Evening star., 1907-08-19
FEDERATION TO HELP
In Sympathy With Striking
Knights of Key.
ARBITRATORS SELECTED
Important Announcements by Presi-
dent Samuel Gompers.
OF MUCH INTEREST TO LABOR
Reports Of the Federation President.
Business Transacted by Execu-
tive Council Delegates.
OF MUCH INTEREST TO LABOR

| The great strike of the commercial teleg-
| raphers was one Of the important matters
| discussed at the initial meeting of the ex-
ecutive council Of the American Federation
| of Labor, held this forenoon at headquar
| ters 425 G street President Samuel Com
| pers told the executive council men OF his
| recent visit to Chicago and the action he
| had taken while there in connection with
| the strike. He also informed them that he.
| With Second Vice President John Mitchell
| and Sixth Vice President Daniel J. Keefe,
| had been named as q board Of arbitration
on behalf OF the striking telegraphers should
| the point be reached where arbitration is
! deemed necessary.
| The members Of the executive council
present at today's session were President
| Samuel Gompers. cigarmaker; Secretary
| Frank Morrison printer; Treasurer John B.
Lennon, tailor; First Vice President James
| Duncan, granite cutter. Of Quincy, Mass; ;
| Second Vice President John Mitchell,
| miner. OF Indianapolis. Ind: Third Vice
| President James O'Connell. machinist. Of
| Washington. D. c.: Fourth Vice President
Max Morris. retail clerk, Of Denver Col, ;
| Fifth Vice President e. A. Hayes. glass
! blower Of Philadelphia. Pa; Sixth Vice
fEeSlQcut Odniel hetIe, iOnSSHOTcIhdu,
| of Detroit. Mich: Seventh Vice President
William B. Huber, carpenter, OF Indian
apOlis, Ind.
The only absentee was Eighth Vice Presi-
dent Joseph F. Valentine, iron molder. Of
Cincinnati. Ohio. whose absence was ex-
planned by President Gompers. He said Mr..
Valentine was In conference over the wage
! scale following the action Of the convention
| Of iron molders Just ended.
Among the moro important matters re-
ported upon by President Gompers at to-
days meeting Of the council were the work
of the American Federation of Labor and
the standing of the labor movement
| throughout the country from the time Of
| the last meeting of the executive council
| in March to the present. He covered the
subject of his action as arbitrator between
| the Longshoremen's International Associa-
| tion and the Seamen's International Union.
and stated that he had submitted his re-
port to the. Organisations In interest. He
spoke Of his successful efforts in bringing
about the abolition of permanent Ash nets
| in the Columbia river, which had threat
ened to still further endanger the already
precarious occupation of the salmon fisher
| men, This matter has been taken up with
| the Secretary of War. s..,- -
He also reported upon the progress Of the
conferences between the American Fedora
ton Of Labor and the railroad brotherhoods
| with view Of securing more favorable leg
| islation in the interest Of the working PEI
pie 1t was stated that further conferences
on this matter will be held shortly. He
| also reported on conferences held with
President Vail Of the American Bell Tele-
graph and Telephone Company and Presi-
dent McNulty of the Electrical Workers,
whereby certain grievances were investi-
gated and alleged discrimina tions presented
for adjustment by the conference
President Gompers submitted report
showing the progress that is being made
for the restriction and abolition Of child
labor in the United States. He also reported
on the investigation authorized by the last
executive council of conditions on the Pan
anna canal, and matters connected with 1t
will be presented to the council during its
sessions.
The question Of immigration was pre-
sented by Mr.. Gompers in both its general
sense and in its application to Chinese
exclusion and the violation of the alien
contract labor law. Reference was made
to the recent opinion rendered by the At
torney General and action based thereon
by the Department Of Commerce and Labor.
1t was stated that the decision substantial
ly provides that when workmen in the
United States may be engaged In a lockout
or strike foreign workmen may be brought
here on contract to take their places Mr.
Gompers had called the attention OF the
government to tho untenableness Of this DO
sitfon and had written the War DEPART
ment comprehensive letter on the SUBJ
ject- He said that when the strike or lock-
out was at an end the imported workmen
could not find employment, thus showing
the gross error that had been committed
as substantiated by the decision of the At
torney General and the action of the De-
partment of Commerce and Labor.
President Gompers then called attention
to the complete display Of the American
Federation Of Labor at the jamestown ex-
ing attention and interest in the labor exhi-
bition. which covers 1000 square feet OF
space. Photographs have been made of the
labor exhibit and would be reproduced in
the next number Of the Federationist He
made several recommendations as to union
labor and union-labor products, providing
for the better understanding Of those SUBJ
jects by the public. He also spoke of CO.
ton and organized labor, as favored by the
Indianapolis convention Of the American
Federation of Labor
Attention was called to the recent forma-
ton of a state Federation Of Labor in Kan
sas. and to the fact that 1t had held a con-
vention last week at Topeka. Kan.
The report OF Secretary Frank Morrison
showed that the receipts Of the American
Federation Of Labor during the ten months
ending August /. 1907. were $249, 4s2 90,
and expenditures. $133. 1914. leaving a
balance in the treasury OF $115. 729 10. There
were issued In the ten months 32O charters
for new organizations formed. OF which
there were three international unions. fifty
seven city central bodies. eighty federal
labor unions and 1SO local labor unions. an
increase of 146 charters over the same rela-
tive period Of 1906.
All the reports were discussed and ap-
proved. and recess taken until this after
noon.
Hugh Clements Not in Custody.