Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-12-09
BUSY WEEK AHEAD
For American Federation Of
Labor at Scranton, Pa.
Over 200 Resolutions Awaiting Action
by the Several Committees.
Trade Autonomy Expected 10 Be Most Vital
Question 10 Be Considered.

Scranton. Pa. Dee 8.-NotWithstand
inH this WAS Sunday, many OF the del
| "gates 10 the convention Of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor. aid not cease
their activity. the day being given up
To tn transaction Of committee busi-
mes. y Iajority Of the committees
mot and organized and not Il few OF
them took up questions which will en-
gag" The attention Of the convention
during the coming week. The execu-
I'VE council went into session early
and did not adjourn until long after
noon The session was secret ana
nothing was given out for publication.
On" Of the busiest men among the
delegates Was w D. Nahon Of Detroit.
president of the Amalgamdted AssOci-
alton Of Street Railway Employees. He
WAS in frequent conference during the
morning with the local labor leaders
who We're directing the street cars
strike in this city II is probable that
Mr. Mahon and President Mitchell Of
the Mine Workers will be delegated by
the executive council to take charge
of The strike Later in the day q dele
cation uf the Allied Biulding Trades
Of Philadelphia. arrived here ana had
An interview with Mr.. Mahon on the
street railway situation in that city
where d strike il said to be among
tht probabilities Of the near future.
The conference desired a plan of con-
ilation by which an attempt will be
made 70 bring together the Amalga-
mated Association and the rival Or
-anization known as the Philadelphia
Street Railway Employees Association.
The Metal Trades Federation held
another meeting. this afternoon. and
discussed plans for perfecting the or
ganiza,ion. Nine Of the Is eligible
metal trades unions in the United
States were represented. The object
1t the federation is to have an organ
cation that can hold conferences with
the National Metal Trades Association
which is composed exclusively Of man
ufacturcrs.
The American Federation Of Labor
convention Will remain in session the
next six days and Will have very
busy week. Two hundred resolutions
touching upon nearly every question
in the labor world, have been present
cd for action. The committees will
make reports on them as rapidly as
possible, bat it is not likely that moro
than half of these will be reported
from tho several committees.
What is looked upon by many of the
delegates rs the most vital question that
will come before the convention is thai
Of trade autonomy. Ihc brewery work
men ana TN mine workers delegates
probably viii bc the storm center Of this
question Both Of these trade unions
pt,t iyi al 'rhpN NIL an
noInCe thar they will oppose trade au-
tOnomy 10 the hittrrmrnt The miners 4
in their argument say that If 4 hand |
full Of engineers OF fir, men employed in I
Il mine should strike il would caUSa TN I
mine to n" closed and thus throw on. nf !
work hundreds OF men VINO may have no 1
grievance. II all trades in the mine wer" |
united under one head, the mine workers ,
say that much friction could be- avoided. /
Those VINO advocate trade autonomy |
claim il would be fatal for them 10 enter |
such Il combination ana that no good re-
suit could come from an amalganation |
Df that kind. The autonomy question il 4
likely to be introduced by either the fire |
me- nor engineers, which organizations
are ConteS;ng the rights of the brewery
wurkmcn ANA mine workers 10 force fire.
men and engineers employed in those
places 10 Join the Brewers or Mine Work
nrs' Unions.
The matter of trade Jurisdiction is also
axp.cted to Cau.c Il long discussion par
ticularly on the part of the wood work
crs. who make the point that trade such
rs piano makers are wuodwortrrs and
should come into the latters union in
stead If their being an independent Cr-
The Mosaic and rncauStlC
tile layers have a dispute of the same
.haracter as have also IA number Of other
rades which want kindred trades To Join
hem.
Continued on page p