The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-10
CICARMAKERS LOSE
CAMPAIGN AGAINST MACHINE
MADE CIGARS IN FEDERATION
COMES TO NAUGHT
A. F. OF L. GOES ON RECORD
Will Not Attempt to Fight Introduce
ton of Machinery Into Fac
tories-Wrestling With
Resolutions.

SCRANTON, Pa, Dec. 9.-The confer
ence of the American Federation of La
Dor was in session only two hours today,
adjournment being taken until tomorrow
morning in order to enable the several
committees to consider the large number
of resolutions still in their hands.
There was a lively discussion on the
floor over the question of boycotting ma
chine-made cigars. 1t is the same ques-
ton that the Cigarmakers' International
union has brought up at previous conven-
tons of the federation. and the union
has always been defeated in it's fight
against the Introduction of machinery in
the cigar trade. AT the present time not
machine-made cigar in one United
States, 1t is said, bears the label of the
C1garmakerS International union.
The matter came up in the form Of
resolution presented by President Com
pers, John C. Deernell and Thomas T.
Tracey, of the Cigarmakers' union, and
was referred to the committee on labels.
1t denounced a certain company for max
ing cigars by child labor and machinery
and called upon the federation to assist
in un1Onizing the various plants of the
company The committee reported the
resolution back with the recommendation
that the word machinery be stricken
out and the resolution adopted
u1ouC all
Then the cigarmakers 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 opposi-
ton to the cigarmakers' proposition argu-
ed 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 cigarmakers that the best thing to
do was to organize the operators of the
machines and adopt a wage scale, Just as
the typographical and other unions have
done when machinery was introduced in
their trades. The discussion promised to
be very lengthy, but the moving of the
previous question quickly ended the de-
bate, and the resolution, with the word
machinery stricken out, was adopted as
recommended
The committee on labels and the COM
mittee on resolutions reported a number
OF resolutions, which were adopted in ev-
cry instance where the committees
brought in a favorable recommendation.
Wrestling With Resolutions.
Every one of the sixteen committees put
in busy afternoon and evening. There
are many delegates here with grievances
and they were fully heard by the COM
mittees. The question of Jurisdiction in
several trades came up before the COM
mittee on law, and the resolutions COM
m1ttee heard arguments on trade and
I industrial autonomy. The executive coun-
Gil also held a session this afternoon and
disposed Of some odds and ends of bust
ness still demanding it's attention The
committees sessions are held behind
closed doors, but the decisions in the mat
tiers brought before it will be reported to
the convention later in the week.
The metal trades federation, after a
series of meetings, finally organized today
by electing the following officers: Presi-
dent, E. ]. Lynch, of New York, national
| president Of the metal polishers; vice
president, Robert Kerr, Moline, ILL.,,
national president of the blacksmiths;
secretary-treasurer, John O'Leary, Wor
cester,. Mass, president of the coremak-
ers. The personnel of the executive COM
mittee has not yet been entirely made
up. Those who have been elected are:
L. r. Thomas, New York, of the pat
ternmakers; James O'Connell, Washing
| ton, d. c., Of the nlachinists; John Tier
ney, of Detroit, of the stove mounters:
John Mulholland, Toledo, Ohio, Of the al
lslied mechanics, and President Gompers,
Of the American Federation Of Labor who
will represent the crafts that have no ma
tional organization but which are affiliat-,
ed with the American Federation of La
Dor,