The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-09
QUEsTION OF INDUSTRIAL OR
TRADE AUTONOMY MUST BE
SETTLED
VITAL POINT AWAITS ACTION
brewery Workmen and Mine Work
ers' Organizations Are Due to
Precipitate Warm Com
test at Scranton
ARGUMENT ON JURISDICTION

SCRANON Pa, Dec. S.-NotwithStand-
ing that this was Sunday many of the
delegates to the convention of the Amerl-
can Federation Of Labor, now in session
in this city, did not cease their activity,
the day being given up to the transac-
ticn of committee business. majority
of the committees organized and not a
few of them took UP questions that will
engage the attention of the convention
during the coming week. The executive
council, which is composed of the presi-
dent, the six vice presidents, the secre-
tary and the treasurer of the Federation,
went into session early and did not ad-
journ until long after noon. The session
was secret and nothing was given out for
publication.
One of the busiest men among the dele
gates was w. d. Mahon of Detroit, pres
adent Of the Amalgamated Association of
Street Railway Employees. He was in fire.
Guent conference during the morning
with local labor leaders who are direct
ing the street car strike in this city. 1t 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.
The onvention will remain in session
for the next six days and will have
very busy week. Two hundred resolu-
tions, touching upon nearly eVerv uues-
Sented for action. The committees will
make reports on them as rapidly as pos
Sible, but it is not likely that more than
half of these will be reported from the
several committees.
The Vital Question.
What is looked upon by many of the
delegates as the most vital question that
will come before the convention is that
OF trade autonomy. The brewery workmen
and the Mine Workers delegates prob
ably will be the storm center on this
question. Both of these trade unions
want industrial autonomy; that is, they
advocate that all trades in one Industrial
establishment should form one organiza-
tion for the better advancement of the
condition of all. They also announce that
Tney VIII oppose trade autonomy to the
bitter end. The miners in their argument
say that if a handful of engineers or
tremen employed in mine should strike
II would cause the mine to be closed
and thus throw out of work hundreds of
men who have no grievances If all
trades of the mines We're United under
one head, the Mine Workers say that
friction could be avoided Those who
advocated trade autonomy claim it would
be fatal for them to enter such COM
blne and that no good result could come
from an amalgamation of that character
~ The autonomy question is likely to be
introduced by either the f1remen- or engi-
neers, which, organizations are contest
ang the rights of the Brewery Workers
and Mine Workers to force firemen and
engineers employed in those places to
join the Brewers or Mine Workers
Unions.
The matter of trade jurisdiction is also
expected TO cause long discussion, par
ucularly on the part of the Woodwork
ers who make the point that trades such
as planomakers and woodworkers should
come into the latter's union instead of
gnem having an Independent organiza-