Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-12-20
RESOLVED AGAINST SLAVERY
THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF
LABOR AGAINST ALL FORMS
OF SERFDOM.
The Contract System in Vogue in
the Hawaiian Islands Cited as a
Particularly Objectionable Form
of Human Slavery-A Threat
Against Amy One Responsible for
the Continuance of such Condi-
tioas-A Proposition for a Court
of Arbitration Observation-Disclosures
lions Adopted.

DETROIT, Mich, December 19.-The
American Federation of Labor to-day
declared against slavery within the
jurisdiction of the United States in the
following language:
We reaffirm our previous position on
this question namely, that there must
be no slavery or serfdom by n
ship or contract, tolerated under the
American flag. and that we will make
any one whose action shall in any
way initiate against this principle of
human freedom, responsible for such
action in every legitimate ann open
to u.s."
1t was stated that 100, 900 slaves are
now working under contract in the
Hawaiian Islands; that evasion of the
that their time in prison is added to
their terms of serfdom, and that the
act admitting Hawaii to the United
States domain provided for continue
ton of these contracts, a provision for
repeating that feature having been
voted down by the Senate. The con-
vention adopted the declaration
imously.
A proposition for establishment of a
court of five arbitrators to be appoint
ed by each annual convention Of the
Federation, to settle all
Questions of Jurisdiction
among the various federated bodies,
was rejected. A majority of the dele
gates held that such arbitration would
be unfair.
Resolutions were adopted as fol-
lows:
Favoring shorter hours for BARRIERS;
urging the government to provide
more seaworthy lifeboats; requesting
placing of union labels on school
books; bringing machine coopers under
Jurisdiction of the coopers' union; en-
dorsing granite cutters contention for
an eight hour day; requesting all fed
Grated unions which are connected
with the Chicago Building Trades
Council to instruct their delegates
thereto to so vote that the local
unions of granite cutters shall not be
interfered with in following legiti-
mate craft lines in Chicago.
After considerable discussion, the
question of granting a federation char
ter to the piano and organ workers,
giving them jurisdiction over certain
other factory employees, was recommit-
ted. The convention then went into
executive session, under special order,
on the proposition to release the limo
type machine tenders from jurisdiction
of the typographical union.
The debate between the printer and
machinist delegates as to whether the
linotype machine tenders should be
transferred to the machinists' jurisdic-
ton, was long and warm. The ma
chinists expressed willingness to have
the question arbitrated. The printers
held that since many of the typesetting
machine tenders were also printers,
that it would be unjust and illegal to
take them out of the latter's jurisdic-
ton. The convention finally voted
that the executive council of the Fed
Grafton appoint a committee of nine
to arbitrate the matter, consisting Of
three members Of the typographical
union, three from the machinists and
three from other trades.