Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-11-20

executive council made separate re-
port. The committee related their con-
ference with President Roosevelt.
President Roosevelt stated to the COM
mittee that in his decision he had noth-
ing in mind but a strict compliance
with federal, including civil service
law, and that he recognized differ
ence between employment by the gov
eminent circumscribed by those laws
and any other form of employment.
and that his decision in the Miller case
should not be understood to have any
other effect or influence than' affecting
direct employment by the government
In accordance Herewith. The Presi-
dent further made claim that in any
form of employment excepting that so
circumscribed he believed the employ
ment of union men was preferable
either to non union or the "open shop"
| An amendment offered by Delegate
Kreft, to the resolution in the Miller
case, that the Federation place itself
| on record as being in favor of the union
shop everywhere, as we'll in federal,
state and municipal employment as in
private enterprises, was unanimously
adopted together with the committees
report.
The Panama canal question was then
taken from the table and discussed at
some length. Delegate Furuseth, in
defence of his resolution declared that
q protest should be made against the
tendency of the government to inter-
fere In the affairs of southern republics.
He believed that if the canal were
built, the United States could not de-
fend it in case of war with England
or in the event of war with France and
Germany in alliance with Italy. Ina
bility to dispatch ammunition to the
isthmus, he said, would lead to the an
nexation of the countries intervening.
Delegate Lennon, treasurer of the
Federation. opposed the project of
building the canal. He declared that
1t looked very much to him as if the
President of the United States had
engineered the Panama resolution to
put through a great scheme In the in
tereSts of some of the great financierS
Of the world.
The substitute Of the committee
favoring the canal was finally carried
by n vote of 80 to AZ.
At this point the reading of tele-
gram from w. D. Mahon, the leader OF
the striking street railway men in Chi
cago, stating that the outlook for a
| favorable settlement was bright, and
| that several other organizations had
gone out in sympathy, created much
applause.
| After the convention had adopted reso-
| buttons favoring suffrage for women and
nstruct:ng the state branches of the Fed
| for constitutional changes providing for
the submission to the people of constitu-
! tional amendments on petition of voters,
there was lively debate on proposition
| to amalgamate the Western Federation of
| Miners with the American Federation of
Labor. The resolution called for the e1ccs
| ton of three delegates to visit the next
convention of the American Labor Union
and of the Western Miners to bring
about their amalgamation and their atfil-
| iation. The committee recommended ref
erence to the executive council.
Delegate Foster of Denver. favored this
| report because the resolution was a plall
| to get the American Labor Union into the
American Federation in order to disrupt
the latter. Delegate Morris wanted Pres
| sent to the Western Miners convention,
because he believed they could induct
| that body to unite with the Federation.
After the reference to the American La
| bOr Union had been stricken out, the res
Oution was sent to the executive council,
with the understanding that the commit
| tee would be appointed.
| AS a substitute for various resolutions
offered as amendments to the constitution,
| the committee of laws reported favorably
upon resolution that the secretary be
instructed to communicate with the secre-
tarys OF all national and international
unions aftilia ted with that body. advising
! them to comply with Section 2 of Article
II of the constitution of the Federation
which declares it shall be the duty of all
affiliated bodies to instruct their local
unions to join chartered central labor
unions and state declarations in their dis
trict.
A discussion led by Delegate LAWN, the
| aged member from Wilkesbarre. Pa, fol-
lowed at once Mr. LAWN vigorously Oh.
posed the committees report
Delegate LAWN attacked the miners of
Pennsylvania and John Mitchell was on
his feet in moment to reply. Mr.. Mitch
ell declared that some unions of miners
in the anthracite coal field refused to be-
long to the central labor unions largely
because of the 'irritational and untruth-
full statements such as Just made by Del
egate LAWN"
While MIR. LAWN and the workers of
Wilkesbarre did much for the striking
miners, they had done no more Mr.
Mitchell declared, than the miners had
done for the trades union movement.
1T is not fair" said Mr.. Mitchell in
conclusion. for Mr.; LAWN to seek to stig-
Several delegates opposed the commit
tees report and favored a resolution call
ing for the revocation of the charters OF
such unions as refused to affiliate with
the central labor unions.
The substitute reported by the commit
tee on the utilization of unions with the
central labor body was finally adopted
The remainder of the afternoon session,
was devoted to discussion of plan to
increase the executive council of the Fed
Grafton by two members, who would deal
with building trades disputes and plan for
the appointment of a committee of one
from each Of the building trades affiliated
TO consider similar questions. The mat
ter was referred to the committee on law
Frank Nj. Buchanan. president of the
international Association of Bridge and
which represents an effort to define the
exact relation of the building trades to
the Federation.
A telephone from Columbus, N. c..