The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1908-06-06

Public Sentiment Backs Labor But
Speaker and Leading Mem
bers Hostile

With the session Of congress at an
end, the representatives Of organized
labor are casting over. their accounts
and are discovering that they have re-8
ceived little consideration since the
first Monday in December. They have
been able to accomplish little in the
way Of getting the legislation they
have urged congress to enact In the
most important matters which they
have asked at the hands Of congress
they have apparently made no. pro-
gress says the. Minnesota Union Advo-
cate g. -, S..
The legislation that organized labor
has gotten In the course OF this ses-s
sion consists chiefly Of the enactment
of a new employers liability law and q
child labor Bill for the District Of Coz
.lumhia. a 2 3
When it comes to anti7injunction
legislation and passage Of an eight
hour law, no progress has been made.
The bill relating to convict-made goods
was not enacted. All of the efforts of
President Gompers Of the American
Federation OF Labor and all the thun
ders Of the president in his special
messages on anti injunction legis1a
tion have not avaiIed. Congress has
not budged an inch. and It is hard to
see that the prospects are any brighter
for anti- injunction legislation Of the
sort organized labor wants than they
were when the session opened.
II. Mo Anti Injunction Law.
No signs appear that this congress,
which will exist until March 4, 1901.
will sdo anything on anti Injunction
matters unless It is OF sort that fails.
to meet the sanction Of organized Ia
Dor. The opinions Of members of con -
gress on the subject s4ne 80 various
that 1t would be. an extremely difficult
matter to get anything agreed to,Sevenl
If the committees could be induced 50
act favorably. It Is now thoroughly
realized that when the president was
seeking to drive congress to do some
thing on this question by belaborfng
It with special messages he was en-
gagged In 4 hopeless task 90 Tar. as this
session and probably this sscongress was
concerned. 5.3s
Representatives Of labor furthermore
have practically given up hope of get
ting any anti injuncti lon legislation
that will approximate what they want
so long as Speaker Cannon. sfs head of
the house. They say 50 frankly. The
speaker they regard % hostile to most
Of the things they want, and they see.
no prospect he willis tt:essanu1e slenieIit
toward them. The only. particular In
which they calculate they have gained
important ground this session, save In
respect to the passage Of the bills al
ready mentioned, Is the fact that pub
lie sentiment, as they believe, has been
stirred to considerable extent In their
favor by the presid dent's-message.
Labor More OF PoIitieal Factor.
They consider that the labor forces
of the country are more united, more
organized, In the movement to get the
legislation they want, and that they
are getting in shape to make them
selves felt as more Of q force at the.
polls than they have ever been In pre-
ceding elections. They are working
hard to organize for the congressional
elections. as well as the nominations.
This is being done all over the conn
try in districts where organized labor
has any strength. It has been going
on for weeks.
AS in the case Of two, years ago, cer-;