Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-11-18

IT is believed that the annual convention
NJ tho American Federation of Labor, In
session at Boston. Mass, Will come u d
close next Saturday afternoon. There nave
baan but few instances in the history OF the
federation when the annual session mas run
over two weeks. The present conVentioh iias
left many matters that have come peioie
If to the executive council for final ADJUST
ment 1t is likely that such matters WIN
be taken up by the council 1mmeoia'e''
upon the adjournment of the conVeh'ion
1t is confidently believed that fresiueh'
Samuel Gompers will again be eiecteo "
succeed himself. His re-electlon Is appa
emily a certainty, though, so far as Is
known. he has never expressed oesii. ~
! he continued in the office. Mr.. Gompers mas
strong backing in the convention.
MANY of the more conservative leaders Oh
81. Iohor movement It seems unfair that
Mr.. Gompers, in view of his past RECORD as .
the official head of the movement, sLouiu
be displaced. Many of the leaders on " s asm
ington and other cities have often Ia
beard tn suggest that Mr.. Gompers shoulu
be elected for a term OF years. iiie'e
annually. as at present. ,on+ro
THE much-discussed "open shop conlLo
versy came before the convention s sewers.
days ago in a resolution OF tne s,,aaested
on resolutions, in which 1t was susss sS.it-
that the matter be referred TO the Colii
fee of the executive councll: =. &c -.es
Roosevelt was severely criticised IN ~. t r.
buttons for his attitude IN the Iia. saonan
u,as further maintained that the open
sbon whether under private OF soNe
ment control cannot be recos me- .tot the
ganized labor" 1t was agreed .lia o-.ad
snopestion of the committee be accepteu.
The words of the resolution that the ope
shop whether under private or gown riaad
control. cannot be recognized Wy ~ 81 the
labor" is, in the minds OF many ~
out apd-Ont tnQOrSoIneuS
Of the action of the International bro'hei
hood of Bookbinders in the Miller case.
The measures which are to be brougnt pc
fora CONGRESS. mentioned in President Com
ners' annual report, the greater part ~
which has already appeared In these COZ
umns. include the eight-hour bill, the any ~
injunction bill and the Viola. I',th tho vio
eight hour law In connection WIN 'he W.
Iations of the last-named law fresiue'
Gompers has included in his report the o ~
respondence with President RooseFelt, "
gether with the substance or the reply VI
the latter. -, Dos,5ant
Referring to the eight-hour bill, Presluent
Gompers says: 1.-The House of Representa-
tiyes unanimously passed this DILL anu d
large number of hearings were hao upon
the same before the Seldte Coiiiii''S va
education and labor. ,,.
Notwithstanding great pressure prous n.
to bear by the opponents of the Dill against
its being reported, the committee oroereo'
and a favorable report was made thereon
Constant efforts were made to have the Dill
called up, but owing to the consideraiioi,
of the statehood and other bills when hao
precedence 1t was not difficult Tor our OPP
Moments to prevent its consideration by the
Senate.
THE bill, therefore, failed of passage
with the expiration of the t1fty-seventn
AS to the anti-injunction BILL he says In
part: ,.,
Injunction bill and drafted by the attorneys
of the American Federation of Labor also
nassed the House of Representatives. The
matter was before the Senate committee
on judiciary, reported favorably, ana tneh
upon motion Of Senator Platt OF Connectl-
cut recommitted to the committee When
that committee reported the bill it changed
the essential features Of the measure ana
contained a provision which MADE pro
injunction bill from an anti-injunction Dill.
LET me make the situation clear. There
is not now upon the statute books Of the
federal government or Of any Of the state
governments any law which authorizes or
contemplates the issuance OF wrtts OF in1unc-
tons as they have been and are being issued
in trade disputes between workmen and
their employers To such a change in the
bill which made direct provision for the
issuance of Injunction we, OF course, OBJ
jected and preferred its defeat by non
action rather than its passage in the
amended FORM
AS to the violations Of the eight-hour law
the report contains the 1OllOWlnS.
Some time ago complaints reached me
that the eight-hour law Of the federal gov
eminent was being violated by a firm of
contractors at Wheeling, w. Va, in the
construction OF work for the FEDERAL gov
eminent. The complaint, with af1davits in
substantiation thereof, was submitted to
the Secretary Of War. who replied by quot
ing an opinion rendered by the Judge ad-
that 1T is not the duty of the Secretary of
War to institute proceedings for violations
of the act of 1892. Parties who think the
law is being violated by contractors should
submit their complaints to the proper
United States attorney and that the War
Department should be governed accord
ingly"
Mr. Gompers then gives a copy of the cor
respondence he had with the President and
with officials of the Treasury Department,
and says:
1.-The President advised me that the mat
ter will receive his immediate attention. It
certainly seems fair that there should be
uniform administration in all the depart
ments Of the government In regard to the
eight-hour law. which applies equally to
all artisans, mechanics and laborers en-
ployed by the government or coming under
the Jurisdiction Of the various departments
This view was also orally communicated to
the President. and 1t Is confidently hoped
that q general order, as indicated In the
letter to the President. may soon be issued
by him."
According to a statement by President
Gompers the immigration bill, with an
educational clause, will again be brought
to the attention of Congress. In that
section of his report relative to the bill
President Gompers states that the Off
Gals of the federation advocated the
passage of comprehensive immigration
bill containing an educational test clause.
1t was made perfectly clear that the bill
could not pass Congress including that
provision. Your president was urged not
to risk the fate Of the bill by insistence
upon the bill sharing the fate of the edu-
catfonal test clause. l felt that no au-
thority was vested in me to Withdraw
the provision referred to- yet could not
persuade myself that the interests of our
fellOw-workers would be furthered nv
the failure of a more comprehensive law.
The bill was enacted without the educa-
tional test clause. The advocates how
ever, OF this measure propose to intro
duce 1t in this Congress; and inasmuch
as the American Federation of Labor has
emphatically declared in favor of the
educational test for the purpose of re-
stricting immigration, you are certainly
| warranted in authorizing your officers to
use every honorable means within their
power for the enactment of this and such
other measures as will protect the in
terests of the people of our country,
Within the fiscal year ending June /.