Evening star., 1901-12-10
American Federation of Labor Raises
Per Capita Tax.
MORE RESOLUTIONS INTRODUCED
The Question of Autonomy to Go
to Committee.
TICKET SCALPING FAVORED

| oSrsANloN, Ha., december 1O.-The first
business to come before the convention Of
the American Federation of Labor this
morning was the introduction OF additional
resolutions Unanimous consent was neces-
sary, and First Vice President Duncan of
Boston protested against taking up the
! time of the delegates by the presentation
OF resolutions at this time when they could
| easily have been presented Saturday when
| the constitutional time limit expired. The
resolutions dealt with the piano makers
| label, several boycots and the agreement
between the piano makers and the wood
workers regarding their trade jurisdiction.
The committee having charge of the Sec
fretary's report recommended that the sug-
gestfons made in that report be adopted,
I with the exception Of that referring to the
| per capita tax of national and interna-
| tional unions. The committee recommends
| that the tax be increased from one-third to
| one-nalf or per cent per month. The rec
| concentrations were adopted the committee
on resolutions then presenting a voluminous
| report.
Question of Autonomy Raised.
/ Among the resolutions was one asking all
unions to give the status Of the jufisdic-
tions over which they claim to exercise au-
| thortty. This brought up the question of
| autonomy, and First Vice President Dun
can made the important announcement that
he will ask for the appointment of a spe-
| cal committee to consider the whole ques-
| ton of autonomy. This announcement had
| the effect of killing the resolution, there
| being no opposition to the motion to adopt
the recommendation of the committee.
| The resolution pledging the American
| Federation to use every honorable means
to prevent the passage by Congress of
anti-scalping legislation, was favorably re-
ported by the committee. State Senator
l oI1~ <S,@
Railroad Telegraphers' Union, and John B.
Lennon Of Bloomingdale, H., Of the Jour
neymen Tailors' Union vigorously opposed
the resolution. Senator Tanquray declared
the federation was going outside of its le-
gitimate field in considering such resolu-
ton and the organization was -treading on
| dangerous ground Mr.. Lennon said many
| of the ticket scalpers were criminals, and
forged on one railroad and sold by scalpers
Friends of Ticket scalping.
Lee Hart Of Chicago of the Theatrical
Stage Employees National Alliance and e.
| A. Agard, the mayor of Fairbury, H., who
| represents the Glass Bottle Blowers, led
| those who favored the resolution. They
| maintained that ticket scalping was 1egit-
| innate business and was the means of cheap
ening railroad travel.
The discussion was continued by w. j.
Croke of Marion, Ind. of the Flint Glass
| Blowers; G o. Sherman of the Chicago
Metal Workers and Eugene O'Rourke of the
New York Typographical Union, who ia
vored the resolution. and Sheldon A. Har-
| ris of Dwight, ILL.,, who is Congregational
minister and member of the Federal
Union, and Dennis Hayes Of Philadelphia
| of the Glass Bottle Blowers who opposed it,
The previous question was moved after
| Mr. Lennon had made q motion to Law the
resolution on the table. which was lost.
The resolution was then adopted by an
overwhelming viva vOce vote. The three
| delegates representing the Railroad Tele-
graphers went on record as being opposed
| to the resolution.
| Machinery in Cigar Making.
! The question Of the introduction of ma
| chinery in the cigar trade came up in the
| form of a resolution at yesterdays ses-
| sion. presented by President Gompers, John
| G.. Dernell and Thomas F. Tracy of the
! Cigarmakers Union, and was referred to
| the committee on labels. 1t denounced a.
certain company for making cigars by child
| labor and machinery. and called upon the
Federation to assist In unionizing the vari-
GUS plants Of the company. e
The committee reported the resolution
| back with the recommendation that the
| word machinery be stricken out and the
| opened their fight. They insisted that the
| term "machinery" should not be eliminated
| and argued that cigars made by machinery
are not as good as those made by hand and
that the machines drive hand cigarmakers
| out Of the business. The speakers in oppo-
sition to the cigarmakers' proposition ar
gued that to oppose machinery would be
| folly. Machines are being introduced In
many lines Of trade. they said, and the
union could not successfully fight the law of
progress. 1t was pointed out to the cigar
makers that the best thing to do was to
organize the operators of the machines and
! adopt wage scale. just as the typo
graphical and other unions have done when
machinery was introduced in their trades.
The resolution with the word 'machln-
cry stricken out was finally adopted as
recommended.
Other Resolutions Put to Vote.
The first resolution considered was one
pledging the assistance of the Federation
to the Jeurneymen Tailors' Union of
America in its contest for free shops.
These resolutions were also adopted: Pc
titioning Congress to amend the marine
laws SO that every seaman shall have the
| right to quit any merchant vessel on which
the service has become obnoxious to him;
OF gigantic RATS.
The committee on labels reported the
following resolutions. which were adopted
by the convention:
That the Federation refuse to recopnfze
labels gotten up by rival unions of the
Tobacco Workers International Union: re-
indorsing the blue label of the Tobacco
Workers Union; that the Federation draw
all new members to demand the union label
wherever they purchase manufactured
goods; indorsing the union stamp Of the In
ternationai Union Of Journeymen Horse
shoers and indorsing the label Of the Actors
National Protective Union.
Metal Trades Federation.
lhe Metal Trades Federation. after
series Of meetings. finally organized today
by electing officers. The following officers
were elected: President, e. J. Lynch of
New York. national president Of the Metal
Polishers; Vice president, Robert Kerr. Mo
line. ILL.,, national president Of the Black
smiths; secretary-treasurer, John O'Leary,
Worcester. Mass. president Of the Core
makers.
L. r. Thomas. New York, Of the Pat
tern Makers; James OConnell, Washing
ton, D. c., OF the Machinists: John Tier
ney. Detroit, of the Stove Mounters; John
Mulholland. Toledo. Ohio. of the Allied
Mechanics, and President Gompers of the
American Federation Of Labor will repre-
sent the crafts that have no national or
ganization. but which are affiliated with the
American Federation Of Labor.