Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-07
A TALK WITH GOMPERS
Work of the Federation of
Labor Discussed.
RAISING THE STANDARD
IMPROVEMENT IN CONDITIONS
THAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED.
The Employer and Workmen Brought
Into Better Relations-0ut-
look Hopeful.
RAISING THE STANDARD
BY VIM. e. CURTIS.

BY VIM. e. CURTIS.
Written for The Evening Star and the Chicago
Record Herald.
Few men carry greater responsibilities or
exercise wider influence than Samuel Comp
ers, president of the American Federation
of Labor. He is the commander-in-chief
of the largest army in the world, an Or
ganization of nearly a million and three
quarters of men; struggling for physical,
mental and moral advancement, fighting
for improved conditions, higher wages,
shorter hours of labor, better treatment,
greater leisure and more opportunities for
rest and pleasure. 1t is a bigger army than
the car commands or the kaiser of Ger
many, and Is almost well organized as
theirs. But to keep this army under disci-
pline and in fighting trim requires great
ability, tact and patience, for it is such a
heterogeneous mass, mixture of all races
and religions, all grades of intelligence and
education, all degrees of integrity and
virtue; possessed of all kinds of prejudices
and superstitions; brought up under all
kinds of governments and conditions, more
or less liberty and more or less tyranny;
accustomed to different treatment and with
different methods of reasoning; different
ideas and standards of justice, and differ
ent ways of judging what is wrong and
what is right
eS. IL is q great task TO organize ana
uplift such people SO as to make them able
to improve and to protect themselves" said
Mr. Gompers, in response to question the
other day. 'but we have had an encourag
ing measure of success. The elements you
enumerate are, of course, a great him
drance or obstacle to rapid progress. Our
people, coming from all over the world
have preconceived notions and prejudices,
chiefly due to the political tyrannies under
which they have formerly lived. 1t is diff
cult to divest them of these feelings, par
ticularly when they are brought over in
large gangs under contract. or implied con-
tracts, with corporations, for they are then
made to feel the power of their employers
through the foreman or boss. To break
through their prejudices and correct their
mistaken IDEAS to counterfeit the dominat
ing influence of the corporations that en-
plOy them. is the first and most important
work We have to perform. For that pur-
pose we send organizers to try to make
them understand the doctrine of political
equality, and that the unfavorable condi-
tions under which they are working are
the result of their lack of appreciation of
their own rights and power. We believe
that these rights will be accorded to them
if they are reasonably well organized and
conduct themselves as intelligent, faithful
and law-abiding workmen doing a legiti-
mate days work and insisting upon fair
wages, reasonable hours of employment
and leisure. and the use of that leisure in
a profitable manner for self-improvement
and the development of their minds and
their bodies
Percentage of Labor Organized.
"How large a proportion of the laboring
element of the United States is organized?"
Not counting the men who are engaged
in agricultural or in clerical work. should
say about % per cent This is skilled labor,
railroad and mining labor. factory employees
and all who are employed in what are called
mechanical industries-a total of about
two and one-haf millions of men and wom-
en-. In some of the industries nearly all of
the employees are organized; in others only
a small proportion. The different industries
vary from 20 to 80 per cent-the former in
the textile trades and the latter in the build
ing trades. There is no particular reason
for this phenomenon, except the failure of
those engaged in particular Industries to de-
velop leaders of caliber, character and force.
The extent and character of labor OrganiZa-
tons and the behavior of those organiza-
items are almost accurate index of the
intelligence of the people employed in that
particular industry
How much has the numerical strength Of
organized labor increased during the last
Year,"
more than 100000 souls. Some of the
| unions have had a continuous existence of
more than sixty years; others have organ
| lied and dissolved New associations have
sprung up on their ruins with new ideas,
greater vitality and enlarged purposes. The
Federation of Labor was formed in 1881, but
1t reached its full vigor in 1898, with men,
bership of 278016. Since that time it has
| been increasing in strength and influence.
| In 1902 our membership passed the million
mark; in 1903 the average membership for
| the year was /, 465 800, while in 1904 1t was
1,676, 800 We hope to show still greater
gains during 1905. because. notwithstanding
all the efforts to crush organized labor and
| to make it unpopular and disreputable. it
grows steadily in physical and moral
strength and in the public confidence We
| do not stand for a closed shop. All honest
men are welcome-both union and nOn-union
| but we do and will stand for the mainte-
nance of union conditions, insisting that all
! employees unite in keeping up the standard
| of living and in improving the moral and
social conditions of the working classes.
We believe that this is possible only by or
ganization and when non-uniOn workmen
secure employment in a union shop we in
| sist that they shall cast their lot with us;
not to diminish their opportunities to i'm
prove themselves or lessen the dignity of
| manhood or womanhood. but to enlarge and
| magnify BOTH
The Work of the Year
| Has the material condition of the work
| ing classes improved during the past
! year?"
| II should say very slightly replied Mr..
| Gompers, but it has not deteriorated The
| most important advantage We have gained
| during the past twelve months has been
| to maintain wages. While it was impos-
| sible to prevent all wage reduction, we
| can review the results of our policy Of re-
| sistance with satisfaction and pride. l can
| sum up the work of the year as follows:
| Il. Wage reductions have been checked
| 80. The industrial condition has not be-
| come acute, as was the uniform course
| formerly.
| -. Much idleness. poverty. suffering and
| misery have been prevented.
| "a. The era of industrial Stagnation, as
| compared with former like conditions, has
| been shortened
| IS. The prospect for revival in indus
1 try and commerce in the future is brighter
| as compared with any similar previous
\ period.
20. There is less acute feeling of unrest
| among workmen and employers generally
| business men and all of our people.
| 81. There are more workmen and employ.
| ers in agreement and understanding
| IS. There Is more general effort to bring
| about more rightful relations between work
| men and employers.
| %. There is better conception of the
| rights and duties Of man to man, a more
general satisfaction among our people with
the present and a more gratifying and hope.
| full outlook for the future.
| Industrial Reaction Indicated.
about the close of the year 1903 a re-
| action In Industrial prosperity was per-