The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-14
President GOmpGrs Delivers
 Warning to Organization
CONFLICT INSIDE THE LINES
Outside of Presidents Address First Day of the American Federation of Labor Convention Was Un-
 interesting-sec'y Reports.

New Orleans. November 13.-President Samuel Gompers at the opening or the American Federation of Labor today de- livered an impassioned warning to the members of the organization that the im- mediate future of trade and labor as- semblies was seriously endangered by the conflicting claims of jurisdiction, made by different bodies. Unless such things were approached in calmness and handled with moderation, he declared. the labor organizations of the country would soon be involved in a conflict, which, by com parison. would dwarf all tne struggles in which labor organizations have so far been engaged. The matter would, unless checked he asserted, come to a point where laboring men would fight with laboring men behind barricades in the manner Tn which men deal with their mortal foes. His warning of danger and his counsels of peace and moderation met with a hearty response from the assembled delegates. and wild applause greeted the speaker as he closed that portion of his annual address in which he pointed out the perils, which, in his opinion. will surely come unless meth ods are altered and altered soon.
 First Day Not Interesting.
 The first day of the convention, aside from the address of President Gompers, was not of great interest to outsiders, and many delegates found it fatiguing. The morning session was occupied wilt addresses of welcome and responses, and TpnOrf nf m, tials. The afternoon was consumed by the address of President Gompers, which occupied him for two hours and twenty minutes of rapid reading. The reports of other officers required two additional hours.
 Tomorrow it is expected that the actual work of the convention will be entered upon.
 The convention met this morning at 103o o'clock, about 400 delegates being present.
 At the opening of the afternoon session President Gompers called Vice President Kidd to the chair and read his report
 The words of praise accorded by the speaker to President Mitchell of the mine workers were greeted with great applause, as was also the warning of the dangers that lie ahead of the unions in unre- strained claims of Jurisdiction over other bodies. The applause deepened when the declaration was made that no trade should attempt to extend it's rule where another union already exists.
 Secretary Morrlson's report, which em- bodied much detail of routine matters was then read in full.
 Secretary's Report.
 The report of National Secretary Frank Morrison covered the eleven months end ed with September 30 last The federa- tion's aggregate income for this time was $144, 49S and the expenditures $119,0S6. Of the receipts $20, 423 consisted of contribu- tions to the defense fund. MT. Morrison also stated that for the eleven months 1924 unions were chartered-a larger num- Der than for any entire year. These addi- tions increased the total number of unions to 3659. The average membership is shown by the percapita tax to be 1,025.300. a gain of four-fold in the past six years. MT. Morrison says that the increase of the defense fund tax has resulted benefcially and he advocates a still further increase of the percapita tax.
 Reports from international local unions show that there were 1858 strikes in which 412,Sn persons were involved. Out of that number 352,967 were benefited and 14,016 were not. The total cost of the strikes was $2,729, GOA. In the federation there were 217 strikes of which 131 were won, l a Fsteonr ss and 27 lost Ten were still pen. nus yhen the repoT vas prepared Ike nurnner of persons involved s1n The strikes was 34,3S0; number benefited 2O,- 654; number worsted, 2,635 The cost of the strikes in the way of money expended by the unions was $90, 053. Two hundred and sixty-four trade and federal unions reported gains in wages, one union re- porting gain of one dollar per day, and all the others less. One hundred and fifty unions report a reduction of hours.
 At the conclusion of the reading of the treasurer's report, President Gompers broke into the routine proceedings to in- troduce Mayor Samuel M. Jones of Tole- do O., who made a short speech that pleased the delegates greatly.
 The report of the executive committee was then read by VicePresident Duncan.
 At the conclusion of the report of the executive committee an adjournment was taken until tomorrow morning.
 The evening was largely spent in the organization of various committees.
 NII IAN IN TAMPA AGAIN.