Evening star., 1907-11-13
IN LABOR CIRCLES
GEHaE.Es:tS

Nearly all the current matters in the
world of labor have for the time being
been subordinated to the proceedings of
the convention of the American Fedora
tion of Labor at Norfolk. which Is some
times termed 'the workingmen's annual
congress- The address delivered by
President Samuel Gompers yesterday fur
nished much food for discussion and
thought In his opening Mr.. Gompers
said:
when the true historian shall present
TO the world the great struggles of the
past and of the present; when the tinsel
and false coloring shall have been re-
moved from the real figures and events
there will be revealed to mankinds as
tontshed gaze the continuous struggle of
labor against tyranny, brutality and in
Justice, the struggle for the right for
humanity. for progress and for civiiza-
ton. The trade unions and the fedora
tion Of our time are in their very essence
the continuity of the historically devel-
oped progress of labor through the ages.
We who are engaged in the battle of
labor to secure its rights and to achieve
justice for all our people are in tho very
nature Of things too much engrossed in
the performance of constantly pressing
duty to be enabled to write its story
Let pessimists and opponents take
JUNCTION to their souls for their master
snip OF the past. The present and the
future are for labor. which In it's organ
ized. federated movement will stand as
protest against injustice and wrong to-
ward any of our fellow-men, as the van
guard to proclaim and achieve the rights
to which the toilers, the masses, are en-
titled.
1T has been my pleasure to participate
IN several informal conferences where
there was discussed the mooted subject
OF holding an international conference of
the representatives not only of abor and
employers, but also of the several gov
ernments of the civilized world, the e. =
eminent of the United States to extend
the invitations, the conference to consider
the following subjects:
Child labor its restriction and resu-
Iation
"Woman's labor, it's restriction and
regulation.
Hours of labor.
Safety appliances on railroads and ma
chinery in factories and workshops.
Sanitation in workshop and mine
Ventilation in mines.
Employers liability and kindred sub
jects
THE matter is still in a tentative state
l would recommend that this convention
take some action in regard thereto so as
to secure the cooperation of any or all
organizations favorably disposed toward
the project with the view of urging the
President of the United States to extend
an invitation to the governments and as
soclations Of other countries
II labor shall resist all attempts at re-
duction in wages. some battles may be
lost; but these would be reduced to a
minimum in the same degree, as it is
clearly understood that it is our firm
resolve that we will rather resist and lose
than not to resist at all
AT present we are confronted with no
immediate danger or threat that the en-
ployers of labor contemplate reductions in
wages. There IS not now even an excuse
TOR such course 1t. therefore. all the
more commends itself to our judgment
that during this year of comparative in
dustral tranquility and more general en-
ployment of our people that we write on
our banners. beside the WatchWords and
slogans which have carried the toilers
along the road of progress to victory, that
which for ages has been the miss ng word
III our social progress: No reduction in
wages for American labor; we will resist
to the uttermost.'
In urging the Importance of raising
strike funds Mr.. Gompers said:
Again, l feel it my duty to impress
upon all our unions the Importance of pro-
viding themselves with funds that Shall
stand them in good stead in time of neces-
slty, to provide their members with the
means to sustain themselves and their
families not only during strikes and lock-
outs. but also to constantly attain a
greater measure Of justice and right for
labor without the necessity of either strike
or lockout. And, further, that the unions
shall be of materia. assistance to the
workers by the payment of benefits. not
rs a matter of mere charity and sympa-
thy but of acquired right to which they
r. entitled and for which they have con-
tributed in the form of dues.
There is no factor so potent to secure
the just demands of labor as a well-or-
ganiZed union with goodly treasury.
In the endsaVor TO secure the just de-
nands of labor without strike a sense
of justice on the part of employers can
Tot be compared to wellorganized body
of workmen with a wellfilled treasury,
nor is there so potent an influence or
power to prevent a lockout as labor in
talligently and compact organized and
prepared to defend its rights
Severe criticism was made of the Ma
| tional Association OF Manufacturers and
its leading spirits and of its proposed
81, SOC, 600 war fund for educational pur-
! poses, which he declared was to be de-