Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-11-15
Speedy Transaction Of Business in
Hand is Urged.
GOMPERs MAKES HIS REPORT
President Of Labor Federation Dis
ousses Many Subjects.
TALKS OF CONTEMPT CHARGE
Trades Unionism Has wonderful
Power and is Not in Groove, says
Labor Leader--BriefIy Touches
on Dozen BiE subieots.

on Do2em Big aubteCts.
ST. LOUIS. Nov. t4-The American Fed
GRAFTON OF Labor which convened here to-
day, viii get down to actual work at to-
morrow's session. The report OF the Gre
dentiais committee shows that the delib-
erauons Of the body will be controlled by
the miners unions OF the country. that
branch Of labor having 2SO7 votes, while
the carpenters are next with 6i2 votes.
The delegates vote the strength Of their
respective organizations. one vote for each
group OF members.
The report OF Secretary Frank Morrison,
which was read this afternoon, showed
that the convention represents 1851 Isl
trades unionlsts. The organization OF
working committees which viii transact
the business OF the federation will be
named at tomorrows session at which
time also the report Of the executive COM
mittee will be read.
President Gompers, urged that the dele
gates speedily proceed to transaction OF
the conventions business in order that It
may not be prolonged for too long a per-
iod in closing the first days session
President Gompers discussed at length
the contempt case against himself, John
Mitchell and Secretary Morrison. This IS
the case Instituted by the Bucks Stove
and Range company Of ST. Louis, and
which resulted in the United States court
OF the District OF Columbia sentencing
Gompers. Mitchell and Morrison to jail
for failure to obey an Injunction forbid
ding the maintenance OF a boycott against
the stove company.
GOmpers' Report Submitted.
The report Of President Samuel Gompers
afIbuaiftnn tod IN
II Il lengthy document. consisting OF
forty-seven pages, pamphlet form. and
touches upon almost every phase OF the
labor question.
Among the subjects discussed at length
by President Gompers ia his report tile
following take prominence: Iron, steel and
tin workers. the garment workers strike,
the shirtwaist strike. decadenes OF con
gross injunctions. contempt OF court, prose-
cntion OF labor, extension OF the sight-
hour law, child labor. convict labor, az
sisting exclusion, Industrial education sec
ond-class mail rates. insurance laws and
trades unions, the Oklahoma constitution,
labors' rights and economic power, police
oppression and the third degrso and many
other topics In which the American trades
unionlst Is vitality concerned.
BY way OF preface 10 his report. Mr..
Gompers says:
Fellow Trade Unionlsts: Thirty years
ago, upon the urgent appeal OF q number
OF earnest and far-seelng trade unionists
a convention was held IN Pittsburg. Pa
There and then the foundation for our
federation OF trades and labor unions was
laid. Upon that foundation a strueturs
mas been reared perhaps FAR beyond the
vision Of It's builders. soon after the es-
adjustment of our federation, and after its
purposes came to be understood the toll.
ers began to realize not only that It was
eainently practicable but also that II had
"lthn its possibilities the elements TO in.
splIe nope and courage for the achieve
ment OF labors highest aspirationa By
the years Of devoted work OF its adberen,s
and through its attainments tho fedora.
uon has earned the respect and the con.
uaehee OF tie workers who rallied 10 Il,
standard and defended II against its ira.
uueera and would-be destroyers.
"ehty-two years ago the American
eueraAoh OF Labor held an annual con
Nenuou In this city That convention "a
viewed the progress which had been maa,
ana it determined upon a well-definee
poiicy Tor the inauguration OF a shorte,
Wo'Aoay' 70 the END that an eirht-houi
aay should be established.
AmDetas OF Movement.
""Po'ua ana Quickenlng impuis,
sven 70 the labor movement and III,
es cause or justice and humanity 10
"hleh Il stands can only be un5or.too,
ana appreciated By the studious an6 \,
the retrospective view 70 be taken bv m,
workers who will compare the .itnatie,
ana tae condition Of the waRe-workin,
masses then and now. The history OF IN,
movement cannot be rccounted here \,
Ief Al it is written. Il may be traced 4,
the otneial proceedings OF our conven
uons. in the American Federationist /,
the Official trade journals and An th
labor press. The unwritten htstory -
some of its most Important work u. !,
archives or the offices OF the orFanizct
labor movement. local, international An,
reiterated That which Is obvious 10 AN +,
the progress which has been made IN m
physical well being. ia the mental mora
poHN'"' ana social advancement OF ia
toilers- THIS progress is evidenced An tt,i
higher character and more independer
eputt, Ia their recognition OF ,the idont,a
ln the interests OF all wage workers AN
IN the solidarity OF their feeling ana aotio,
'ose'her with their wider horizon OF dutie
ana rights theif broader sympathies 70
All mankind, and their determination
AWusbie on Tor the eradication OF ever
wrong ana the attainment OF their ever
r.sht 70 which they in common wi,
their fellow men, are justly entitled
AuFaneement also may bo clearly see
IN the tribute an pay 10 the ennoblin
Nstk Of our movement ana In the bett,
conception which our people have OF
splendid achievements due 10 the persister
efforts OF the organized labor movement
our time
~ may not be uninterestlng as an ii
ueauon ef our movements Erowth to al
attention 10 the fact that al our first 90,
NenAon IN Pittsburg. Pa. only six inte
national unions were represented WITH
number of scattering locals. In st I.oni
twenty-five years ago. there we're sevel
teen international unions with a few ee,
unl bodies aud locals Note the ust
aeiesates to this convention ana the orEAi