Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-06-15
GoMPERS A CLARK BOOMER
Talks of White House for Tried
Friend of Toilers.
THE CLERKS FIND CHAMPIONS
Their Right to Petition and to Or
ganize Supported by Mem
bers of House.

| The prospect of tried friend OF organ
lied labor in the White House in the per
son of Champ Clark, Speaker Of the
House Of Representatives, was set before
the Central Labor Union and their guests,
| fifteen members of Congress who carry
union cards, and the executive council
| of the American Federation of Labor. by
Samuel Gompers. president of the A. f.
of L.. at the banquet given last night IN
| the Ebbitt House.
In the course of his speech Mr.. Com
pers declared that the Supreme Court OF
the United States, in the recent decision
quashing Jail sentences imposed upon
himself. John Mitchell and Frank Morri-
son in contempt proceedings, avoided the
| issue and decided the cases against the
| labor leaders in academic fashion.
For Right Of Petition.
The right Of petition for government
employees was twarmly championed by
| Speaker Clark, who declared that the
freer the people the more efficient Is
| labor. The right of government employees
to organize unions and strike was advo-
Gated by Representative W. b. wilson
chairman Of the committee on labor
| Speaker Clark and Representative Wilson
agreed In denouncins the gag rule they
| said had been applied to men In govern
| ment service, first by President Roosevelt
and reNsfirmed and extended by Preslden,
Taft.
The banquet was rendered in honor OF
card members of Congress and the
executive council of the American Fed
| Grafton Of Labor. James OConnell. presi-
! dent of the National Machinists' Union,
was POSTMASTER. There was much en-
| thusiasm and prolonged applause for the
| prominent guests Of the evening upon
their appearance and for those points In
the speeches that echoed the sentiments
of labor
Milton Snellings, chairman of the COM
mittee of arrangements of Central Labor
Union, opened the session and presented
Mr.. O'COnnell as presiding officer. Mr..
O'Connell dilated on the fact that Con-
gress, In which sat no man with union
card not SO many years ago, had now SO
! large labor delegation.
Representative Wilson, the first speaker,
presented statistical figures to show that
| the American workingman is the most
efficient in the world. Every American
| laborer. he declared. produces annually
to the value of s., 400 Canadian work
| men are next, followed by Australians
with Great Britain's laborers. producing
| only $500 annually, in fourth place.
Scientific management" applied to
| government service. II 1t occupied itself
in forcing workingmen to a greater speed
| than was fair to expect of them, he de-
clared. would be opposed by card mem.
| bers Of Congress.
When a man enters government serv.
| ice, said Mr.. Wilson. he does not lose his
| constitutional rights. When things dc
not go right In the government service
| the gag rule he declared, not only
destroys a constitutional right, but also
| a fundamental right of man. Card mem
| bers of Congress, he said. will not be
satisfied until men in civil service have
| the power to exercise the same right
| as men engaged In private enterprise.