Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1908-04-05
President Gonpsrs, Of Ihs FEEDER.
alton Of Labor, Declares
#0PAIngnsR Will Not Walt
Much Longer.
WILL HAVE ORGANIZATION ANYWAY
At Hearing Before Senate Committee
o" Proposed Amendments to the
Sherman Antitrust Law the Labor
Leader Bitterly AssaIls tho Attitude
of Congress- Toward Organized La.
bor-se,h Low Can't Answer.
fBy Associated pressA

N a
-, WASHINGTON. ". c., April A.
me proposed amendments TO tho
SHERMAN antitrust hill as framed hv
me National Civic Federation and in
.rodncei In tile House RECENTLY nv
ar Hepburn. of Iowa, were advocotnd
Today before subcommittee ar I'M
iionse Judiciary eomittce nv uon
seth Lowe, of New York nres,,dan,
OF the Civic Federation, Samuel Com
pers, president of the American rod.
eratlon of Labor; A. u. Garrettson
or Cedar Rapids. Iowa. president NJ
the Order OF Railway Conductors ana
theodore Harburg, OF Baltimore That
mere Is strong opposition to the pro-
poHeu measure was intimated nv n
number OF kilograms made public nv
Mr.. Oittleg fled of the sub commit.
zee from business concerns through,
out the country. The hearings viii
pc continued Monday when counsel
lor large nnmlsar of firms repre,
senting the Opposition vii be heard.
samuel Gompers, president, OF the
american Federation of Labor sound.
"a warning that the workingmen of
.ne' country would not wait much Ion
I'VE TOT the passage of remedial Iegis-
intoh. Mr.. Gompers told OF the ef-
i i OF me advocates Of the laboring
interests when the Senate was consid-
erng the original Sherman antI-trms,
Jaw. 70 have 1t amended to so provide
that the arrangements. agreementa ~.
combinations between the lnhorar,
made with the view Of lesseniny Tho
number OF hours OF labor or The in
creasing of their wages nor to arran-
Eements. agreements or communIca.
IONS among persona engaged I'm hoy.
'icuiture or agriculture made with n
view 10 enhancing the price of ngri-
cuIlurai or horticultural products.
rms amendment, said Mr.. Gon,pers.
was mt one time agreed TO bit was
,'ot III the bill when 1t passed that
nody. In 1901 he said. hearing was
gwen by the House judiciary commit
tee OH this amendment.
believe Mr.. Lfttlefield will re-
member that hearing" continued Mr..
Goinpers.
Il remember 1t quite well," renlied
Mr.. Littlefeld. ~ was one of those
who voted against IT."
Nlne voted against w." rejoined
VII. Gompers, "and some OF them are
not now In Congress-" he added.
oompers against the Sherman Lazy.
ms So called Sherman antitrust
Jaw continued Mr.. Gompers. ala moi
an antitrust law, it Is n common jaw
IL Is Il law against associated effort
IL is law something like law which
obtained about 1000 years In Rome
mat made every form of association
or organization which was NOT aDproy.
cd by the emperor unlawful.
we favor the enactment of laws
which shall restrict the mower OF
courts and authority as to propsrty
rights or shall define property rights
mat neither directly nor Indirectly
shall there ln held to be any propertv
or property rights In the labor of any
person
Mr.. Gompers reviewed the recent
court decision adverse to organized
labor but said that these organizations
could not be driven from the country.
You may drive the men and women
OF labor organizations into secret or.
ganiZations." he said
You may rive them into the dark.
put they are going to organize and re-
nam organized. II not in the way
You VIII permit 1t by law. they will
organize in secret and neither ukase
nor Injunction are going to drive them
OUT OF this country. SIppose you
iorce them to do in secret the perfect.
~ legitimate human activities they
always have performed in the open
lie. i need not say to you, gentle
meu, that men in the open where they
can express their views thoroughly.
where they can promuigate to the
world their thoughts their business.
VIII always be more intelligent and
circumspect than IL they were consld.
ering the same question in secret and
where they are free from the criti.
cisms of the general public.
Orsanized Labor Necessity.
What hope has the worklngman to
protect his rights and his interests IL