Evening star., 1900-01-27
Labor Leaders Call on the President
Today.
LEGISLATION FOR WORKING MEN
New Charges to Be Filed Against a
Bureau Chief.
SOME OF TODAY'S CALLERS


ican Federation of Labor; H. w. Szegedy
this city. and Andrew Furuseth, the rep.
sentative here of the Sailors Union, had a
long conference with President Mckinley
today, during which Mr.. Gompers agair
made informal charges against Claude NJ
johnson, the director OF the bureau of en-.
craving and printing.
Early during the session of each Con-
gress Mr.. Gompers visits the President tc
ask his cooperation in bringing about leg
islation of benefit to the laboring classes
The President today expressed his interes,
in anything Of value which could be done
and his willingness to cooperate.
Labor Legislation Urged.
Among the legislation urged on, the Pres
ident was the necessity of an eight-hour
law for all government work and workers
the bill to prohibit the product of convict
labor being transmitted from one state to
another, and the bill to restrict the power
Of federal courts in the issuance Of IN
functions in labor disputes.
Mr.. Gompers and his colleagues also
asked President Mckinley to extend execu-
tive clemency to Ephraim Clark, who is
serving life sentence at Thomaston, Me-,
for mutiny committed twenty-five years
ago. Clark was first sentenced to be hanged
but his sentence was afterward commuted
to life Imprisonment, and he has been be-
hind prison walls for twenty-three years.
He is the only one of a number of men
convicted at the same time who are now
serving sentence.
Will File Formal Charges.
Mr.. Gompers told the President that he
would later file formal charges against Mr..
johnson. A few years ago such charges
were made to the President and referred
to the Treasury Department An investi-
CATION at that time by treasury officials
sustained Mr.. Johnson.
Mr. Gompers declares that the present
charges are new, and involve in general the
inefficiency and partiality of affairs in his
Office. Mr.. Gompers will leave next Wed
nesday for two weeks in Cuba, and when he
returns will make a hard fight, it is as
serted, for the removal of Mr.. Johnson.
Coinage Commissioners Appointed.
President Mckinley has designated the
following named persons as commissioners
to test and examine the weight and fneness
of the coin reserved at the several mints
during the calendar year 1899: Senator
John P. Jones, Representative e. J. Hill
DIR. H. s. Pritchett, superintendent of the
coast and geodetic survey; Prof S. A. Lat
eiiitci SiliseiSity VI fhOCHeSlSr, IrO1. ii.
H. Nicholson. University of Nebraska;
Prof John B. Mathews, Columbia Univer-
sity; DIR. Cabell Whitehead, bureau Of the
mint: Marcus Benjamin, Smithsonian In
stitution: Calvin Cobb, Boise, Idaho; Tnos
B. Miller. Helena, Mont: Edward Hardin
New York, N. Y; e. H. Rich, Fort Dodge
Iowa: Francis Beidler Chicago; John H
Perry, Connecticut.
The commission will meet in Philadelphia
February IA.
A Marine Corps Lieutenant.
Representatives Davis of Florida and
Griggs of Georgia called on the President
this morning to ask for the appointment
of Myron E. Weston of Georgia to a lieu
tenancy in the Marine Corps 1t is be-
lieved the appointment will be made.
Some of the Many Callers.
Among the many callers seen by the Pres
iGent during the day were Senator Platt
and Representative Hill of Connecticut, ac-
companied by Gov. and Mrs. Lounsburg
and friends, the governors intention being
to remain in Washington until Monday;
Representative Southard of Ohio, accom-
panied by Mrs. Ida Eckhart Laurence, a
wel1-known Ohio poetess; Representative
Barton and Ohio friends; Representatives
Levy and May of New York, with friends
Representative Fletcher and a party OF
Minnesota visitors; Senators Spooner and
Elkins, Represent atfveS McCleary and
Parker of New Jersey.