The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-02
1T OPENS TODAY.
State Federation Of
Labor Convenes at
North Adams.
THE WORCESTER DELEGATES.
About 70 Delegates Will
Present Creden-
tials.
THE WORCESTER DELEGATES.

Local delegates to the state branch,
American Federation of Labor conven-
ton, which opens in North Adams to-
day, left yesterday afternoon at 3.45
o'clock over the Fitchburg Railroad. In
the party were: John Ryan, Brewers
Mems Union; j. P. F. Frey, L. A. Ran
DALI Moulders' Union; Addison w.
Barr, Machinists' Union; George APP
holt, Cigarmakers' Union; E. T. Hast
ings, Central Labor Union, who is also
president Of the local division Of the
Amalgamated Association of Street
Railway Employees of America.
President Jefferson D. Pierce of the
state branch and local Central Labor
Union, occupied a seat in the train OPP
posite Vice President John H. Murray
of Marlboro, who would be president,
according to an interview with The Spy
man, if Mr. Pierce declines to be can
didate. Vice President Murray had
workers booming his candidacy, but
when he went against the Worcester
delegation, the game was declared off.
In the convention today, about 20
delegates will present credentials. The
opening exercises will be at o'clock
in Foresters' hall, and the morning ses-
sion will probably be confined to the
appointment of a committee on creden-
tials, and the assignment of delegates
to seats. President Pierce's report will
be read in the afternoon, and Secretary
D. d. Driscoll of Boston will file his
report, in which he will recommend
that the Office of third vice president
be created. He will also recommend
that the annual conventions be held in
August, instead Of October, and his re-
port will exhaust facts relative to the
Marlboro shoe strike
Secretary Driscoll's most important
suggestion will be that the state
branch should take some steps
towards bringing Massachusetts, mem
bers of the knights of Labor under the
wing of the American Federation of
Labor. Members of the famous orga
ntzation, made so through the leader
ship of Terrence V. Powderly, are scat
tered throughout the state, and their
efforts to better the conditions of work
ingmen are fruitless because of the alb
sence of strong national backing.
The presence of the union stamp upon
all footwear will be insisted upon The
report of the Legislative committee will
be made by ]. F. OSullivan of Boston,
and the efforts of committees on the
adoption of the eight-hour law will be
recorded.
The session will probably adjourn
Tuesday night, although in order to ac-
complish this, long speeches will be
tabooed. President Samuel Gompers
of the American Federation of Labor
and other national officers, Nre slated
to attend the convention. William
Strauss of New York, representative of
the Cigarmakers unions in hat city.
will urge the state branch TO indorse
the fight against Carl Upmann cigars.
William j. Shields, New England orga-
nicer of the Carpenters and Joiners'
Union, will also be among the sight
seers at the convention.
President ]. D. Pierce is scheduled
to appear at the convention of the New
England Blue Label league, in Fall
River Wednesday, and business will be
transacted in the state convention
without unnecessary debates.
The Spy will have a special repre-
sentative at the convention, and all
convention doings and gossip of the
state labor leaders will be in Tuesdays
Spy. and continue each day during the
session.