The sun., 1910-05-15
SOwE NEW HOOKS.
Blr. Gsmpsss sa Labor In EurSps ana
America.


IN the sumner Of last year the president
of the American Federation Of Labor went
abroad as a representative Of the fedora.
ton 10 attend several national and inter
nAeioaal labor conventions and tn study
labor conditions in the principal countries
Of Europe The conventions included
the tenth annual meeting Of the General
Federation Of British Trade Unions, he'd
aG HacRpool in July; the sixth confeFencs
of ane International Sscretariaa % Trade
Unions, held at Paris In August and Sep
aember. and the forty-ascond annual
BFitiah Trade Union Congress. held n
Ips~ich IN september. These gatherings
Afforded an opportunity Of noting TIE rela-
tive progress Of the anarchist, socialist
and conservative trade union wings Of the
foreign labor movement. Included In tha
itinerary wereabout thirty industrial oen-
tree IN the United Kindgom. France. Bel
Rium. Holland. Germany. Bohemia. Aus
tria. Hungary. italy and SwitSerland.
The journey occupied not quite hve
months. The time for investigation In
each city was therefore limited. On the
Other hand Mr.. GOmpers had At hiS ser
.vio8 everywhere the fraternal help Of the
boat Informed local authorities ON labor
conditions. Undoubtedly the impress
nions which he brought back a. regards
hotA the course Of opinion in the labor
@oyUnnenk abroad and the situation Of the
working classss IN Europe are based on
nulnpsssnt dMea.
Tho ohservafions of sAAfUHL 00aRSMs
huvO bssn published, under tho title q
LaecP ~ EayOps and Amsrtca (HaFpsrB).
Tho notable elements Cf this valuable TO-
pert On the for1ign labor situation are tho
connlnHaons that the state Of the working
olAAsos b improving throughout Europe
and that thass classes are gradually ahan-
douing the lsadsrship Of -intsllootuals'
D-eoclalists. anarohists and political aspi-
rants who are not wage workers-fOr trade
unicnist officers chosen from their own
rAnlts. Mr.. 0ompers prints out that the
hbor movoment was organized In most
EuEupsap countries BY boolish theorists
because tha people wore zoo ignorant 10
a0t On their own initiative. In conso-
qusnos. however. OF popular education
and experience IN sslf-govsrnmsnt a.
sEsrcised In trade union matters working
m0n are beginning 70 difersntiate he-
tween the cause og labor and general
plans of social reform. Tho conviction
Il growing that II tgadO unlonism Il 20 hs
universally accepted by wage ean~1s Il
must be divested Of fortuitOus alliances
with projects which offend the religious
and political convictions of large sections
Of tie working pofSiaassoa.
Mr.. 0ompers gives many Illustrations
of advances IN wages and lessening In
hours Of WORK. The Improvement in
theae respects. he finds. IL due to a variety
of causes besides trade union activity,
which. however he naturally regards
a. the mOst important. Emigration 20
America has exercised beneficial in
flusnce throughout Europe. II has re-
acted in the standard of living among
the maasss and has been the means Of
familiarizing them with practical demo-
cr4sic deals. By carrying % the surplus
population emigration has raised wages
even IN the south of Italy, where trade
unions do not exist The use Of labor
azving machinery has increased the
prOductivenesp and consequently the
waRs value Of operatives. Evidences
u aneli0atlou in the conditions Of wage
workers are not confinsd. however. 20 sta
tistics of earnings. They are found also
IN the new attitude q difference on the
part Of Governments 10 public opinion. I
IN the extension, % Governmental func- !
tons looking 60 the Eelfare Of the work /
ing classes, In the prOgress of trade union |
Ism and in the gvcwth of cooperation.