The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-10-05
Copyright, 1909. by P. S. Ridsdale
for Samuel Gompers.)

LKdue III LIN -
come to a close, is to decide upon the
labor measures it's Parliamentary
Committee shall recOmmen to the ma
tional lawmakers. Many of the sub
jects introduced at the conventions OF
the American Federation Of Labor
trade jurisdictions, boycotts, lockouts,
strikes, dealings tive particular
unions and employers-do not come
up for consideration in the Congress,
and consequently the number or reSo-
buttons presented are hardly half as
many as are discussed in the annual
American Federation of Labor conven-
tons. The place Of holding the CON
gress changes from year to- year, IN
order to impart to all parts or the
country successfully the qulckenlng
impulse that comes to a LOCALITY with
the publicity and interest connected
with the event. Ipswich, with $4,000
Inhabitants, not a very lively town
from the English point Of view, was
chosen for this years Congress Tor the
reason that no such meeting had
been held in Central East England
since 1894, when one took place at
Norwich.
Present at the Public Hall sessions
this week in Ipswich were 495 dele
gates, representing unions with a
membership Of 1~,7O1,0 600. Chairman
D.. J. ShackIeton, of the Parliamentary
Committee, acting as President of the
Congress-, mentioned that among the
delegates were % Members of Parlia-
ment, &c Justices OF the Peace, one
Mayor, six Aldermen, and Is Coun
cillors. The nuInber Of different unions
represented was 195, most of them
having but one delegate, but at the
other extreme was the Miners Fedora
ton with II, and the weavers with 40.
There were four women delegates.
FraternaI delegates were also present
from the Labor Party q. Kier Hardie(
the Cooperative Union, the Board OF
Trade, the General Federation of
Trade Unions, and the American Fed
Grafton of labor Oh. A. Larger and
John p. Frey, with Samuel Gompers
as a special representative this year,
The resolutions to be voted on at
the Congress, with their amendments,
must be in the hands of the Par11a-
mentary Committee q stated time pre-
yious to the date of the meeting. Be
ing then printed in the "agenda,' they
are published a sufficient time before
the week of the debate on them to
permit each delegate and his cOnstitu-
ents to know what is awaiting the ex-
preston of their will. The resolutions,
which are not referred to committees
at the Congress, are usually of a type
familiar to all who are in the trade
union movement. Some, like that on
compulsory arbitration, brought up
year after year by their champions,
are sure to meet certain defeat. 9th
ers, like that on secular education, en-
countering opposition from
UNCONVENTIONAL sources, are passed
by large majOritieS. AS in many other
deliberative bodies, the debate is car
Red on by a comparatively small body
of recognized spokesman for the vari-
Gus elements present. Monday, with
the opening session was taken up with
preliminary fOrmalitieS, and Saturday
with resolutions of courtesy; hence,
the real business was gone over in
four days, a five minute speech rule
being adopted the third day.
The drift Of British trade union eff
fort is to be seen in the decisions on
certain of the resolutions. The longest
debate on Thursday was on a motion
embodying ar "emphatic condemna-
ton of any indirect or direct compul-
sorry enlistment of the working classes
into the Territorial forces" and also
~condemning the regulations which
permit these forces to be used in sup
pressing trade disputes" This was
passed, but an amendment calling for
"a citizen army free from military law
IN times of peace"-the German So
cia1ist conception of q military organi-
cation as a substitute for standing
army-was rejected, 933,OOO votes to
1O2, 900 A resolution calling upon the
government to appoint a Minister of
Labor with full cabinet rank was pass
ed. A resolution to establish a Labor
daily newspaper in London, for which
$750,000 would be needed, was voted
down. A solution was passed calling
upon he organized workers 'to fall
into line with their comrades of other
countries to demonstrate on Labor Day
In order 10 demand the institution of a
lega eiGht-hour day, and to maintain
the interests Of the working class gem
orally in the cause of universal peace,
by h suspension Of work on May l."
arson commissioners were denounced
Ior putting the work Of prisoners on
the open market in direct competition
M,th the work Of l~aw-abiding citizens"
me - government was asked to prevent
eisa eaportatlon Of "~blackIegs" to for
GIG countries In time OF Industrial dts