Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-10-10
LABOR MEN
In Session To-day President Donahue's Address List
 ened to Attentively.

tion of Labor was opened in G. A. R. ! hall in Court street today with nearly | POO delegates present. The state pres | ident, Charles J. Donahue of Derby, 1 called the convention to order at 10 l o'clock and several hours were occu-
 pied in listening to the report of the
 credential committee and attending to
 other details of organization.
 | The annual report of President Don
 ahue was an interesting feature of the days proceedings.
 l year had been one of marked industrial | tranquility. No serious strikes nor
 labor disturbance were reported, the | lockout of the matters in Danbury being the most serious and involving the | greatest number of men, This lockout and it's settlement will be reported upon by the delegates from the matters asso- | citation of Danbury.
 President Donahue then took up the matter of labor legislation in the last general assembly, saying that That as sembly will be a memorable one by reason of it's failure to accomplish any thing of value to the working men of the state; memorable by reason of its complete subservency to the corporate influences by which it was dominated.
 There was a spectacle of senators and representatives dancing attendance on their corporate and political masters
 President Donahue said that certain cnnatnr rnr tinnr a Jfcfriaf posed mostly of working men voted in the negative on the acceptance of.the report from the committee on railroads. A corporation, attorney whispered to him and the poor senator took the floor and meekly changed his vote to the af- | firmative. President Donahue said that the assembly gave no thought to wage workers of the state, but on the other hand used every trick known to practical politics to prevent the enact ment of the former legislation. The cause of labor was handicapped in the first place by the makeup of the com mitee on labor upon which there was no member of the assembly known to
 be identified with the labor movement. President Donahue incorporated in his ItDOil Il nbI Ol lllC hitdSuA CS ihlAVAuNNd during the session by the labor inter- ests. He touched at some length upon the bill drafted by Prof Watrous of
 Yale for an arbitration plan to avoid labor disputes. The labor interest op- posed this bill and the unions should oppose in the future any measure that aims to compel any man to work against his will.
 President Donahue said that each recurring session of the general assem- bly, finds well meaning but misguided persons seeking the enactment of compulsory arbitration law. State ar bitration boards are of no service. The most satisfactory arbitration is likely to be that in which each side has a rep resentative in its own interests with power in the two to call in an umpire. President Donahue also spoke of the efforts of the trades council of New Haven to secure an amendment to the so-called boycott law, rehearsing at some length some of the features of the debate on the floor of the house and senate before the committee on labor. He also told of the fight made in both branches to defeat a house bill which was reported by the commit tee and which was finally rejected.
 President Donahue said that the union federations will not rest until modification of the obnoxious law Is obtained The matter of a boycott was touched upon in It's legal aspects at considerable length.
 On the matter of Chinese exclusion, President Donahue said that alarming reports having been circulated concern ing the operation of the Chinese boy cott on the American board. 1t would appear that if America insisted on it's policy of exclusion to Chinese labos that further measures of reprisal would be instituted against American imports. He said that a prominent clergyman of Washington had declared that the policy of the labor movement in reference to exclusion was unchris- tian and un-American and that he hoped the Federation of Labor would recede from its attitude of opposition. Presl- dent Donahue said that the working men of this state will not recede from the stand they have taken. They know too much history and too much econ omics to favor such q change. He recommended that all candidates for congress be questioned on their attt tude on the question.
 On the matter of the eight-hour day. President Donahue referred to the law of 1902. saying that the joker" fin it was the three words unless otherwise agreed" He said that the opposition t,, f1.o .sear,1s1r- so aur= obau.to fh sho present law was the same as had de- veloped since former years. He said that judging by present conditions it will be some time before we can con vince stupid legislators of the economic value of the eight hour day.
 President DOnahue advocated the en dorsemens by the convention Of the non-partisan plan of securing the ref erendum system
 The incorporation Of labor bodies was advocated and President D0nahue spoke of the opposition made through the effort of the United Matters to SC cure a charter.
 He said: That our first attempt to incorporate should meet with such violent opposition indicates the policy of the associations of employers t0 op- pose on general principles every move on the part of organized labor whether it be good. bad or indifferent
 The report referred to the annoyance caused by interruptions collecting Oi money from men In public life for uss supposedly in the work of organized labor. but which funds were devoted ts | personal use.
 A change in the time Of hsidinx the convention was recommended. the sux-