Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-15

| fiscal year, made to the twentysecond an
| nual convention of the American Federation
Of Labor, now in session at New Orleans,
| La, is in large part devoted to a discussion
| Of strikes He says:
apart from the miners strike there has
been no general trade contest involving
| large numbers Of any particular craft, nor
have there been SO large number of
| strikes during the past year as in former
years. OF those reported the great prepon-
derance have been for higher wages and
| reduction in the hours of labor and these
have been largely successful. One organ
| ization reported that it has increased the
wages of it's members fully 100000 per
annum, while there are few whose member
ship working more than eight hours per
| day have not secured a reduction in their
| working time, and the organizations largely
| having the eight-hour work-day have ex-
| tended the beneficence of that rule. 1t is
| unquestionable that the lesser number of
| strikes which have occurred are due to the
| better organization of our fellow kers,
| and the greater readiness with which en-
| ployers have been willing to concede rea-
| sonable demands"
President Gompers' comment upon the
great anthracite coal strike is of great
| length. Speaking of compulsory arbitra-
| ton, in reference to that strike, he says,
in part:
'Durlng and since the strike many nave
| been led to advocate the system or COM
pulsory arbitration of labor disputes. They
contend that strikes Of this character must
| be averted; and on the one hand friends
who desire to legally compel employers to
! submit matters in controversy with LABOR
| to arbitration, and on the other hand the
| subtle enemies Of organized labor nave
| stimulated and advocated compulsory arb1-
| tration. Those of our friends who advocated
| this policy like provoked at the I'M
reaSonableness and obsttnacy OF employers
/ who refuse to submit matter In contro-
| versy with organized labor to voluntary ar
| bitration, and permit their indignation to
| warp their judgment; in other words, OBJ
| serving the difficulty of attaining justice,
| they would resort to an imaginary remedy
| which, indeed, if enacted into law, would
| prove a much greater injury and danger
than the i'll of whichs we complain 1t is
another instance where the remedy would
| be worse than the disease.
Our movement seeks to avoid strikes
We make every effort in that direction, and
are largely successful therein We realize,
however, that the best means of avoiding
| strikes is a thorough organization of the
workers, and it is also the best preparation
| to maintain our members for and during
peaceable struggle.
I'VE make for industrial peace and tran
quillity. We recognize these as essential
to our material and social welfare; but we
ought never to be asked and we never will
surrender our right to protest and resist
wrong or an invasion of our rights, or to be
hampered in a lawful, peaceable struggle
for amelioration in our condition, and for
the final emancipat ton Of labor through the
evolutionary process of building character.
manhood, independence, intelligence, which
inspire nober aspirations.
1.-The men of organized labor want arbi-
tration, but only arbitration as last resort
after Cancellation has absolutely failed, and
then arbitration only, voluntarily entered
into by both the organized workers and en-
ployers, the award voluntarily, honorably
and faithfully adhered to by both sides"
THE Movement in Canada Is the subject
| of an interesting part of the report. 1t
| says
For the past few years notwithstanding
| our most strenuous and continued efforts,
some of our fellow workers of Canada have
| endeavored to divide the labor movement
of the dominion from the rest of our con-
| tinent l am gratified to report to you that
at the last congress of the Dominion Trade
and Labor Union of Canada, the largest
| and most representative of any held there
| tofore, a clear-cut declaration was made
| and inserted in the constitution Of the or
| ganization in favor of the closest bonds of
| unity and fraternity with u.s."
With reference to the progress Of Union
| Ism in Porto Rico President Gompers says:
1T was reported to the last convention
| that our organizer, Santiago 1gesias, at
| Porto Rico, had been arrested upon the
| charge of conspiracy to raise the price Of
| labor This report was fully confirmed by
| subsequent information. He and seven other
workmen were tried upon the charge under
| the old Spanish code. / had the pleasure
| of conference both with President Roose-
welt and Gov. Hunt of Porto Rico on the
occasion of the latters visit to the United
| States when the entire matter was dis
| cussed. Both the President and the gov
| ernor declared they were out of sympathy
| with any such procedure. The assurance
| was given that all the rights to which
the men charged were entitled would be Sc
| cured them. The latter recommended to
| the first Porto Rican legislature, which met
| under the authority Of the United States a
| change in the code by which organizations
| of. labor formed to regulate wages, hours
| and other conditions of employment were
| lawful and not to be regarded as conspira-
| cies in restraint of trade. I am advised
| that the recommendation was enacted into
| law.
| "As law does not always constitute or
| bring in it's immediate wake the change
| contemplated, It proved so in this instance
| also, for employers in Porto Rico endeavor-
| ed to make their rule and mastery effective
| by other means. A number of persons were
| aided and abetted to attack our men and
| endeavor to disrupt their organizations. A
| counter association to the unions was form
| ed known as Las Turbas, a free transla-
| ton of which is "the mob" which for a
| considerable period made life. and particu-
! larry the life of organized workers, almost
| unbearable. 1t was alleged that some OF
| the officials who held over from the old
| regime were the master spirits in the tur-
| bulence created to cripple and disrupt or
| ganlZed laDor IN the Island. An fnVeStiga-
| ton was officially conducted, and these
| facts brought to light. 1t appears that the
| worst in this regard has passed.
The $500 which the American Federation
| of Labor deposited in the Porto Rcan court
as bail for the appearance of Mr.. Iglesias
| at the trial has been returned
| One Of the most important questions
| which will be considered by the convention
and in which the laboring people of Wash
| ington are more particularly interested is
| whether not the American Federation of
Labor has the authority to define the juris-
diction of each labor organization. In this
| regard Mr.. Gompers says:
| Beyond doubt the greatest problem, the
| danger, which above all others most threat
ems not only the success, but the very exist
| ence of the American Federation of Labor
is the question Of jurisdiction. I may truly
record the fact that never for one moment
| since the formation of our federation have
l entertained doubt or misgiving as to the
| growth, success and permanency Of the
American Federation Of Labor, and would
| not now be apprehensive of its future were
| 1t not forced upon my deliberate Judgment
| which has developed into a firm conviction
| that unless our affiliated national and int err.
| national unions radically and soon change
! their course we shall at no distant day be
in the midst of an internecne contest un-
paralleled in any era of the industrial world
aye, not even when workmen of different
| trades We're arrayed a gainst each other behind