federation convention
this afternoon. The proposition was mar
rowly carried, receiving only two more votes
than the rules require, viz: Two-thirds Of
the delegates present. Most of the day was
occupied by the discussion of grievances in
executive session.
The executive session continued through
the greater part Of the afternoon. The COM
mittee on grievances reported on several
matters in dispute, all Of which were re-
ferred after discussion to the executive
council.
resolution ordering transfer to the
linotype machinists' union of all members
of the Typographical unien employed in TAX
ing care, mechanically, of linotype ma
chimes, was referred to the executive coun-
Gil and will be dealt with tomorrow.
When the convention reconvened in open |
session the report of the committee on laws |
in favor of debarring from federation mem
bership any member of the knights of La
bor was concurred in and the matter re- |
ferred to the executive council.
The date for future conventions was !
changed, after considerable discussion, from !
the first Thursday in December to the first !
Monday after the first Thursday. The ar
gument was made that the doings OF the
would be given more space in the
newspapers IL the date of meeting were not
SO close to the time OF opening of congress. |
...a1. Gnft o,,I ,,nlI