The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-11-12
-FOUR QUESTIONS
! BEFORE A. f. Of |
Annual Meeting Of Labor Federation
ls Taking up Problems Of Vital
Interest and Importance
to Organization.
GOING INTO POLITICS
win Determine Whether to Continue
Present independent Attitude or
Take a More Pronounced
Stand.
GOING INTO POLITICS

Err, N. Y, Nov. 12.-Four questions Of
vital Importance to the future OF Or
ganized labor are occupying the at
tention Of the American Federation OF
Labor in annual session in this city.
All will be disposed of before the
convention finally adjourns, but 1t
seemed certain today that brisk con-
test will precede definite decision.
In order the problems to be met are:
Complete organization OF the plants
OF the great steel corporations, In
cluding the United States Steel Co.
Continuation Of the struggle to
unionize the metal trades on the Paci-
f1c coast and to unionize all Los An
geles industries
| To define methods to be pursued In
dealing with the Industrial Workers
of the World, where the interests OF
the two organizations clash.
TO decide whether labor shall main
tain its present Independent political
attitude, or go directly into politics
as an organization.
So far as the unionization OF the
steel industry and the Pacific coast
features are concerned, the efforts OF
the past year have been discouragfng
Outside of San Francisco, the coast
organizations have not met with the
success desired. In the unionizing oi
the plants of the United States Stee
s, Corporation, the organizers have en-
!, countered serious obstacles, most o
the skilled workers having remained
aloof while the unskilled workers
have been joining the Industrial Work
ers in droves.
{ Because of this, the question o.
dealing with the l. W. W. loomed uI
today as most momentous. None o.
the delegates would discuss 1t, bu,
privately all admitted that 1t would
have to be dealt with. The industrial
workers leaders, Vincent St John
!, William D. Haywood and others, are
bitterly opposed to the federation, ant
, denounce 1t at every opportunity. Al
Lawrence and in Little Falls, N. Y. al
the present time the two organiza
tions are at war. And the presen
convention must decide what will b.
; done. but the big clash now seeming
/. ly inevitable, come; in connection
with the steel industry.
When the convention resumed 1t
sessions today, 1t was the concensu
of opinion that strong resolutions de
nouncing compulsory arbitration, a
. at present proposed, would be adopt
ed. President Gompers opened th
+ way by declaring in his annual ad
dress yesterday that "law or no law
the workers would always reserve a
their last weapon of defense the righ
to strike"
Most of the morning session was dc
] voted to routine committee reports.
Attack on I. w. w.
= CONVENTION HALL, ROCHEs
TER, N. j., Nov. pa bitter attac
;. on the policy of Misrepresentation
9 pursued by the Industrial Workers Q
the World in their public attitude tt
! ward the American Federation of LII
Dor featured the report of the feder;
ton executive committee presente
at todays session in convention her,
d The report, which was lengthy an
e smplffied with details the records col
. tanned in the representatives of tn
l. president and secretary considere
yesterday, declared that the T. w. v
was charging that the federation
unyielding and autocratic, and hs
/. therefore failed to keep pace with d
v velopments in the world of labor.
n Instead, the executive commltte
y claimed, the methods of the feder
y tion are constantly changing to me,
y modern conditions Instead OF O
y posing industrial unionism as sue
is charged by the l. w. W., the ex
cutive committee declares the re
A. spirit of Industrial unionism is |
" voked by the federation and all th
is best in 1t has been used by the g
filiated unions in the past, and Is b
ing used in the present.
r. There must, however, says the 7
Iy port, "be some degree of disciplil
ly for the progressive and orderly co
duct of trades unions. We must d
clare in unmistakable terms that 1t
the moral duty of all our organi7
. tions to live up to our agreement