The San Francisco call., 1910-11-15
LABOR FEDERATION
OPENSCONVENTI0N
Miners Unions Will Largely In
fluence Deliberations of
the Organization

ST. LOUIS. Nov 1.-THE American
federation of labor. which convened
here today, will get down to actual
work tomorrow
The report of the credentials com
mittee shows that the deliberations OF
the body VIII be largely influenced by
the miners unions OF the country, that
branch of labor having 2.so7 votes.
while the carpenters are next with
612 votes. The delegates vote the
strength of their respective organiza-
tions. one vote for each group Of mem
bers
The report of Secretary Frank Nor
rison, which was reed this afternoon,
sents 1,561.151 trades unionists.
DISCUSSES CONTEMPT CASE
President Gompers today discussed
at length the contempt case against
himself. John Mitchell and Secretary
Morrison. lnis is the case instituted
pany of st. Louis and which resulted
in the United States court of the Dis
tF1ct OF Columbia sentencing Gompers,
Mitchell and Morrison to Jail for fall
ure to obey an Injunction forbfdding
the maintenance of a boycott against
the Buck company.
The opening session was turned inro
an insurgent political rally by Owen
Miller, president of the Missouri feder-
alton of labor
Jeers greeted the name of Joseph G.
Cannon and loud applause welcomed
the name of Champ Clark.
The labor movement is greater than
any party platform. said President
Gompers, in response to the address
of welcome. because it isfgoverned by
principle as through nature itself, and
because it expresses the discomfort of
the Masses"
Seventy FIVE women were inNthe con-
vention as delegates. One of them is
Miss Zula Taylor. 20 years old. who Will
cast the entire vote of the state or
Kansas, having been elected the repre-
sentative of the Kansas federation of
labor She is secretary treasurer of
the Kansas garment workers union.
Victor Berger of Milwaukee. the first
socialist to be elected to congress. re-
eeived many congratulations from his
fellow delegates.
Moon Answers Gompers
PHILADELPHIA. Nov. 14.-Congress-
man Reuben o. Moon of this city, who
was assailed in st. Louis today by
Samuel Gompers. president OF the
American federation of labor in his
annual report, when referring to anti
trust and Injunction this afternoon,
issued reply
The statement reads in part:
The statements of Mr.. Gompers
respecting my proposed Injunction
bill are entirely unwarranted BY
the facts of the case. This bill
embodes in it, in express legis-
of the best federal judges for over
a century. These judges have
never hesitated 10 grant prelim-
mary injunction without notice
when irremediable mischief could
not otherwise be prevented.
Mr.. GomDers' assertion. there
fore. that this bill legaiizes this
spractice is entirely untrue because
the regularity Of such practice has
been upheld frequently by the
highest courts of the country.
The bill is designed to protect
the laboring man against the abuse
notice. 1t requires the person oh
tanning such injunction to maks
some showing before the Judge
within 10 days from the date OF
seBvite of such injunction and
thereby prevents the man obtain
ing a writ Of this unusual charac-
ter. without notice. solely to pre-
vent irremediable mischief to him
self-from employing II. either by
neglect. delay or for other reasons
TO infiict injury upon his oppo
nents.
1t guards against the employ
ment of this power by indifference
or delay as an instrument of op-