Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-10
G0MPH ! BOSTON
Opens Annual Meeting Of
Federation of Labor.
REDUCTION OF WAGES
ADVISES Rrs1srAncE WHERE AT
TEMPTs ARE MADE.
Secretary Morrison's Report Shows the
Organization to Be in
Healthy Condition.

In opening the annual meeting of the
American Federation of Labor at Boston
yesterday President Gompers, in part, said:
There are indications that the era of in
| dustrlal activity which we have enjoyed
during the past few years has reached its
| lioodtide, in that there is now somewhat
| of reaction. Already we see some con-
| traction of industry by which workmen
| have been rendered idle. 1t Is true that the
| change is not pronounced, but 1t is suffi-
| GENTLY evident for notice and deserves our
! conSfdera ton. More especially should this
| receive our attention since quite recently,
| acting upon the cue given by our most pro-
nounced antagonists the capitalist press
| has endeavored to place upon our move
ment the responsibility for the industrial
| reaction.
| That the charge is untrue is fully capa-
| bic OF proof, and to which l shall refer
| later herein. But attention is called to the
tact that when the reaction first made it
| self manifest one of the great newspapers
| of our country questioned the representa-
i've employers, business men and financierS
| of America to make answer as to what in
their judgment was Its cause. Without at
| tempting to enumerate the causes assigned
| by them for the industrial reaction, it is
| worthy of note that under the first impulse
Of honest expression of opinion, before the
minds of any of them were perverted by
| those who always desire to shirk upon the
| shoulders of others the wrongs or the
| rors of which they themselves are guilty,
I repeat, with unprecedented and upper
verted mind, not one among the thousands
who answered held organized labor in the
| least responsible.
"Of course. to the thinking. observing
! men the insinuation or charge will have no
| effect. We understand, as every student
| and intelligent trade uniOnist understands,
| that under our present economic system
| periods of industrial activity and stagna-
| ton are equally natural. That a reaction
| did not set in sooner, or that it has not be-
| come acute. is due more than any other
| cause to the organized labor movement
What Has Been Accomplished.
| "Our movement has increased wages,
| shortened the hours of labor and otherwise
! improved the conditions of the toilers; in
| other words has made the workers greater
| consumers Of the things that have been
| Produced and to this factor, supplemented
| by some organized method among intelli-
| gent employers, is due entirely the credit
| rather than the censure or blame.
LAS a matter of fact. the greater he
| power Of consumption of the great mass of
| Workers the larger their wants, the higher
| is their standard of life, the greater the
degree of industrial and commercial pros
perity. Indeed the constant growth in the
wants and demands of the masses gives to
industry and commerce an impetus and
progress they can receive In no other way.
Difficult to Foresee.
"At this time 1t is difficult to foresec the
extent to which the industrial reaction may
reach, although it is quite evident that. for
the reasons already stated, 1t is not likely
to become SO prolonged or so intense as
previous industrial stagnations or crises.
Yet 1t is we'll for US to view the situation
| as it is, and as II may become, and to con-
| slider calmly the course which we should
| pursue to meet It, To do this intelligently
| it will be helpful to consider the policy pur-
sued by employers during similar periods
volt yv,k,tn t, have
| Is now advocated; policy which has
| proven not only injurious, but perversive
| of the very purpose for which 1T was in
augurated. l refer to the policy of redsc-
| ing wages a means to tide over or
! emerge from. industrial depression. In the
past this has been resorted to- and owing
| to the comparative lack of organiZati lion
| among the working people and also their
| comparativ inability to resist, they were
| compelled to accept 1t. with the result that
| their consuming power was leSsened. throw
| ing still more workmen out of employment,
| rendering the situation still more acute,
| and thus still further prolonging the period
| of the crisis.
1T is the height of economic unwisdom to
| curtail the consuming power of the masses
as a means to industrial revival pros
| perity.
mo industry, no country. has ever be-
come great or ever can become great.
founded upon the poverty of its workers.
THE working people should resist any at
tempt to reduce their wages or to increase
their hours of labor.
Are Better Organized.
I'VE better organized and better pre-
pared to resist entertainments upon our con-
dition than ever before: and. If perchance
some of our efforts may be lost. it is better
to resist and lose than not to resist at all;
for to complacently accept a reduction in
wages is simply to invite its repetition while
it enfeebles our ability to resist further
efforts in the same direction.
I'VE urge as a way OFT that wages be
maintained even If necessary, to resist re-
auctions: that as substitute for discharges
| Of Workmen, the work to be performed be
divided, thus not only helping to bear each
| others burdens. but more quickly to re-
store activity In industry, trade and COM
merce.
Antitrust Anti-Labor Legislation.
Attention has been called to the fact
that under the guise of so-called antitrust
laws lay the hidden purpose to attack the
organizations Of labor. We are all familiar
| with the so-called Sherman antitrust law.
| and we are also aware of the fact that
under it's provisions the only persons ever
indicted were a number of workmep who
| sought to protect their interests against an
| opponent, and that under the pretense Of
! its provisions and the so-called interstate
| commerce law the federal courts have is
| sued the many injunctions enjoining work
| men from doing those things for which
there IS Absolutely no pfOhDltlOu III the
| laws, and the doing of which is in no wise
| at variance or in conflict with the Consti-
| tuition or any of the laws Of our country.
| II is because we have detected in the va
| rious proposed bills, ostensibly to restrict
| or govern the trusts and other corporations
| of capital the fnsidious purpose to attack
| the trade unions. which. by the way, have
| no sembIance to the trusts, that we have
| urged In all measures of this character
| the following clause:
| Nothing herein shall be construed as to
apply to the organizations of wage-earners
| having for their OBJECT the regulation of
| wages. hours and the conditions OF employ
| ment.
Labor's Opponents Subtle.
"Labor's opponents are subtle and know
| that the work Of the trusts and other COM
binations Of capital are done by the few:
| that their operations are secretive, while
| on the other hand the actions of organized
| labor, even if only by reason of the large
| numbers, must of necessity be open and
| above board and susceptible to the inter-
| probation or the misinterpretation Of the
| friend or foe as the case may be.
| "Organized labor and it's members are
law abiding. They ask no immunity from
| the law They ask and have a right to
| dexcon6 that there shall ho accordod n,