The Springfield herald., 1905-11-24
LABOR in COUNCIL
WORK OF THE AMERICAN FEDER-
ALTON AT PiTTseURG.
TRICKS MONEY is REFUSED
Denver Presents Invitation for Next
Years Meeting = Alarm Of Fire
Causes a Rush-Printcr Socialist
Introduces Resolutions.

Pittsburg.-There was a slight panic
among the delegates attending the
American Federation of Labor conven-
tion at old City hall Thursday. caused
by the decorations in the rear OF the
hall taking fire from some unknown
cause. A rush was made for the fire
exits, but quiet was soon restored by
President Gompers rapping loudly for
order. The fire burned itself out in a
few moments and the convention re-
sumed the transaction of business. No
one was injured.
Delegate Johannsen offered a motion
refusing a donation of 800 made by II.
c. Frick for the entertainment of the
federation delegates. The speaker said
the money was tainted with the blood
of the Homestead steel strike and
should not be accepted under any cir
cumstances. The motion was vigor-
ously cheered and Johannsen was re-
quested to put 1t in writing and present
later to the convention for action.
Letters were read from Governor Nc
Donald Of Colorado. the Denver Board
of Trade and business and labor Or
ganiZations inviting the federation to
meet next year in Denver. The letters
were referred.
W. Mosser, fraternal delegate from
the British Labor Trades Council. ad-
dressed the convention on the labor
situation in England.
The motion presented at the morn
ing session declining the 500 offered
by II. C. Frick for the entertainment
of the delegates while in this city was
withdrawn by Delegate Johannsen. He
announced that he had learned that
hn hnI nj mr.
and that 1t would be rejected when it
was offered and for this reason with
drew the motion.
The convention adjourned until
tomorrow, in order to give the COM
mittees additional time to prepare
their reports.
Victor l.. Berger, delegate OF the In
ternational Typographical Union, in
speaking tonight of the resolutions he
had placed before the committee, said:
Il did not introduce any resolution
to indorse the Socialist party, and no
resolution of that kind will be intro
duced. The Socialists of America have
gotten through with such childish bus
iness long ago. We do not intend to
capture the convention of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor for the Social
list party. All the resolutions which
have introduced are purely trades un-
ion resolutions.
I'VE Socialists believe in a two
armed labor movement--a labor move
ment with a political arm and an eco
nomic arm. The two arms must re-
main distinctly separate.
I'VE understand that the American
Federation of Labor is the economic
arm of the labor movement, hence
our purely trades union resolutions"
Among the eleven resolution intro
duced by Mr.. Berger are these:
hat the congress of the United
States pass bill which will secure to
every wage worker in the United
States who has earned no more than
81 900 average wages per year pen
sion of not less than So per month at
the age of sixty.
''That in view of the present motor
ious system of insurance. in which the
workmen find little or no protection, a
system of state insurance similar to
that in operation in Germany be estab-
lished. in which the government. the
employer and the workmen each pay
one-third of the premium.