Arizona republican., 1902-12-11
INDUSTRIAL
 AGREEMENTS
Theme at Closing Session of
 Civic Federation
Incorporation of Unions, Friendly Con- ferenees Between Employer and Employed = An Englishman on Trades Unionism and the Eight Hour Day.

New York. December 10.-The annual
 conference oi the industrial department
 of the national federation which has been in session for three days, was ! brought to a close today
 1 Interest to the last was unabated. the ! hall being crowded to it's utmost capa-
 city. The final subject oi discussion was industrial agreements" in which many of the most prominent delegates
 took part.
 while no definite results were reach
 cd. the executive committee being em- ! powered to appoint Q special commit , tee tO review and report on all sub
 jects discussed, it was the generally
 expressed opinion of the delegates that | thc> conference had been a great sue cess. Semi-annual meetings will be held in the future
 Samuel Gcmpers. president of the American Federation of Labor, speak
 ing of the claim that unions should be | incorporated. at a meeting of the civic federation here today said that the
 suggestion was made for the purpose
 of affording an opportunity to mulct
 the unions in damages.
 One of the greatest complaints that , organized labor has against employers e. labor he believed, is the refusal of many to meet and discuss their griev- ances with the men. MT. Gompers op- posed the suggestion that the eight hour day ought not to be adopted until its adoption can be made general.
 Alfred Mosely said that if America should attempt to work upon the eight hour day plan. the result would bring about Q deplorable industrial condition here if the other two great industrial nations, England and Germany, con
 tinuc on the ten-hour day plan.
 O. C. Barber, president Of the Dia- mond Match company declared that
 the present high standards among
 woI kmen in this country are not due
 to labor unions but to the men in all
 branches of business who have aimed
 at higher standards. Great Britain
 has lost it's industrial supremacy be-
 cause of the strength there of the trade unions which, he said, are going con , tTary to the law Of least resistance. Chairman Hanna, in closing the dis cussion. declared himself opposed to
 the claim that the labor union should be incorporated.
 Regarding the work of the civic fed cTation he said: For myself I feel
 greatly encouraged by the renewed public interest in this question and by the interest of those who have been present with Us here"
 He did not expect. he said. any great result at once. but the commis- sion would continue to work. would ia- i crease its personnel and would keep up with or 9 little ahead O; public opinion. He declared himself opposed 10 compulsory arbitration. The solu- 1 tion of the labor problem, he declared. would result fl om conferences of em- [ ployois and employes, with one desire
 to do what is best for both. At the conclusion of the discussion i the committee went into executive scs- | sion and elected the following officers: l Senator M. A. Hanna, chairman; Os- car S. Strauss, first vice-president: l Samuel Gcmpers. second vice presl- dent; C. N. Bliss, third president; [ R. M. Easley, general secretary. ! It was also decided that the confer ence will hold semi meetings ' hereafter in May and December, in-
 stead of annual meetings and that To- i cal organizations shall be established i in all the larger cities for the purpose
 of carrying on the educational work of ! the federation.
 The conference then adjourned