The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-11-14
MIGHTY HOST. OF LABOR
Meeting At BOSTON
CONVENTION WELL. ATTENDED
BY DELEGATES FROM ALL
LOCALITIES

All Unions Affiliated With American
Federation Send Representatives to
Convention at the Hub. Prominent
Speakers Present. Many Trade Dis.
putes are on. Fight Between Trade
Autonists and Industrialists.
Boston, Nov. H. Last Monday the
regular annual convention of the Am
er1can Federation of Labor opened in
Boston, Mass, in historic Faneuil Hall.
Ihere were present in the neighbor-
mood Of 800 delegates representing
something over 100000 workingmen
and women.
Inc American Federation of Labor
IS voluntary association without any
coerc1Ve power. In this respect it is
anarchistic rather than socialistic, Any
union can withdraw at any time There
Is no power to compel an organization
to abide by the decisions Of the FEEDER
tion or the executive board, except self
interest. The tax is very small, but so
large is the membership that oyer a
hundred thousand dollars Is yearly
paid in, which is expended in running
expenses and the pay Of organizers
endeavoring to add to it's membership.
AFFILIATED with the American Feder-
alton of Labor are III International
trade and labor unions, with a men,
bership divided between 100000 local
unions and nearly 5000 federal labor
unions scattered throughout the coun-
try. AS fast as these federal labor un-
ions OF any one trade or occupation
become numerous enough, they are or
= gan'zed into a national or interna-
tional union, and Immediately assume
jurisdiction over their internal affairs.
Some Of the 111international unions
affiliated in the A.. F. Of L.. have
tremendous membership, like the Unit
ed Mine Workers, which has $4,000
members, the Longshoremen's union,
which has $4,000 members; the new
Amalgamated Brotherhood Of Team
sters, which has $4,000 members, and
such locally better known organiza-
t1ons as the International Typograph-
1cal Union, the cigarmakers, painters,
carpenters, bridge and structural iron
men, hatters, engineers printing press
men, and many of the building and
metal trades unions
Briefly stated, the object of the
American Federation Of Labor Is to
render employment and the means of
employment less precarious by securing
TO the workers an equitable share of
the fruits of their labor" and to do
this efforts are continually being made
to increase: vases, s.short tenss$ houYs,3 :
ctdeint fsssF,sssl NO.
Of union made and union = ia alb,eled
goods. >::. -
1t Is probable that the fight of the
trade 'autonomfsts against the indus
1rlallsts will occupy much of the at
tention OF the convention. Besides, the
big unions want to absorb the little
ones. The belief is that both will he
strengthened. But the little one-at
least some of them-object to being
swallowed. For example, the Brick
layers and Stonemasons' Union wants
to absorb the cutters, marble settlers,
mosaic and encaustic tile layers,
cement finishers concrete workers.
slate and tile roofers, tuck pointers,
drain, tile and sewer builders, and a
few other divisions of the building
trades. The Brotherhood of Carpen-
ters and Joiners want to absorb the
WoodWorkers, sawyers, piano and or
gan makers, boxmakers, furniture
workers, and others who handle wood
There are good arguments for both
autonomists and industrialists, for it
often happens that conditions can be
bettered by amalgamation under one
set Of circumstances, and made verv
much worse In others under other con-
ditions. The printers insist. for exam
pie, that it is better that the machin-
lists working In printing offices keep
ing in repair typesetting machines. be
members Of the Printers Union. Still
it sounds ridiculous that because an
engineer is employed In bakery that
he should be compelled to join thu
Bakers Union; if he happens to go tc
work for a laundry owner, then he
must join the Laundry Workers Un.
ion, and so on every time he changes
his location, though not his occupa.
tion. Yet 1t is certain that when all the
workers in a big establishment are
united they are more powerful thar
when owing allegiance to twenty o1
thirty different central bodies.
GOMPERs' SPEECH.
morning with the usual addresses oasOt q
welcome. Samuel Gompers Responded
and delivered his annual address which
in part follows:
Industrial Activity and Reaction.
There are ications that the era O.
industrial activity which we have en-
reached it's floodtide, In that there i:
now somewhat of a reaction. Alread,
we see some contraction of industry
by which workmen have been rem
dered idle. It is true that the chang,
is not pronounced, but it is sufficiently
evident for notice and deserves ouI
consideration. More especially should
this receive our attention since quit,
recently. acting unon, the cue given b!
our most pronounced antagonists til;
capitalist press has endeavored to .plac'
upon 10, our movement the resp1nsibilit!
charge is untrue is fully capable o
herein. But attention is called to tn,
fact that when the reaction first mad,
itself manifest one of the great news
papers Of our country questioned tn.
representative employers, business
make answer as to what in their judg
ment was its cause. Without attempt
ing to numerate the causes assigne,
by them fol. the Industrial reaction: !
is worthy of note that under the frs
impulse OF honest expression of Opin