Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-11-15
LABOR LEADERS MEET
Yesterdays Session of the
Federation at Frisco.
ADDRESS AND REPORTS
DELEGATES FROM EVERY SEC
TON OF THE UNITED STATES.
Foreign Representatives in Attendance
Annual Statement Of Secretary
and Treasurer Read.

The American Federation of Labor met
yesterday In San Francisco. In Its twenty
fourth annual convention. Delegates from
every part of the United States and repre-
sentatives from Porto Rico, England and
Canada were present The hall was deco
rated with national colors. delegates being
seated in sections. according to the states
they represented.
The morning session was taken up with
the delivery of and reply to speeches Of
welcome and the reading and acceptance
of the report of the committee on Gre
dentials. s.,.-4
The afternoon session was opened with
the reading by President Samuel Gompers
of his annual address, printed elsewhere In
The Star today.
At the conclusion of Mr. sGompers' adj
dress Secretary Frank Morrison read his
annual report which was as follows:
The report of Secretary Frank Morrison
shows the receipts and expenditures of the
Federation for the twelve months Begin
ming October 1, 1903, and ending September
30. 1904 The report states:
The steady and marked increase receiv-
ed from per capita tax Is encouraging and
indicates marked and substantial growth
in membership. The receipts from per
capita tax are $136,941.74, against $124-
95OoS received last year-an increase of
l2.99118- Receipts from supplies show a
from the American Federationist shows an
increase Of $4.941 .46, with a decrease of s12-
1885 in expenses. giving the Federationist
a surplus Of 81 .939.97 to it's credit. for the
hrst time in several years. Receipts from
defense fund are $50. TO So: strike benefits
paid, $15,972; surplus for defense fund ST.
!SO;5o The balance on hand October l..
1903, was $S6.01312; receipts during the
year recently ended 500 995.97; total, $307, =
OO909. Expenditures, sos, 991.15. Balance
on hand October l, 1904. $103.017.94. OF
this $2l ,S70S9 is in the general fund and
sS1, 1865 is in the defense fund.
Among the strikes cited as having been
| won or lost during the year are: Actors
| strike, won; blacksmiths, five strikes won,
| two compromised; blast furnace workers,
| four strikes won. one compromised one
| pending: boilermakers won SO, compro-
missed IA. lost 6. pending. 80; cigarmakers
won %, compromised 3, lost 0; stationary
| cutters and butcher workmen won IA, COM
| promised 2 lost !, there being 5000 per-
sons involved; mine workers., cost of
strikes, S30.099.62; tip printers, lockouts
lost; typographical union won ID, lost 6,
pending, g; woodworkers won TO- comprO-
missed Z, lost IL.
ployed by the Federation during the year
was So. 242.23. In concluding his report
Secretary Morrison says:
"A resume of the progress made numer-
ically and financially by the American Fed
Grafton of Labor during the past eight
years cannot but encourage the trades
unionfsts in their efforts to educate, organ
iZe and federate the wageworkers. The
growth of the American Federation of La
Dor has been phenomenal, particularly so
in many localities. Where organizations
spring up within a few months it must be
expected that in adjusting the members
into unions the membership must decrease
somewhat from the high-water mark which
it reached during the time that the organi-
zation wave held sway. A careful investi-
CATION and tabulation Of the membership
of the affiliated organizations Of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor show an increase
of over one-fifth OF a million OF members.
My report last year showed an average
membership of ,465, 800. while the average
membership this year is 1,6762O0, clear
gain of 210,4O0-a remarkable increase
when you consider the number Of strikes
that have taken place and the organized
effort of the citizens alliances to retard
organization and disrupt unions now in ex-
istence"
The report of Treasurer Lennon was read
next. 1t was as follows:
The report of John B. Lennon, treasurer
of the American Federation of Labor,
gives the totals of expenditures and re-
ceipts as given in the report of President
Gompers and Secretary Morrison. The
| treasurer says:
THE open shop of employers is a mis-
homer, as we'll as deliberate misrepresen-
| tation of facts. Our unions do not close
| the shops where they are employed to the
| hoporab BILE non-union workers. All are wei
| come; our doors are closed to no cOmpe-
| tent honorable man or woman, and the
| employers of union labor cannot deny this
| statement without stating deliberate
| falsehood. The employer can give work
| to the non-unfonist at any time, and this
they do every day We hold that when a
non-unionist Is employed by firm where
the union has established the conditions Of
labor that 1t then becomes incumbent
upon such employe to join the union and
at least help to maintain the trade union
standard of living, which has been estab-
lished by our efforts alone. The employers
who shout for open shop have demonstrate
ed that what they mean is shop closed
to union men and women. We do not stand
for closed shop, as all are welcome
both union and non-union, but we do and
Will stand for the maintenance of union
conditions insisting that all employees help
In keeping the standard OF living and con-
sequent moral and social condition of the
working class constantly improving, sure,
even though it be slow, and this Is possible
only in the union shop And when the nom
unionist secures employment in union
shop we insist that they cast their lot with
us not to narrow their opportunities or
belittle their manhood or womanhood. but
to enlarge and magnify both.
while opposition has been keen, there
has been consequent growth in the soli-
darity of our movement; despite all efforts
to crush the unions we are numerically
stronger today than one year ago. No
member should be respondent. none should
quit the fight, If there Is hope for the
future, and who. with knowledge of the
| past achievements. can doubt 1t, that hope
| lies in the success of organized labor the
| only element of substantial strength en-
gagged in the work of amelioration of the
col ditions of the workers.
| The visitors gallery during the days ses-
| sion was crowded, many of the spectators
| being women.
| Last night a mass meeting was held at
| the Alhambra Theater. and 1t was adj
| dressed by W. d. Mahon of Detroit, presi-
| dent of the Amalgamated Association of
Street Railway Employees. and others, who
| discussed cooperation and trade unioniSm.
| Minnesota Mayors Home Wrecked.