Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-06-15
IN LABOR CIRCLES
o.

| Within the last two weeks. it is stated
| the country has been flooded with an anony-
nous circular purporting to describe the
conditions Of the employees of the Offices in
| this city of the American Federation of
Labor. The circular embraces a letter adj
| dressed ITO the Editor which gave the
| substance and referred to another attached
letter which also bore upon the alleged con-
ditions at the federation headquarters. The
latter communication is addressed TO Mr.
d. NJ. Parry. president of the National AS
ISOLATION of Manufacturers, and signed by
| "One who knows"
| The circular makes an attack Mr..
| GOmpers. alleging that MIR. Gompers has
| repeatedly taken the position in connec-
! ton with the eight-hour bin that he is in
| favor of a punitive eight-hour day. and is
positively opposed to overtime" The cir
| cular declares that Mr.. Gompers does not
| practice what he breaches and. quoting the
| correspondent says in connection with the
charge that Mr.. Gompers works his en-
| ployes overtime: II can assure you that
eight hours is the exception and not the
| rule, which would indicate that Mr.. Com
| pers realizes from a business standpoint
| that quite frequently It is necessary to
| work ten hours and perhaps longer to get
| through days work. The eight-hour day
would be especially distasteful I'm the case
| of Mr.. Gompers.' the correspondent de
clares. for he does not get to work until
| afternoon
The circular, continuing, says that the
| clerks in Mr.. Gompers' office have repeat
\ edly attempted to form a union but that
! he has shut down upon the proposition with
| an iron hand. Along this line of thought
| the circular further says, the alleged posi-
! ton of President Gompers Seems to be IN
harmony with the bloviations of that other
great friend of labor, Mr. w r. Hearst who
Is trying to capture a presidential nominal
| ton as a union labor candidate. Some time
ago the reporters on his Chicago papers
ag1tated the question of forming a union
put the announcement was quietly made
that Mr.. Hearst would not regard with
| favor such scheme" All of which makes
| US think again of the old saying: "Oh. Con
| s1stency. thou art a jewer'-Gompers in
| sisting that every other employer except
himself have union in his establishments
and Hearst declining to permit his over
! worked and underpaid reporters to enjoy
| the benefits Of the organized labor plan for
| the lifting up of humanity"
Copies Of the circular have been received
at the fedora ton in great numbers Reply
ing TO Il personal friend who sent "A COPY
OF the document to him. President Gompers
says, part:
II nae your favor of the 18th instant
with which you inclose q COPY of the latest
circular issued from Mr.. Parry's associa-
'ioh. MO- only did the employees of our Office
receive copies of this circular but a number
OF friends, friendly newspapers and news
papers :iot so friendly. trade journals, ETC.
have sent copies to me.
Mr.. Parry must have been in great need
Tor material to be used against organized
labor when he issued that anonymous cir
GUAR He unconsciously pays a tribute to
the undersigned in that he supposes that
l can fulfill the onerous duties of president
OF the American Federation of Labor and
the editor of the Amel lean Federationist
hold conferences with and meet members OF
organized labor. meet representa- tives of
employers in conference for the settlemnt
Of trade disputes, give innumerable inter
views to newspaper representatives per-
sonally, by telegraph and by telephone, and
yet only devote three OF four hours per day
to the work.
Il was not aware until the issuance of the
circular by Mr.. Parry how he and the man
ufacturers' association regarded my powers
of application TO the numerous and perplex-
ing duties devolving upon me. | feel com
plimented to know that they have rated me
SO high In that they appear to believe that
can perform the duties referred to in three
or four hours per day.
Having given lifetime to the work of
organizing, 1t would be preposterous to pay
attention to the insinuations of standing in
the Way ofthe organization of any wage
earner5. If the entire record of my lfes
work Is not attestaton to that fact
then / rave absolutely nothing to say upon
the subject
President Gompers returned to Washing
ton yesterday from New York city, where
he had been to consider several labor mat
terS. y conference yesterday with certain
labor leaders resulted IN settlement of
grievances which would in all probability, if
allowed to go unadjusted result in the
disruption of the Ladies Garment Work
ers' International Union.
The garment workers held an annual con-
vention in Boston last week and adopted
declaratio and elected certain officials
which failed of the sanction of part of the
craft The aggrieved parties made known
their intention to withdraw from the inter-
national union and effect its disruption.
Upon his arrival in New York Mr.. Com
pers learned of the condition of affairs of
the garment workers.
After considerable effort, he located in
New York city a number of the delegates to
the convention and heard the story of the
difficulty. He then summoned the newly
elected officials of the union to meet him in
conference Monday in New York city, with
a view to effecting a settlement The
grievances We're thoroughly discussed, with
the result that the difficulty was amicably
adjusted.
A delegation of the Watch Engravers and
Jewelry Workers International Union will
hold a conference in this city next Satur-
day with President Gompers of the fedora
ton, in connection with the united action
of the two crafts relative to the adoption
of label to be displayed on the work of
the members of each trade.
1t is learned that a delega ton represent
ing organized la Dor and certain private citi-
zens of Telluride county, Col, are on their
way to Washington to petition President
Roosevelt to order an investigation into the
present turbulent state of affairs in that
section 1t is stated that President Roose-
welt will be Informed that the militia of
Colorado is virtually owned by the mine
owners, in that the latter, upon the or
gariZation of the militia, guaranteed the
payment of the troops for the first year;
that they took script to secure the return
of the loaned money. and that the money
has not yet been paid back. 1t is charged
that at the time of the organization of the
militia there was no fund for such pur-
poses, and that Governor Peabody assented
to the payment of the troops under such a
plan.
The controversy involving the members of
the Theatrical Association of Washington
and the members of Local Union, No. 16l,
of the American Federation of Labor.
has undergone no perceptible change in the
last week. President kerngood continues
to maintain that the union has the right
to discipline its members, and that it mere
ly exercised that right in reprimanding and
imposing a fine of 500 upon Victor johnson
of the Lafayette Square Opera House or
chestra for his alleged attempt to secure
the services of musicians al lower rate
than that prescribed by the union. From
what he learned ba baf