The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-15

PRINTERS AND MAcH1NIsTs
Occupied a Good Part of the Time
Federation VIII Offer to Me-
diate Between the
Two Unions.

OtoSAOi VI Tire <AAuSI1Cdn E6QGTdIIOn Ol
Labor today. The discussion Of nu-
merods resolutions on the calendar was
resumed and the following was adopted:
To facilitate the organization CT
brotherhoods of oil and gas well work.
ers. to aid the telephone girls of Ameri-
ca in their efforts to organize.
The committee reported unfayorably
on resolution providing that the execu-
tive council employ member of the
federation to be known as the labor
reporter" whose duty shall be to collect
labor news and distribute it to mem
bers of the Associated labor press of
America. Delegate Agard, of Illinois,
speaking in favor of the resolution paid
high tribute to the entire press of
America, to which, he said, organized
! labor was under tremendous Obligations
Many delegates opposed the proposition
on the ground that under the direction
of regular reporter, the labor news
might be colored and distorted. The
committees adverse report was adopted
The convention postponed action on
! the first resolution having reference to
trade autonomy, providing that the in
coming executive board be instructed not
to issue any more charters until a joint
conference of the executive council of
the American Federation of Labor and
the officers of the national and interna-
tional crafts affiliated have been held
for the purpose of determining the prop
er jurisdiction of all charters now held
and those granted in the future.
The matter of trade autonomy is ex-
pected to come up in another form, aft
er the report of the grievance committee
has been submitted.
resolution for the further organiza-
ton of the textile and other crafts of
North Carolina, South Carolina, Geor-
gle and Alabama and the appointment
of an organizer for that purpose was re-
ferred to the incoming executive council
without recommendation
The special committee on the report Of
the president, endorsed Mr.. Gompers
denunciation of the authorities of Idaho
for actions taken during the Occur
d Alene labor troubles.
The report expressed agreement with
President Gompers in his statement that
the contract labor law has proven inef-
fectual and the executive council was
instructed to formulate and submit TO
the proper committees of congress fur
Their legislation on the matter necessary
to meet the exigencies existing.
The special committee on compulsory
arbitration reported as in full accord
with President Gompers when he said
that the right to quit work was an in
violable prerogative of every American
workman and a restriction of that right
an outrage on the liberties of the Amer1-
can people The report recommended
that the convention take such action as
will secure legislation for voluntary ar
bitra ton as opposed to compulsory ar
bitration.
The reports of both special committees
were unanimously adopted.
The committee on grievances made rec
concentrations the effect of wnicn is
against direct trade autonomy and Ia ia
vor of the establishment en the federation
of friendly courts of arbitration for the
settlement of fnter-labor disputes
The recommendations were referred to
the committee on laws.
Following are the recommendations OF
the grievance committee in full:
First-That hereafter when granting q
charter to organizations OF particular
craft, jurisdiction over which has been
granted by the terms of the charter al
ready issued to another organization. the
limitations of the new jurdtSd1cuCn snail
be defined by the executive council - Ii
such limitations be unsatisfactory TO the
new applicant no charter of the fedora
ton shall be granted.
Second-When dispute mas once peen
decided by this convention, neither party
shall have the right to introduce 1t again
for three years, unless there is new evil
| dence of a material character.
Third-That the American Federation
of Labor shall hereafter refuse to decide
questions of jurisdiction involving ma
tiOnal CT international affiliated bodies,
unless by consent of the Opposing inter
ests, and with the understanding that
each is willing to accept the decision OF
the federation as final settlement OF
the dispute
AFTERNOON SESSION
The convention spent much Of the after
noon session in the discussion of a rsso-
luton submitted by the international
union of steam egineers, expressing the
sense of the federation that national
and International unions of any trade af-
fliated Herewith shall have exclusive
jurisdiction of that trade without inter
ference from the national union of the
! United Brewery workers." directing the
brewery workers to instruct all engineers,
1iremen, machInists, team drivers, coop
ers, painters, and other mechanics en-
ployed in breweries where trade are 2f-
fiiiated with the federation to join imme-
diately the legitimate union of their
trade and to withdraw from membership
III the United Brewery workers; also di-
1ecting the Brewery Workers union to
refrain in the future from initiating me-
chanics whose trades are otherwise or
gained and affiliated; failure to comply
on the part of the United Brewery work
ers to be sufficient ground for the reVoca-
ton of their charter
On this resolution the committee made
a compromise report, which was virtually
! q pronouncenent against trade autonomy
| and in favor of organiza ton on an in
dustrial basis In the particular instance
brought up in resolution the committee
| favored allowing the United BrGWeTieS
| union and the large organizations To reg
| ulate their own affairs, and to af1ilia te
with them the engineers and the othcD
auxiliary crafts. The debate on concur
renee in this report was long, and some
limos xriNIay1t I1I1+ no n
| principle of trade autonomy appeared to
| constitute only a small minority of the
! convention.
| Delegate Mccarthy, of Boston, offered
| an amendment making the expression
| to the effect that the engineers and fire
men be directed TO join the unions of
| their respective crafts and to withdraw
! from the United Brewery Workers union.
! The amendment was lost and the com
| promise report of the committee was
! then adopted by vote of 1881 in the
affirmative to 1.613 in the negative.
! With reference to the dispute between
| the International Association Of Machin-
lists and the international Typographical
union as to trade autonomy, the re5Olu-
| tons committee recommended that the
Federation OF Labor refuse 10 interfere.
This precipitated a po1emic battle be
| tween President O'Connell, of The Ma
cfinists, who issued the committees rec
| ommendaticn, and Mr.. Lynch, of the
| Typographical union, who supported it,
Mr.. O'Conneu protested against any
| proposition to force the machinists to
! join the l. T. q. I'VE maintain he
said, shat a man who takes care of a
linotype machine mechanically is properly
a member of the machinists' craft and
should belong to the international Asso-
citation Of Machinists. II is about time
that the Federation Of Labor made a
| definite declaration in favor or against