Evening journal., 1909-11-08
FUSS IN THE
FEDERATION
Expelled Electrical Workers
Are Striving For Rein
statement
GOMPERS MAKES REPORT;
UNIONISM SHOWS GAINS

Bv United Press Leased Special Wire.
TORONTO. Nov S.-That the steam
roller" is now under full headway and
will be siSillfuly manager by the officers
OF the American Federation Of LABOR
against all internal opposition at the
twenty-ninth annual convention convened
here to-day is secretly admitted.
Sympathizers with the 'iI-urgent" cleo
trical workers and those delegates repre-
senting expelled city central bodies and
state declarations in Ohio, Iowa, Nebraska
and Oklahoma, admit the outlook Is not
hopeful.
The hopes OF the insurgents is to force
the fight TO the convention floor, hoping
by statement OF grievance before the
delegates to gain adherents. The officers
are planning to dispose Of everything in
comittees.
The trouble grows out of a split in the
International Brotherhood Of Electrical
workers The federation recognized the
faction headed by F. McNulty. ]. J.
Reed is president Of the other.
Many State organizations and central
bodies espoused the cause of the Reed
faction. This resulted in the charter Of the
latter bodies being revoked by the
American Federation Of Labor. Revolt
followed and the leaders Of the dissatis-
faction are here in the fight Of their lives.
Most of the large national and interna-
tional organizations are lined up with
Gompers and the administration.
other important matters to come before
the convention are proposition Of afflia-
ten between the American Federation OF
Labor and the Western Federation OF
Miners and the bringing into the fold Of
large number of local unions in Mon
lana, Idaho and the inter-mountain states.
The Jail sentence over Gompers, Mitch
ell and Morrison for alleged violation Of
court injun etion in the District Of Colum-
bia is expected to bring from the conven-
ton the most drastic criticism of courts
and injunctions ever passed by a labor
gathering in America Child and woman
labor will come in for large share Of
attention.
The convention opened at 10 o'clock this
morning.
orQSnization and Growth.
ne reports OF the labor chiefs we're
resii this morning Presideut- eoraperss-in
relieving the work OF the year, said:
It is a source of great gratihcatior
to be able to report the growth in the
trade union movement during the past
year. From the time Of the panic, Oc-
tober. 1907, there were myriads of ouT
fellow workers unemployed, and this
necessarily had an injurious influence
upon them. AS a consequence, there
was a falling off in membership in
many of our organizations. These
however. have been regained and ad-
ditiona1 members enrolled. There car
be no doubt but that our experience
before. during, and since the last panic
has fully justified the attitude Of the
American Federation of Labor sc
stoutly maintained by nearly all work
ers. The declared position of Amer
ica's workers that wage reductions
would be resisted at all hazards, noI
jonlv prevented reductions to any ap-
lpreciabel extent but also gave cour.
age to the workers to maintain theii
membership and stand true by organ.
ICED labor
"The present average membership o
our afiliated organizations for the yea
is nearly up to the highest STANDARD
In the history of the Federation. Th'
ioficers of. one third OF internationa
unions affiliated to our Federation, nav
made report of an increase over pre-
vious years. Thirty-four of them re
ported a net increase OF over 10000 70
Fhe past year. while there has been
Substantial increase in the membership
of the local unions formed or revive'
attached to the international union
or directly ahiliated to the American
Federation of Labor The reports o
the one-third of the organization ma
he taken as fair indication of tn
general growth.
we issued during the fiscal yea
i76 certificates of affiliaiton. OF thi
number were to international unions
the Operative Plasterers' Internationa
Association of the United States an
Canada, the Brotherhood Of Railwa
Clerks. and the international Brother
hood Of Pulp. Sulphite. and Paper Mi
Workers of the United States and Ca
NADIA; to departments, rs follows
Railway Employees Department an
Union Label Trades Department: 40 {
central labor unions; to state fed
erations. Nebraska and Wyoming; s
Continued on Second Page.