The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-11-23
AMERICAN FEDERATION Of lAtOR
ANNUAL CONVENTION NOVEMBER Il, 1907


Mr.. Anderson, President of the Bush
ness Mems Association and Board OF
Trade. is unable to be with you today
on account Of illness. He has dele
gated to me the pleasure Of welcorn-
ing YOU on ;benah Of the Board Of
Trade ! 81 the City. OF Norfolk; also
to express to you the skindest wishes
Of that. body for your, success. For,
as one Of the capitalists Of the City
Of Norfolk, SO reported, think 1t Is
absolutely essential that the working
men should be successful If capital
and business would o.: be successful.
The one is essential to the other, and
it is utterly impossible for capital or
the business man. to succeed unless
you succeed Therefore,: on behalf of
the Board of Trade I Wish you the
greatest success in your deliberations.
Of, course few .grasping capitalists
have made mistakes, but on the
whole the business men wish you God
speed. -,
s. If you will perdon me for a per-
sonal allusion. I will say I am a work"
ing man in one sense. While I like
money, and there are very few of
us who do not, II have boy l am
prouder of than Is'would be of any
amount of money When ne returned
from school this. summer he said he
wanted to learn the practical part Of
electrical engineering, and he arose
at 6 o'cloc kin the morning took his
dinner pail, Wento to work, and did
not return till late at night. I have
no doubt that when he is graduated,
if you will accept him, ne will be a
member Of the American Federation
Of Labor
Let me say again we welcome you,
and will be glad to see each and
every one Of you at our Board of
Trade Building.
President Gompers introduced Mr..
H. Scott, President of the Central
Labor Union of Norfolk.
Mr. Scott-Mr President, Ladies
and eGntlemen-On behalf Of the
Central Labor Union of the City Of
Norfolk, we extend to you a hearty
welcome, and assure you we will do
all we can to make your stay while
among us pleasant. I trust that
your deliberations may assist in up
building further and extending fur
Their the good work Of the American
Federation of Labor. On behalf OF
some Of our local people mere wish
| to present to President Gompers a
gavel President Gompers, this gavel
| is valuable because Of it's historical
! associations. The piece of wood from
| which it was made was taken from
an old oak tree standing on the Elk
position grounds, said to be one
| thousand years old. On behalf of
C. P. Connolly, James M. O'Connor,
H. S. Scott ana R. E. Reed, pre-
sent this :gavel.
President Gonpers introduced Mr..
James ODonnell., President Of the
; Virginia Federation, Of Labor.
Mr.. o'Donnell =, said: Mr.. Presi-
dent, Ladies and Gentlemen-1t is
my p1easur e. :71fo =74eesss than my * privi-
| lege to appear before this .distin7
I gufshed: representation Of. the best
that there is IN! aabor's ranks, and
extend to you a hearty welcome to
this, the first convention: Of the
American Federation Of Labor held
in this part Of the country. When a
delegate was sent to Minnea polls from
the Virginia Federation of Labor, &C.
companied by delegate from the
Central Labor Union of Norfolk, to in
ivte you here our first thought was
to bring you to Norfolk to- show tc
the people that those who represented
the labor Of this great country Of
ours made up a body Of men emf
nently fitted to bring to them. as they
| had brought to others in greater cities
and great states, numerically speak
ing. the knowledge that what is pos
sible to acquire in other parts Of the
country was. possible in this. Mer
the world over are fundamentally the
same, and we wished to show the
people here that what others had done
they might do. We also wanted tt
call to your minds the fact that unto1
labor has built this Exposition, ont
of the greatest plants-not IN area, bu
in perfection. We wanted to show 70,
this city beautiful; we wanted to show
you what was done by the labor unions
from the foundation to the compile
ton of these beautiful and sym
metrical structures. We wanted tt
call to your attention that there ar
greater things in life than the mer'
making Of money. I believe the Am
erican Federation Of Labor is not 81
much interested in the making o
money per Sc as it is in getting
larger product of that labor for thu
purpose Of lettering conditions. The!
want a greater number of people t.
enjoy the conditions that are made b!
larger circulation Of money.
President Gompers introduced Hon
Claude A. Swanson, Governor of Vir
ginia.
Goernor Swansvon: Mr.. Presiden
and members of the American Fed
GRAFTON Of Labor, Ladies' and Gen
tlemen-1 feel highly complimented 1,
being allowed the privilege and homo
of addressing such an assennblage a
this. Now, you have been welcomed